Why do I need a wall charger at all?

[Non Sequitur]

My home has a dryer plug close enough to the driveway that I can charge with the charger that came with my M3 and it works great, BUT I’d like to do the charging inside the garage, but why do I need a juicebox or ChargePoint or clipper creek, if the dryer plug works so well with the included charger? The Tesla app tells me charging status, and let’s me raise or lower the Amps. So as long as your EV is a Tesla, I don’t see how you need the functionality of a $500-1200 charger.

What am I missing? There’s GOT to be a reason (and I want to discover it before 12/32 when the 30% tax credit ends).

 

[jjrandorin]

You dont, unless you want one. You shouldnt be plugging and unplugging from the dryer plug (it will likely get loose if you do that, and then become a safety hazard) but if you want to use the dryer plug, and its not being used by a dryer, thats fine.

The wall connector allows for a faster charging setup than the mobile connector does.
The wall connector doesnt require a GFCI breaker like setting up a new outlet would (to remain code compliant)

Neither one "comes with the car" any longer. The wall connector is only $200 more than the mobile connector, not "500 to $1200".

In the case of someone who needs to install new, the wall connector makes as much sense as installing an outlet, sometimes more. In the case of someone who wants to "use whats there" then thats what they should do. Nothing wrong with using whats there if it works for you. Just dont plan on plugging and unplugging the dryer, or putting a regular splitter on it or something.

 

[Non Sequitur]

You dont, unless you want one. You shouldnt be plugging and unplugging from the dryer plug (it will likely get loose if you do that, and then become a safety hazard) but if you want to use the dryer plug, and its not being used by a dryer, thats fine.

The wall connector allows for a faster charging setup than the mobile connector does.
The wall connector doesnt require a GFCI breaker like setting up a new outlet would (to remain code compliant)

Neither one "comes with the car" any longer. The wall connector is only $200 more than the mobile connector, not "500 to $1200".

In the case of someone who needs to install new, the wall connector makes as much sense as installing an outlet, sometimes more. In the case of someone who wants to "use whats there" then thats what they should do. Nothing wrong with using whats there if it works for you. Just dont plan on plugging and unplugging the dryer, or putting a regular splitter on it or something.

I wasn’t very clear: I need to install SOMETHING in the garage. I already have the cord that now costs $200. My question is: should I just install another dryer plug (in the garage), or a wall charger? Yes, a Tesla charger I guess is $400, not $600-1200, but my next car may not be a Tesla, and I Have another car with a J-type.

 

[LoL-Gas]

You'll be able to charge faster with the Wall Connector, both your current car (48Amps for anything other than the standard model 3) and any non tesla in the future. Most other company brand chargers are limited to 32 or 40Amps. May make a difference in the future if your next car has a larger battery pack.
As for the wall plug, I did this for a while with a 14-50. It allowed me to pull 32 Amps with the mobile connector and 40Amps with an older gen 1 mobile connector. Theres a noticeable difference in charging speed on the days where you are limited on time at home and need to quickly put some energy in the pack. Also, the mobile charger would sometimes overheat in the sun and slow charging down. If you have the space and money, I recommend going the wall connector route.

 

[STS-134]

I wasn’t very clear: I need to install SOMETHING in the garage. I already have the cord that now costs $200. My question is: should I just install another dryer plug (in the garage), or a wall charger? Yes, a Tesla charger I guess is $400, not $600-1200, but my next car may not be a Tesla, and I Have another car with a J-type.

Well it's not too hard to disconnect a WC from the wires and install something else there (another type of EVSE for example).

 

[cgell]

I wasn’t very clear: I need to install SOMETHING in the garage. I already have the cord that now costs $200. My question is: should I just install another dryer plug (in the garage), or a wall charger? Yes, a Tesla charger I guess is $400, not $600-1200, but my next car may not be a Tesla, and I Have another car with a J-type.

