Got my ship notification today. I ordered Wednesday evening.
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I ordered one on Tuesday, nothing yet. When I told my DS, "no worries, there's a SuperCharger 3.7 miles from my house." He said, "we'll see if we can expedite that delivery for you." 
All well intentioned, he just wants me to be ready.
What I did get yesterday was an email invite to pay for the car!
All well intentioned, he just wants me to be ready.What I did get yesterday was an email invite to pay for the car!
K-MTG
Sunshade Captain of TMC
I ordered one on Tuesday, nothing yet. When I told my DS, "no worries, there's a SuperCharger 3.7 miles from my house." He said, "we'll see if we can expedite that delivery for you."
What I did get yesterday was an email invite to pay for the car!
Can't stop laughing!
What is your VIN, I was paid for my car 2 weeks ago but I am still waiting
BigMskiman
Active Member
OK, did nail that paint & organizing in a hurry on delivery weekend. The X is very comfortable at home......And you need to paint that dry wall! Give your X a better looking home
Amoroso6
Member
You run a separate branch circuit to it. The data sharing allows you to feed a subpanel in the garage with a feeder for only the shared current going between them, but you still should run a separate circuit.
The difference between this and a setup with the old HPWC's is that previously, your feeder had to be large enough to cover all HPWC's - so you'd need a 200A or even a 400A feeder to support 2 or 4 HPWC's, versus just a 100A.
For example, from your service panel, install a 100A breaker and run 2 #3's (two hots) and a #8 (ground) to your garage, terminate it on the lugs of an 8-space subpanel. Install 2 100A breakers in this subpanel, each one feeding an HPWC that will be linked together using the data connection. Mark that subpanel "240V ONLY - NO NEUTRAL" unless you want to run a separate neutral for 120V loads later.
beantobe
Member
You're kidding?!?! I ordered mine 2 weeks ago and have yet to get ship notification. What was the VIN of your charger? kidding...
K-MTG
Sunshade Captain of TMC
I ordered a 24 footer. FedEx still shows only "label created", but that's something I guess.
It looks like the 3/4" knockout placement on a typical 4x4 box, but the perspective/angle doesn't allow that to be guaranteed.
I'd ask if there's any reason for the 4x4 box there - leaving for NEMA 14-50? Otherwise I would have just used an LB pull box there to save some space.
Thanks for clarifying, the description in the tesla store just said:
- Power sharing feature that allows a single circuit breaker to be connected and shared, servicing up to 4 Wall Connectors - an optimized solution for customers with multiple Tesla vehicles
I don't think this is correct but then I don't know much. However, there was a guy at the Tesla social event yesterday who works for Smart Charge Residential which is Tesla's top recommendation on the Find an Electrician page. This is not at all how he described the hookup for multiple wall chargers to me.
The Installation manual specifically says shared breaker. Depending on your topology this may save some hardware costs.
While it does say "shared breaker", they're going to be limited as to how it's interconnected.
Technically, you could use a few 3-port Polaris connectors and a junction box to take the output from a single breaker and connect it to multiple HPWC's and it would be relatively safe. However, Polaris connectors and a sufficiently-sized junction box to hold all the large conductors legally is only going to save you $100-200 or so at best. You'll still need a box in the garage, whether subpanel or junction box, and it'll be roughly the same size.
But the reason to do it via subpanel may be found in the NEC, which is strangely specific on this one. NEC 210.17 states the following:
"Outlet" in the NEC is different than "receptacle", which is what most people think of as an "outlet". In the NEC, an outlet is the point of attachment for the purposes of drawing current. The connection from the HPWC to the infrastructure wiring is considered an outlet.
When I asked a few inspectors, they told me they would consider a junction box and polaris connectors a reasonably safe install, but technically violates code. When I asked a few forums, I got the responses you might expect:
1. <the usual trash about the 1%'ers and blah blah blah>
2. "What, two Teslas and you can't afford the $200 to put a small panelboard there?"
