evse recommendations?

I will edit my post to clarify - it’s 90 miles each way, and we frequently do day trips. So I need 180 miles. I would need to top up in Columbia.

 

Ah, then yes, you'll want to either source out a DC fast charger in that area, or plan to spend 4-5 hours at 32 amps worst case

 

NEMA 6 outlets are hot-hot-ground, NEMA 14 are hot-hot-neutral-ground, so if you're paying for the wiring I'd say get the 4-wire installed (I did). You could either have a NEMA 6-50 outlet put on or get an adapter for a 6-50 to 14-50 if you need it.

There's also the general opinion that NEMA 14-50 is more common, this is from a Tesla forum:

NEMA 14-50 plugs are more common and the standard hook up for RV's and other recreational vehicles - NEMA 6-50 are common hooks up for "industrial" purposes (arc welders and pottery kilns) - if you have a choice I would get the NEMA 14-50 it's the more common plug you're likely to encounter in the wild....​

 

Thank you!

 

Concur on the 14-50. We once charged our Tesla at an RV campground using one, when our rental house turned out to have old, two-wire AC, which lacked the ground the Tesla mobile charger needs to detect for 120V charging. Worked great!

This is a great app to find emergency places to charge:
https://www.rvparky.com/

 

You need 50-Amp service to run a 40-Amp EVSE and 60-Amp service to handle a 48-Amp EVSE (I have one of these). I don't believe there are any 48- or 50-Amp pluggable EVSEs. Also, the actual charger is built into every electric car; it controls the Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE), which is sometimes also called a charging station to differentiate it from the actual charger.

Way back in 2019, I read that the upcoming MINI Cooper SE could charge at 11 kW, so I bought a 48-Amp EVSE (11,000 Watts/240 Volts = 45.83 Amps). Later, but long before my MINI Cooper SE arrived, I found out that 11 kW charging required an EVSE that uses 3-phase AC power. My house (and I assume almost every other US house) has single-phase AC service. I don't know if a US MINI Cooper SE would work with a British 3-phase EVSE, but it's a moot point. So my SE is sucking only 30.83 Amps (7400/240) from my 48-Amp EVSE. The only real downside other than overspending is coiling and uncoiling a much thicker charging cable.

Note that when you receive your MINI Cooper SE, it will be set to charge at half-speed, so you have to go to the charging menu and set it to accept the full 7.4 kW. Don't ask me why it comes set to charge at the lower of the two charging-rate options. I don't believe charging at 7.4 kW in any way shortens battery life. The 7.4 kW charging rate is way, way less than the SE's DC Fast-Charge max of 50 kW. I do believe that always charging at 50 kW would shorten battery life, but I'm not an expert.

 

As I learned from this forum, North American EVs can't use 3-phase electricity because of the J1772 plug, which only supports single-phase. Europeans use a Mennekes plug which has extra pins to support 3-phase, which means they have the fortune of being able to charge faster.

I asked my dealer about this during my "second date" and was told there are no issues with the SE and charging to 100% or using fast charging. My take on it is that MINI has a built-in buffer to prevent harming the batteries, unlike Tesla which lets you charge to the batteries' limits.

 

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Interesting. That is good to know. Thank you.

You saved me a future post asking this very question. It will be nice to not worry about whether or not to charge 100%.

 

Agreed... BMW has effectively put the swim ring and arm floaties on these batteries... charge as you will, the onboard systems will protect as needed... and hell, there is an 8 year warranty on 70% capacity... while mine will sit at home at night on a L2 evse, I will not shy away from a DC fast charger when needed/convenient/giving myself an EV road-trip challenge. (still trying to figure out what the logistics of signing up for Canadian Charging groups/companies are for those jaunts up in to Vancouver B.C. when the border opens back up).

 

I'd say that 90 miles is definitely within the comfortable range. I have a similar situation with my mom and college daughter about 120 miles away. I'm planning to make the trip with a stop for lunch and charge. However, I think I could make it w/o if I'm careful. I've noticed the range holds steady and increases on the highway, esp. if you don't drive too aggressively (hard to do btw) I purchased the Siemens level 2 charger because it is not hardwired and clips off the mounting bracket in 2 seconds. You also have the option of using the slow 120v charging cable that comes with the car and you could charge overnight.

