Level 2 charger questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter SkyGuy
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies Replies 26
  • Views Views 3K
S

SkyGuy

New Member
Everyone, I'm building a new house and plan on buying a Level 2 charger. I'll probably get a Siemens charger. Please see attached pics of the circuit breaker panel and plug in the garage. Does this look correct? I'm definitely note technically up to speed on the requirements.
Many thanks in advance.

Oops, not sure how I got a double pic upload.
Dave
CB.webp
Plug.webp
CB.webp
CB.webp
 
That will do nicely.
It will allow you ton install up to a 40A EVSE, though the Clarity will only draw 30.
 
Yes,

Your 50 Amp breaker is good for a charger with a maximum capacity of 40A.
Your receptacle looks like the most common NEMA 14-50P. Should work great.

The Clarity will only ever draw around 30 Amps with Level 2.
 
I just checked the Siemens requirements and it says:
  • Requires NEMA 6-50 Receptacle and a 2-pole 40-amp circuit breaker
Still good? I appreciate the quick replies from you fellow Clarity owners.
Dave
 
You have 3 choices...

Change the current receptacle to a NEMA 6-50
Obtain an adapter cable to convert between the NEMA 14-50P receptacle to the NEMA 6-50 plug on the charger
Choose a charger that comes with an NEMA 14-50 plug instead.

If this is a new house, you may convince the electrician to change the receptacle for free. It is a trivial process.
 
Your receptacle appears to be a NEMA 14-50R. So you’ll need an EVSE with a plug to fit this. @MrFixit has the best idea for the Siemens which is just change the receptacle to the NEMA 6-50R. That will be your least expensive option. Or you can do what I did and install a nice ChargePoint 32 Amp EVSE in the hard wired version if the outlet box is high enough off the floor. Otherwise it will have to be relocated. Everyone else has already given you all the other electrical info you need.

Edit: As a resource, attached is a diagram of all the NEMA receptacles and their nomenclature
 

Attachments

Last edited:
Always go with a plug in EVSE. The hard wired versions are much more difficult to remove if you buy a new house and want to take the EVSE with you.

I'm running a 50 amp breaker connected to a NEMA 14-50p receptacle just like the pictures you posted. I use a NEMA 14-50p to NEMA 6-20R adapter ($24) to allow me to connect my 16amp Level 2 EVSE to my Clarity. It will charge from empty to full in about 4.5 hours, but I hardly ever start with a fully empty battery when charging, so the charge times are much less than that.
 
Mowcowbell said:
Always go with a plug in EVSE. The hard wired versions are much more difficult to remove if you buy a new house and want to take the EVSE with you.
Click to expand...
@Mowcowbell, the ChargePoint hardwired version has easy peasy spring loaded terminals. If you move you can easily disconnect, wire nut protect the exposed wire ends, and slap on a 49 cent receptacle cover.
 
I went with a 14-50 receptacle in my garage but went with a more portable L2 EVSE so that I can mount it in my garage but take it with me to have more options to charge if I’m on a trip. The supplied OEM charger isn’t worth the effort on road trips, but L2 is if there is a 240V outlet readily available such as highway rest stations and campsites.
Might as well hardwire an indoor only version of a EVSE and save some $.
I also went with a 40A version to future proof a bit. Seems like you already have the wiring needed for it. These things aren’t cheap.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
There are some Level 2 EVSE with different amp settings. Worth it? Presumably charging at a slower rate helps battery life.
 
The Gadgeteer said:
There are some Level 2 EVSE with different amp settings. Worth it? Presumably charging at a slower rate helps battery life.
Click to expand...
Someone posted the metric C which is the charging rate divided by the battery size and that keeping it below a value of 1 is good for the battery. Since the most anytime has reported is a charge rate of 7.2 kW (my ChargePoint reports 7.1), then 7.2kW/17 kW = ~ a 0.4 C, after assuming ~92% charger efficiency. So we appear to be no where near stressing out our batteries by charging on the highest rate from a Level 2 EVSE that the onboard charger will call for. Therefore, I don’t see any meaningful battery longevity gain by charging on less than a 32 A Level 2 EVSE.
 
Fast Eddie B said:
Not the case if you’re like us and like to mooch off friends and relatives when you travel. Most times we can still get a full overnight charge. Which is worth the effort.
Click to expand...
Have you run into any issues with blowing circuits at your friends homes? That is always my worry. Of course, that probably stems from me bringing my Clarity home for the 1st time, plugging it into 110V in my garage, and promptly blowing a breaker because I didn't realize that two outlets in my family room share the same circuit and I just happened to have a 1000W space heater plugged into one of them. The breaker did it's job, no harm done, but now I worry about causing trouble elsewhere.
 
MichiganClarity said:
Have you run into any issues with blowing circuits at your friends homes? That is always my worry. Of course, that probably stems from me bringing my Clarity home for the 1st time, plugging it into 110V in my garage, and promptly blowing a breaker because I didn't realize that two outlets in my family room share the same circuit and I just happened to have a 1000W space heater plugged into one of them. The breaker did it's job, no harm done, but now I worry about causing trouble elsewhere.
Click to expand...
If you read and follow the Safety Checklist and heed the Warning box on page 454 in the Owner’s Manual, you will not have any worries and will avoid any problems such as the one you inadvertently encountered. (Also, reading all the way to p 470 about charging is worthwhile.)

Knowledge is power as the saying goes, but in this case perhaps it’s knowledge keeps the power flowing safely and gets you invited back.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top