I'm on the M3 waitlist, and want to be prepared for home charging. The Juicebox Pro 40A looks interesting, as they will be offering some type of rewards/cash credit in conjunction with my SoCal power company. Is there any disadvantage of using the Juicebox Pro 40A vs. the Tesla wall charger? They cost about the same. But the Juicebox, beyond the ongoing charging rebates, is also WiFi enabled and seems much smarter than the Tesla version. Am I missing something significant that would steer me towards the Tesla box?
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What is your charging situation for the Model 3?
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Nope, the Tesla wall charger is not smart like some of the nicer 3rd party chargers. Only downside of using J1772 is you have to use the adapter and manually open the charge port with the key or the touchscreen. Not a big deal - I ended up buying an extra J1772 so that I could leave it on my home charger all the time. So that adds $100 or so to the cost. (IMHO The J1772 should always be in the car while you are out and about since that is the most common public station and you might need one in a pinch)
The UMC (or is it just MC now?) comes with the car. Unless you have a specific reason for getting the HPWC, then you wouldn't have to buy a new connector and could save over $500.
cdub
OG 2011 Leaf / 2023 Model Y LR
I still have the original Blink charger for my leaf since 2011 and a "smart" charger is NOT an advantage.
There's no need for it.... I've had SO many problems with the blink charger. All an EVSE needs to be is extremely simple. Absolutely no need for wifi and I have to wait for the thing to boot up when I cycle power to it.
I'm swapping the blink for the Tesla EVSE asap
Depends on what you are looking for. I am guessing the new models from Clipper creek, juicebox etc are more reliable than your 2011 Blink. I have a wattbox on my unit from the company that makes juicebox and its been pretty solid.
It's nice to be able to track the car energy usage separately from your home or schedule charging more finely than Tesla allows if you are in a TOU area.
My thought is the factory charger cable would stay in the car, so I can use it on the road. I don't really want to be plugging, unplugging, and putting the cable in the trunk all the time. I've read dryer plugs are not designed for high insertions.
The primary reason I'm looking at the Juicebox is the rewards program. I contacted the company, and SDG&E are being onboarded as a new partner. So by the time my M3 comes, it is likely I can get the Juice rewards. Now how much that will amount to, I have no clue. But something is better than nothing, which is what the Tesla option gives me. I don't drive tons, so I'm not expecting a lot back.
I'll get a 5 year warranty (3 manufacturer, 2 credit card) on the juice box, so I'm not too worried about having issues with it.
I know some Model S owners has gotten one extra UMC - one lives in the car and one on the garage-wall back home. On longer trips they take them both as it is nice to have one extra if one should fail while being a long way from home...
Edit: ... and it is always nice to have one extra if one should fail whenever you are at home, near home or not...
You've probably read it in other threads, but I think most who use the UMC just leave it plugged in all the time. If you are plugging it into your dryer outlet (which I didn't know about until now), then you could consider a Dryer Buddy which splits your dryer outlet so that you don't have to keep unplugging and plugging in your car and dryer. It limits it so that only one device uses the power at a time. The JuiceBox should work for you too but will cost more to purchase and install.
Honestly, I've done over 5000 miles in my Model S and only had my UMC in the car for one 1000 mile trip. The Superchargers and public chargers have worked great for the remaining 4000 miles. However, I can understand that some would like the security of having the UMC in the car at all times.
coconutboy84
Member
One more option, my condo has agreed to put a rough in electric station in the underground for me. I will be putting a tesla HPWC down there asap.
AlanSqB
Dog Chauffeur
If you are tech savvy consider the OpenEVSE. Chris now makes them so that the assembly is easy and quick. They also have wifi and can feed info back to a webpage where you can monitor energy use, etc.
I've been using an early model OpenEVSE DIY board for about three years now. I got it before the newer, easy to assemble kits were available. It what I will still use for the S and the 3.
I've been using an early model OpenEVSE DIY board for about three years now. I got it before the newer, easy to assemble kits were available. It what I will still use for the S and the 3.
355rockit
Member
I had a NEMA 14-50 outlet installed recently in the garage in anticipation of the Model 3 and this weekend purchased a used Telsa Universal Mobile Connection Kit off eBay for 1/2 the price of a new one. This way I can keep the UMC that came with the car in the car and don't need to keep plugging and unplugging from the outlet.
I'm not too familiar with US building codes and such. Looking at the electric box, there's one 200A main fuse and bunch normal fuses (totaling about 300A combined). I read that as there's only one phase installed. How likely it is that the box still has all 3 phases there available, or do I need to get completely new wiring from street (?) if I want 240V? House built in 2009, north Seattle (WA).
AlanSqB
Dog Chauffeur
AlanSqB
Dog Chauffeur
Yeah, without knowing what other "real" loads you have on that panel, 30a is probably going to be ok. I run a 30a circuit for my evse and keep it set down to 24a. Even with a 75, you would still be full by morning.
HPWC can run at 80amps but can be set to limit much lower if necessary via a switch inside.
HPWC can run at 80amps but can be set to limit much lower if necessary via a switch inside.
I would need to know what on-board charger the Model 3 is coming with or if there is an option to get a larger on-board charger. If a 14-50 will max out the on-board charger, then there is no need to purchase and install a Tesla 80A wall charger. Rumors have been that people think the Model 3 will come with a 48 amp on-board charger. That sucks, but it's better than a sharp stick in the eye. So a 14-50 hookup would be adequate. If we can get a 72 or 78 amp on-board charger, then that knowledge is critical to determine if purchasing an 80 Amp Tesla charger is reasonable.
AlanSqB
Dog Chauffeur
I may be totally wrong here, but I believe that the chargers Tesla uses are one of the more consistent parts as they are used in both current versions and the superchcargers (in series). Seems like they would stay with the same "box" even if they software limit it. Maybe wishful thinking on my part though.
355rockit
Member
Per code, you should not exceed 80% of the rated breaker amperage for charging. Example is NEMA 14-50 uses 50 Amp breaker and charging should be set to 40 Amp. Likewise, a 30 Amp breaker would support charging at 24 Amps.
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