How about a J1772 wall connector for $550? - Link

 

[T061]

I wasn’t very clear: I need to install SOMETHING in the garage. I already have the cord that now costs $200. My question is: should I just install another dryer plug (in the garage), or a wall charger? Yes, a Tesla charger I guess is $400, not $600-1200, but my next car may not be a Tesla, and I Have another car with a J-type.

I personally prefer a NEMA 14-50 plug over a hard wired wall connector. It's less "permanent" and easy to install a non-Tesla charger. I have a J1772 for a non-Tesla car and use an adapter for the Tesla. My setup can go up to 40 Amps but I have my charger limited to 32 Amps max and I find that even that is an overkill for my needs. I still have the $200 mobile connector in the car trunk in case I need to charge during travel.

 

[strider]

I have been using Tesla's mobile plugs exclusively for 12 years now. Never an issue. I think a 14-50 is the most future-proof install to do in your garage. Granted the cost math changes now that you need a GFCI breaker and the mobile charger is no longer included with the car.

Though I still think I'd do a 14-50. Then when you sell the house there is a usable outlet there for someone instead of bare wires hanging out of the wall....

But if you need the speed of the wall charger, you need to use the daisy chain/sharing feature due to a small panel or other installation restrictions, or you just like the looks of the wall charger over a 14-50 with mobile plug hanging from it, then go for it.

 

[STS-134]

I have been using Tesla's mobile plugs exclusively for 12 years now. Never an issue. I think a 14-50 is the most future-proof install to do in your garage. Granted the cost math changes now that you need a GFCI breaker and the mobile charger is no longer included with the car.

It's actually not due to the high number of new vehicles that have a > 40A OBC in them. Most future-proof install you can do is wiring rated for 100A (80A continuous) because OBCs are allowed to draw up to 80A.

 

[strider]

It's actually not due to the high number of new vehicles that have a > 40A OBC in them. Most future-proof install you can do is wiring rated for 100A (80A continuous) because OBCs are allowed to draw up to 80A.

-<shrug>- I can only relate my personal experience. I sold my Tesla Roadster and ordered an MX Plaid. Tesla's ETDs are complete guesses. I decided to pick up a Volvo XC40 Recharge using their Care by Volvo program so I would have flexibility to return it when Tesla delivered my MX. I literally drove the XC40 into my garage and plugged in the included J1772 EVSE with 14-50 plug. Then when my MX arrived I unplugged the Volvo EVSE and plugged in the Tesla EVSE (mobile plug was still included back in May). Nothing could have been simpler.

That being said. Now that I have thought about it for a bit, I think a J1772 EVSE is the most future proof. Just consider it an appliance that stays with the house. Any US EV can use a J1772, either natively or, in the case of Tesla, with an included adapter. I will state that a Tesla wall charger is the LEAST future proof as I expect Tesla to convert their cars to CCS in the coming years.

 

[roblab]

Again, and I imagine there are some who are getting tired of me saying it, I've been charging for ten long years on my 220-volt outlet that cost me ten bucks. No need for anything else. Why someone might think they need "speed" when they leave their car charging overnight for hours is beyond me. My car is full every morning, and I never paid any horrendous price to do it. People who push the "wall charger" must have a cut in the profits. I have a 50-amp circuit powering the outlet, and the breaker has never tripped. I do leave the plug alone, not unplugging it for hardly anything, so there's no "wear and tear", though the outlet was made just for that convenience. I would bet that my outlet charges about as fast as a "wall charger", except I'd lose the bet because I'm asleep and don't care how long it takes.

Let me see. Wall charger: $200. Outlet: $10. Am I missing something? Oh, yeah, I could have bought a Honda for half what I spent on a Tesla. No dice.

 

[father_of_6]

Let me see. Wall charger: $200. Outlet: $10. Am I missing something? Oh, yeah, I could have bought a Honda for half what I spent on a Tesla. No dice.

Mobile connectors plugged into an outlet pose a higher risk of fire. There are many posts regarding this.

With the sustained high amperage, a lot of outlets fail. It doesn't mean you can't use one... but a hard-wired EVSE is a better choice.

 

[STS-134]

Mobile connectors plugged into an outlet pose a higher risk of fire. There are many posts regarding this.

