First time owner - EVSE Decision

[tkdbrusco]

Well I apologize about not reading the owners manual for the device first! You guys are out of hand here. My original point was valid. The OP could have gotten the unit, plugged into the original dryer outlet and ran it at 32A. It would have run as normal and pulled that much power even with the 10 ga wire and 30 Amp breakers. It might have tripped the breakers, but possibly not. OP could have would up with a big problem if he didn't know to dial the unit back accordingly.

 

[emotorwerks]

1) In my humble opinion, installing an EVSE that can be set to output at multiple amps using wiring inadequate for its maximum amp setting is asking for a Murphy's Law failure of the house fire variety.

Thank you for weighing in on this issue, Mike! As mentioned above, JuiceBox can be derated in hardware prior to shipping. This is done via a trimpot inside the enclosure. Alternatively, the maximum output current can be set via software.

2) Also IMHO, an EVSE housed in a metal box is less safe than one housed in a sturdy plastic one if it is of the cord-and-plug variety. The possibility of someone (like a child) touching the (grounded) metal EVSE enclosure with one hand and a hot prong of the plug with the other hand while attempting to plug/unplug it is not negligible. This is why if at all possible that such a circuit have GFCI circuit breaker protection.

JuiceBox detects a fault current, and it has a hardware GFCI circuit breaker. A metal enclosure is not only sturdier than plastic. It also acts as a fire barrier. A simple solution for this type of concern would be a plastic jacket. Alternatively, if a plastic enclosure is used, an internal metal plate could serve the same purpose.

 

[Templetong]

All, I decided and ordered the Clipper Creek HCS - 40P. I hope this a good solution for me. I can't wait to charge the vehicle at a faster rate than the trickle charge!

 

[inphoenix]

All, I decided and ordered the Clipper Creek HCS - 40P. I hope this a good solution for me. I can't wait to charge the vehicle at a faster rate than the trickle charge!

Clipper Creek EVSEs have very good reviews. Just make sure that you put it on a 40A breaker and you should be good.

 

[MikeD]

emotorwerks:
1) Obviously there is a lot of complexity around the issue of EVSEs, differences between them, and safety. To keep it simple, I suggest the following:

If the maximum draw of your EV's on-board charger is XX amps, it is safest to make sure that the dedicated wiring to your home's EVSE is designed to handle at least 125% XX amps.

2) Any GF protection "downstream" from an outlet (like in an EVSE plugged into that outlet) does NOT protect someone from being severely shocked at the outlet. The GF protection needs to be either part of the outlet or in the circuit's breaker. Unfortunately, adding such protection may result in frequent "nuisance" tripping during routine charging sessions, and is why I suggest the following:

It is safest to hardwire your home EVSE.

 

[Arlington]

I went with a dedicated 50A outlet and got the 40A JuiceBox even though the Leaf would use less at this time. I did this to future proof my purchase a little bit in case the next gen Leaf or the Bolt have a charger that can use the higher capacity.

Me too (though I bought the 30A, I'd buy the 40A todayas the better value. And given that I have a "dumb" S, I might have considered a wifi-connected smart charger.

To plug it in, I had the electrician install this 60A box with both a 50A and a bonus 20A/GFCI/120V outlet,

 

[GlennD]

I went with a dedicated 50A outlet and got the 40A JuiceBox even though the Leaf would use less at this time. I did this to future proof my purchase a little bit in case the next gen Leaf or the Bolt have a charger that can use the higher capacity.

Me too (though I bought the 30A, I'd buy the 40A todayas the better value. And given that I have a "dumb" S, I might have considered a wifi-connected smart charger.

To plug it in, I had the electrician install this 60A box with both a 50A and a bonus 20A/GFCI/120V outlet,

It is a good idea to request the electrician install a 50A 14-50 RV outlet. If you say it is for an electric car the prices are gold plated. Clipper Creek can supply the EVSE with a 14-50 plug so it will be plug in. Additionally, it can be used in most RV parks. 40A and 50A outlets are the same since 50A is allowed for the non-existent 40A connectors.

60A is overkill and unless you cut off the unused neutral pin on your plug it will not fit many (most) EVSE's.

 

[wmcbrine]

60A is overkill and unless you cut off the unused neutral pin on your plug it will not fit many (most) EVSE's.