 

I've never heard of this compact, versatile $315 Chinese KHONS dual-voltage EVSE until I saw it on a Tucson, AZ, EV equipment vendor's site. On 120 VAC it can output up to 12A, on 240 VAC it can output up to 32A. It comes with a 14-50, 240 VAC plug and the vendor can supply a 120 VAC adapter. It includes a display. My $800 EVSE doesn't have a display! To eliminate the need for an external knob or switch, it has you shake it from side-to-side 3 times to select 12A, 24A, or 32A operation, which I thought was both clever and funny.

 

Reminds me of the regular maintenance instructions for the Commodore Vic20 and 64 computers: Pick unit up over solid table or surface approx. 3 inches, and drop. (because they didn't want the expense of machined IC sockets and went with cheaper spring-loaded ones). ((hello fellow olds!))

 

That's a good find, @insightman. I have had my eye on the similar MUSTART Travelmaster ($379 on Amazon). It seems like a great idea to keep a portable EVSE in the boot that can handle both 120V and 240V.

 

I'll once again mention the MAX GREEN EV Portable Level 1/2 Charger ($260) with five power adapter cables. Only 16A but pretty good price. I've been giving it some thought as a replacement for the level 1 charger that comes with the SE.

 

A lot (but not all) EVSE will operate over a wide range of voltages. The level one EVSE that came with my Kona will also run on 240 volt and put out twice the wattage. I also have and older GE level 2 EVSE that while designed for Level 2 (240 volt charging) will also operate fine on 120 volts. I have tried this on both units. In the case of the level one charger which I keep in the car in a pinch using an adapter I can double my charge rate. If I am traveling or camping and a 30 amp 120 volt trailer plug is available (NEMA TT-30) I can use my Level 2 to charge on 120 volts and 30amps (actually 24 for safety reasons ) and I get 2.8 kw of charging. Adapters are available for most EVSE. If your curious check the upper and lower voltage limits in your EVSE manual

 

What I found exceptional about the KHONS EVSE was that an EVSE this small could deliver 32-Amp Level 2 service. I found this 2017 review from someone who purchased this EVSE at full price and recommends it.

 

Hey, "good" news: I got a free 240V 32A plug-in connector... by totalling my wife's Tesla Model 3.

I lost attention while making a left turn and impacted the curb with the outside of my starboard front wheel at about 35 MPH. Both wheels were damaged and the steering was pulling hard to the right, but I could still drive it a block and turn into a large empty parking lot, as well as drive it up onto a flatbed.

Imagine my surprise when the first estimate came back at $24,000+ in repairs and my insurance company decided to total an 18 month, 8,000 mile car. However, we made out great: after the big settlement and payoff, we had made money over our car payments and could immediately buy a brand new one and even pay for some upgrades! We picked it up two weeks ago.

Anyhoo, when cleaning out the totaled car, I, of course, kept the Tesla portable connector. It's small, powerful, and has interchangeable plugs that tip the unit off how many max amps to draw, based on the outlet they are plugged into.

Since I'm already sold on the Tesla -> J1772 converter, I'll get another for my car. That will be nice because many hotels have Tesla "destination" chargers (Level 2) in their parking lots, for free.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V7V2QT8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yuJGFbKEKZ6ZZ

 

That post was one helluva roller coaster ride!

I'm really glad that nobody got hurt and that you made out so well, all things considered.

 

I've heard non-Teslas can charge at Tesla stations with an adapter, but does it cost money to charge? And will Tesla owners be okay with non-Tesla interlopers? I've always assumed it's an exclusive charging network.

Which also brings up the etiquette around charging...do hotels mind if non-guests charge? And how about dealers, do they mind if off-brand vehicles charge in their lots?

 

I read that charging at Tesla stations is a software bug in Europe where it is accidentally working, but that in the US you cannot charge at a Tesla station. I think dealers are fine with you topping off with their chargers. Especially if you act like you are checking out their stock. I’m not sure about hotels.