No one wanted to offer an opinion as to the legality of the Polaris connectors + junction box, with most (reasonable) people saying that they'd be installing a subpanel for it.
I pointed the NEC clause out to my contacts within Tesla, and the next revision of the manual will be clearer about the best ways to connect for sharing.
Technically, you could use a few 3-port Polaris connectors and a junction box to take the output from a single breaker and connect it to multiple HPWC's and it would be relatively safe. However, Polaris connectors and a sufficiently-sized junction box to hold all the large conductors legally is only going to save you $100-200 or so at best. You'll still need a box in the garage, whether subpanel or junction box, and it'll be roughly the same size.
But the reason to do it via subpanel may be found in the NEC, which is strangely specific on this one. NEC 210.17 states the following:
NEC 2014 said:
"Outlet" in the NEC is different than "receptacle", which is what most people think of as an "outlet". In the NEC, an outlet is the point of attachment for the purposes of drawing current. The connection from the HPWC to the infrastructure wiring is considered an outlet.
When I asked a few inspectors, they told me they would consider a junction box and polaris connectors a reasonably safe install, but technically violates code. When I asked a few forums, I got the responses you might expect:
1. <the usual trash about the 1%'ers and blah blah blah>
2. "What, two Teslas and you can't afford the $200 to put a small panelboard there?"
No one wanted to offer an opinion as to the legality of the Polaris connectors + junction box, with most (reasonable) people saying that they'd be installing a subpanel for it.
I pointed the NEC clause out to my contacts within Tesla, and the next revision of the manual will be clearer about the best ways to connect for sharing.
ccutrer
Active Member
Maybe you should post that you're installing multiple at a hotel or something, to weed out the 1%er knee-jerk reaction somewhat.
It was dumb of them to start making EV specific code changes on a still evolving technology.
Anyway, let's say the right wire in the right conduit costs $6 per foot. For a 4-stall install that's 30 feet away from the panel and you do individual runs for each, you get 30+40+50+60 feet plus 4 breakers for a total of approximately $1300 in parts alone vs about $400 on the same breaker.
Article 625 gets changed every cycle. They have to start somewhere.
Having it in 210.17 is a bit weird, it should be in 625, but either way it was voted on and passed. Dedicated branch circuit for an EV connection.
You're not representing the full cost of parts in both scenarios. Even if you use the same breaker, you have to use a large junction box (a small 4x4 won't work for 6x#3 + 3x#8, and that's just for 2 HPWC's, so you'll have to use a larger one) and qty 3 3-port Polaris #2-14 connectors ($20 ea). This is because Tesla does not have pass-through terminals. Wiring would be the same distance, whether you used a j-box or a subpanel.
I did some calculations here: New Wall Connector :)
You wouldn't install a subpanel 30 feet away, you'd install one near one of the HPWC's. You'd run a single 100A feeder from your service panel to a point near the HPWC's, either in a large junction or a subpanel. In my garage, it's located 3 feet above one HPWC, and across the doorway from the other HPWC.
For 2 HPWC's, you'll save $40 for Polaris connectors instead of breakers (you need 3 insulated @ $20 each for L1+L2+G, versus 2 100A breakers @ $50 ea.). A 4-space 125A panel is $20-30, and an 8-space 125A panel is ~$30-40; this will cost you roughly the same as a properly-sized junction box to connect 6x#3+3x#8. Conduit is a wash because you need the same runs to the HPWC's regardless of whether you choose to junction or not.
For 4 HPWC's, it's even less of a savings as 5-port Polaris connectors are just as expensive or more than breakers.
Using a subpanel also has an advantage that you can take one or more of the slave HPWC's out of service to work on it without affecting power to the rest (sharing a single breaker means turning everything off). The master unit obviously takes everything down if it needs to be worked upon.
I drew up the diagrams on how you'd connect them:
Also note that if your inspector does not permit you to use the breaker in your service / main panel as your "readily-accessible disconnect", you'll need to have a disconnect switch in the garage anyway, which will actually add expense.
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