With the sustained high amperage, a lot of outlets fail.

Not only that, but $10 outlets fail a lot more than $80 outlets. Like anything else, you get what you pay for. It's one thing to minimize labor costs by doing it yourself but skimping on materials costs on a setup that routinely carries more than double the power of a typical central AC unit isn't so smart.

 

[STS-134]

You've been bragging that you can unplug your mobile connector and use that outlet for other things so you obviously don't keep the mobile connector plugged in at all times. And on top of that, a crappy $10 NEMA 14 outlet was not designed to have stuff unplugged and plugged into it constantly over its lifetime, unlike a 5-15 outlet. This stuff typically gets used for stuff like stoves and ovens and dryers and other permanently installed appliances that gets plugged in when the appliance is installed and unplugged when the appliance is replaced. So expectation when it was manufactured was maybe 3-5 cycles (devices plugged into it and unplugged from it) before the outlet is replaced. Hell, I have had a NEMA 10-30 outlet melt and destroy a dryer plug and dryers don't even put the same type of load on an outlet that EVSEs do.

 

[father_of_6]

NEMA 6-50 outlets: Leviton versus Bryant

So I had a pre-existing 40A circuit with a Leviton 6-50 outlet with a 30A EVSE plugged into it for a previous EV. It worked fine with no problems then. That EVSE was not very reliable for the Model 3, so I put the (then included) mobile connector with 6-50 plug adapter in it. Worked fine for...

teslamotorsclub.com

Scary issue with Nema 14-50 adapter melting

If it's the same unit that was burnt by the outlet, it could easily have been damaged enough to be causing a poor connection on that side. Definitely replace it. If you check out my pics you will see it fully melted the one terminal and also the adapter. As I said, I replaced both the outlet...

teslamotorsclub.com

Scary issue with Nema 14-50 adapter melting

My UMC 14-50 plug just suffered heat damage. Tesla replace the entire cord. My electrician inspected the 240 plug and replaced it because it also suffered heat damage. My electrician, after inspecting the UMC cable, was concerned about the thickness of the cable in the UMC. According to him...

teslamotorsclub.com

Gen 3 Wall Connector pulling 105 Amps?

Sorry, dramatic post title but couldn't resist... I had a Gen3 wall charger installed last year - only thing on a 50A breaker, firmware set to limit charging to 40A, car set to 40A. Last week noticed a burning smell from the Romex. Electrician came out today and measured current at the breaker...

teslamotorsclub.com

It doesn't take an electrician to know that not all outlets and equipment are created equal.

When you're passing 48amps continuous for hours through a connection, it's not the time to cheap out and save $200 bucks... and recommending others do it is just downright irresponsible.

Some people can afford $100k car and a lot of denim, but not an ounce of common sense.

 

[bradtem]

Unless you have a giant model X, your dryer plug is way more than you need. Seriously, not just more than you need, WAY more than you need. I mean hey, if you are installing brand new wire, then sure, put in 6AWG to handle 50a in the future. But you don't need it.

I know this because for 2 years I charged my model 3 on level 1 -- 120v at 20 amps. And it was enough on all but maybe 2 days a year, when I visited a supercharger for a short time on the long trips those days. If Level 1 is enough, I can tell you that 240v 30a which is 3 times as much is way more than you need. There are a few exceptions, like people with extremely long daily commutes over over 150 miles per day. Or people with the least efficient cars like F150s or Model X. But they are probably OK.

Just put one of those dryer switches like a dryer budy/etc. on your dryer plug and you're done with your $200 mobile connector. You don't need to wire up something new. If you want to spend more, there are some fancier ways to do this that don't cut the power to the car which is nice. Yes, make sure your socket is good. If you have electrical skills, even better would be to get the dryer switch and hardware it into your dryer socket box rather than plug it in, though the TMC and dryer will plug in via plugs as they have to.

 

[STS-134]

Just put one of those dryer switches like a dryer budy/etc. on your dryer plug and you're done with your $200 mobile connector. You don't need to wire up something new.