It's the box as a whole that's 60A -- you can see that the large receptacle is a 14-50.

 

[fooljoe]

All, I decided and ordered the Clipper Creek HCS - 40P. I hope this a good solution for me. I can't wait to charge the vehicle at a faster rate than the trickle charge!

If you're planning on plugging this into a dryer outlet then you absolutely made the WRONG decision here! The HCS-40P requires a 40 amp circuit and cannot be modified to run at a lower amperage; a standard dryer outlet is only rated at 30 amps.

Cancel your order and/or return the HCS-40P and get the Durastation, set it to a 30 amp circuit as per the installation manual, save some $$$ and save the chance of your house burning down. If you really want clipper creek and want to spend an extra $200, you could try to switch your order to the HCS-30 instead, but you'll have to put your own plug on it.

If you're installing a new circuit for the HCS-40P, then you'll be fine. But you don't want a "dryer outlet", you want an "RV outlet" (NEMA 14-50R) to match the plug it comes with. But I'd still recommend the almost $200 cheaper Durastation in this case, as it will do exactly the same thing and offers the flexibility of being configurable to other circuits if needed.

 

[Arlington]

It's the box as a whole that's 60A -- you can see that the large receptacle is a 14-50.

Correct! It is a 50A 14-50 plug and a 20A GFCI 120V which together needed a 60A breaker at my main panel and a 60A rated cable (or heavier). And when calling around to electricians I did say "I want to install an RV receptacle", but the ruse didn't work 'cause electricians were now experienced enough to know that 90% of the "RV" calls they get from close-in suburbs with limited parking (like mine..where nobody has RVs) turned out to be for EVSEs! I wasn't fooling anybody, LOL! So if you live in a "streetcar suburb" with small yards/parking cut right to the chase, and just say you want a 14-50 receptacle and will hang and plug your EVSE yourself.

Sure, out in the exurbs or where RVs outnumber EVs, tell 'em you want an RV outlet. In the end, it is the "all I need is an outlet" that lets the electrician know that you know your job isn't complicated.

I found an electrician who'd done, by his estimate, 20 to 30 EV installations and he asked a fixed $350 for an EV install (assuming a single 14-50 receptacle, and including hanging the JuiceBox). I know this is much less than the $1000 that electricians in my area used to quote back in 2013 when higher-amp EVSEs were new and mysterious and generally hard-wired. Because my install was heavier amps and an unusual box, he asked $375!

 

[Flyct]

My electrician charges time and materials rate. His hourly rate is $150 or $160, depending on how he feels. My hard wired Eaton ESEV was installed by him last month for $185.50. The cost to install breakdown was;
$160 for 1 hour labor
$8 for 4 feet of #6 wire
$17.50 for the 40 amp circuit breaker

It took him 1.5 hours but he didn't charge for reading the instructions.

I found him on Angie's List 2 years ago and he's done work for me 4 times now.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Home Depot sells the GE DuraStation indoor/outdoor wall mount charger for Level 2 Charging for $399. I installed this unit in my garage using an unused 220 outlet. Read the reviews on the HD website for installation pictures. This unit works fantastic for charging the Leaf. You can spend more on the CLipper Creek or Juicebox, but why.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-EV-Ch...-Mount-with-18-ft-Cord-EVDSWGH-CP01/205808537

Simply put, this is the best deal going. I have two EVSE units, one in my shop is the GE, it has a nice rubber cord that never gets stiff or difficult to handle, but, because I went to a fixed charge electric bill ON THE HOUSE for the next year, I installed a Leviton unit on the back of the house to take advantage of the "free" electricity. The Leviton is nice, but has a stupid PVC jacketed cord that is horribly stiff when the temp is below 70°F, and I hate it.

Get the GE. If you want, go on Ebay and buy a "EVSE holster" to go with it, and you are set.

Charles

 

[smkettner]

GE is bulky and ugly with a short cord. Also you need 40 amp supply.

Clipper Creek has a nice HCS-30 to give 24 amp charging from your unused dryer outlet and a full length cord to charge in the driveway if needed.

 

[davewill]

GE is bulky and ugly with a short cord. Also you need 40 amp supply.

Clipper Creek has a nice HCS-30 to give 24 amp charging from your unused dryer outlet and a full length cord to charge in the driveway if needed.