That's definitely an option, although I personally am not a fan of these expensive power sharing solutions. You can end up spending $400-1000 on the hardware instead of just spending $400-1000 on wiring and a new breaker that would allow you to charge the car and use the dryer simultaneously. And if you ever decide you do want to charge the car and use the dryer simultaneously, you'll have to do this anyway and the money you spent on the sharing device is just wasted. This is why I decided to just bite the bullet and do a full service upgrade instead of trying to install a subpanel and use a device like the DCC to try to be code compliant without doing the service upgrade. But had I done that, I wouldn't be able to charge the car (48A) when I was using the AC and cooking. And if it started to annoy me I'd have to do the service upgrade anyway.

 

[bradtem]

That's definitely an option, although I personally am not a fan of these expensive power sharing solutions. You can end up spending $400-1000 on the hardware instead of just spending $400-1000 on wiring and a new breaker that would allow you to charge the car and use the dryer simultaneously. And if you ever decide you do want to charge the car and use the dryer simultaneously, you'll have to do this anyway and the money you spent on the sharing device is just wasted. This is why I decided to just bite the bullet and do a full service upgrade instead of trying to install a subpanel and use a device like the DCC to try to be code compliant without doing the service upgrade. But had I done that, I wouldn't be able to charge the car (48A) when I was using the AC and cooking. And if it started to annoy me I'd have to do the service upgrade anyway.

Oh, absolutely if you can get in a new circuit for $500 go ahead and do it. Many get a much higher quote for that.

 

[LoL-Gas]

Unless you have a giant model X, your dryer plug is way more than you need. Seriously, not just more than you need, WAY more than you need. I mean hey, if you are installing brand new wire, then sure, put in 6AWG to handle 50a in the future. But you don't need it.

I know this because for 2 years I charged my model 3 on level 1 -- 120v at 20 amps. And it was enough on all but maybe 2 days a year, when I visited a supercharger for a short time on the long trips those days. If Level 1 is enough, I can tell you that 240v 30a which is 3 times as much is way more than you need. There are a few exceptions, like people with extremely long daily commutes over over 150 miles per day. Or people with the least efficient cars like F150s or Model X. But they are probably OK.

Just put one of those dryer switches like a dryer budy/etc. on your dryer plug and you're done with your $200 mobile connector. You don't need to wire up something new. If you want to spend more, there are some fancier ways to do this that don't cut the power to the car which is nice. Yes, make sure your socket is good. If you have electrical skills, even better would be to get the dryer switch and hardware it into your dryer socket box rather than plug it in, though the TMC and dryer will plug in via plugs as they have to.

I charged with a NEMA 5-15 for about 6 months, "upgraded" to charging with the 5-20 which made a big difference. Then went to a 14-50 at 40 Amps with the older mobile charger. Still none of those compare to the 48Amps you can get from the wall connector. There were many times when I used the 120V where I would have to go to the supercharger before going home because the 1-2%/hour gain from the 120V would not cut it for my plans for the next day. Even after upgrading to the 14-50, there were times I wish it charged quicker because my plans changed and I needed more energy for afternoon plans.
Long story short, we all are going to have our "subjective" opinions on which charger fits best. Buy whatever you can afford. Overall the ownership experience will be improved with faster home charging. 120V home charging sucks, 32 Amp charging sucks less, 48Amp charging can still suck at times but its the best we got at the moment.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

Another benefit of wall connectors is load balancing. We have 3 Tesla wall connectors that share a 100 amp circuit providing up to 80 amps of charging. Since our current vehicles max out at 48 amps each, we can charge one vehicle at 48 amps, two vehicles simultaneously at 40 amps or three vehicles simultaneously at ~27 amps. As each vehicle starts or finishes charging, the charge rate is automatically adjusted.

Stand-alone 14-50 outlets and mobile connectors don't support load balancing, so if you decide to add another outlet at a later date, you might have to add a subpanel or run another line from a different breaker. Depending on the size of you panel/subpanel, you might have to manually ensure both weren't charging at the same time.