You should read the thread before posting to it. We just had a big go around on this. The GE can be set for 15, 20, 30, and 40a circuits.

 

[TonyWilliams]

GE is bulky and ugly with a short cord. Also you need 40 amp supply.

Clipper Creek has a nice HCS-30 to give 24 amp charging from your unused dryer outlet and a full length cord to charge in the driveway if needed.

You should read the thread before posting to it. We just had a big go around on this. The GE can be set for 15, 20, 30, and 40a circuits.

JESLA can also be set up for the following circuits, with NO programming or mechanically adjusting electronic hardware... Just Plug-N-Charge(™)

Up to 50 amp circuits, with the following convenient interchangeable plugs:

NEMA 5-15 - household plug @ 12 amps
NEMA 5-20 - higher amperage household plug @ 16 amps
NEMA 6-15 - typically used for 240 volt air conditioners @ 12 amp
NEMA 10-30 - older electric clothes dryers @ 24 amps
NEMA 14-50 - RV parks @ 40 amps using "50 amp service"

Automatic voltage from 100 - 264 volts

Automatic amperage adjustment, up to 40 amps (on a 50 amp outlet)

Very portable, only 8 pounds, and super flexible

http://shop.quickchargepower.com/JESLA-is-THE-40-amp-J1772-portable-charging-solution-JESLA.htm

 

[knightmb]

Automatic amperage adjustment, up to 40 amps (on a 50 amp outlet)

Very portable, only 8 pounds, and super flexible

http://shop.quickchargepower.com/JESLA-is-THE-40-amp-J1772-portable-charging-solution-JESLA.htm

By automatic adjustment, does it mean to the vehicle or the wall? I can understand it adjusting to what the vehicle request, but how would it know if it is overloading an outlet unless the plug itself has a temperature sensor in it? Seems like kind of a dangerous way to adjust current if the outlet temperature is fine, but the wire is melting somewhere else in the house?

 

[TonyWilliams]

Automatic amperage adjustment, up to 40 amps (on a 50 amp outlet)

Very portable, only 8 pounds, and super flexible

http://shop.quickchargepower.com/JESLA-is-THE-40-amp-J1772-portable-charging-solution-JESLA.htm

By automatic adjustment, does it mean to the vehicle or the wall? I can understand it adjusting to what the vehicle request, but how would it know if it is overloading an outlet unless the plug itself has a temperature sensor in it? Seems like kind of a dangerous way to adjust current if the outlet temperature is fine, but the wire is melting somewhere else in the house?

The reality is just the opposite... with folks fiddling with electric hardware, the potential to overload a circuit is high. There isn't any control by temperature in JESLA, however plug temperature is an important consideration for worn out or improperly installed outlets.

With our interchangeable plugs, each plug will only allow 80% of the circuit rating (per NEC code). Therefore, you can't overload any properly constructed circuit.

If wires are "melting somewhere", that would be an poorly designed or inadequate circuit for the outlet that it is attached to.

So, automatic adjustment of volts and amps is just that... automatic. You don't need to know anything about electricity, and you can comfortably know that your circuits (and house) are properly protected.

If you use the JESLA 40 amp plug with a 50 amp circuit, and then plug into a 16 amp onboard charger equipped LEAF (3.8kW), the LEAF will properly pull 16 amps. If you change the car to a Tesla Roadster with a 70 amp onboard charger, then the Roadster will only pull 40 amps.

The lowest amount of power is always the default. JESLA can't overload a properly designed circuit circuit.

 

[knightmb]

Oh ok, that makes sense. It takes the outlet the person is using and then adjust the current based on this. So if you plug into a 120v outlet, it knows not to try and pull 30 amps, etc. Very clever actually!

 

[smkettner]

GE is bulky and ugly with a short cord. Also you need 40 amp supply.

Clipper Creek has a nice HCS-30 to give 24 amp charging from your unused dryer outlet and a full length cord to charge in the driveway if needed.

You should read the thread before posting to it. We just had a big go around on this. The GE can be set for 15, 20, 30, and 40a circuits.

OK did you read my post? Still a cheap ugly box and a short cord.

 

[davewill]

OK did you read my post? Still a cheap ugly box and a short cord.

Sure, I did. I just didn't see any reason to comment on that part, since it isn't patently incorrect. Some will care about those things and some won't, and even a noob can judge it for himself.