NEMA 14-50 plug

H

Hedgefundie

Member
Thinking about getting a NEMA 14-50 outlet installed in my house.

What is the cheapest charge cable and plug that is compatible with the Clarity?


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
 
Plugs are not the problem - in fact with the correct adapter you can use the Honda charger and fully charge in about 4.5 hours. The main thing is what an electrician would charge you. If you mention EV or show them the charger, they'll charge you twice as much as if you tell them you want a 220v outlet for woodworking or a camper or welding.
 
su_A_ve said:
Plugs are not the problem - in fact with the correct adapter you can use the Honda charger and fully charge in about 4.5 hours. The main thing is what an electrician would charge you. If you mention EV or show them the charger, they'll charge you twice as much as if you tell them you want a 220v outlet for woodworking or a camper or welding.
Click to expand...

What adapter should I get? What plug should I tell the electrician to install?


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
 
What you need depends on your selection of EVSE. For instance, if you operate the stock Honda charger at 240V then you only need a 20 Amp circuit (note: This is not officially sanctioned by Honda, but it has been proven to work by others). If you want to take full advantage of the Clarity's capability, then you need a 40 Amp circuit (and corresponding EVSE).

Since the labor to install an outlet generally exceeds the cost of materials, many people install a 50 Amp 240V circuit with the NEMA 14-50R receptacle. This is commonly used to connect RV's in campgrounds and most EVSE's are directly compatible. This will exceed the need of the Clarity (some refer to this as 'futureproofing' because it may also support a future vehicle). This sort of EVSE (there are many) will cost in the $400-$600 range.

Although it seems shady to me, it has been reported that some electricians charge more if they know the job is for an EV. There is NO reason for this to increase the cost, so it has been recommended to not tell them what you need this for (or, tell them it is for a welder for example). Just tell them you want a 50 Amp 240V outlet installed in your garage (with the NEMA 14-50R receptacle).

The price for this installation can vary greatly depending on your circumstances (location and capacity of your power service and relationship to the garage). It usually makes sense to get multiple quotes. It can range from a few hundred dollars to a couple thousand.

As for which EVSE to buy... There are many to choose from. Browse around this forum and you will see people advocating for one kind or another. They are pretty much interchangeable so look for features that you like. Some have 'smart' capabilities that can connect via WiFi and report energy use. I have a JuiceBox (it has WiFi capability) and I have really liked it.
 
Last edited:
What Mr Fixit said.

You’ll need a 32A device to take full advantage of the charging capabilities of the car. There are 16A versions available at lower cost, but they hardly offer any advantage over adapting the OEM unit to 240V, which charges at 12A.
 
MrFixit said:
Minor point... A 32A (or greater). A 40 Amp, or 50 Amp device will allow the Clarity to fully utilize it's 30A capability.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Of course, that greater charging capacity typically comes at a greater cost. For charging a Clarity PHEV, only, it would constitute an unnecessary expense.

The OP is looking for the “cheapest” device. The cheapest L2 devices charge at 12-16A, which will not full charge a depleted battery in 2.5 hours, if that is a consideration for the OP.
 
Hedgefundie said:
What is the cheapest charge cable and plug that is compatible with the Clarity?
Click to expand...
The cheapest is the EVSE that came with the Clarity plugged into a standard 120V outlet. Nothing more required.

If you are looking for faster charging, you will need to balance how fast with budget, safety, code compliance, and other issues. Individuals will place varying weights on these (and other) factors. Made in the US? UL certified? Portable?

There is a Federal Tax Credit of 30% for the purchase and install of an EVSE that expires at the end of this year. The installation of a circuit/outlet would be covered by this as well as the cost of the EVSE.
 
I also have the Zencar 16A L2 and love it. For $200 can't go wrong. Typical charge time from mostly depleted to mostly charged is around 3 hours. Plenty fast enough for overnight charging. The Zencar stays in my garage and the Honda cord stays in the trunk for opportunity charging away from home.
 
Hedgefundie said:
Thinking about getting a NEMA 14-50 outlet installed in my house.

What is the cheapest charge cable and plug that is compatible with the Clarity?
Click to expand...

Just to clarify - you can't just plug a Clarity directly into a 220/240V receptacle - you need some form of EVSE, either a wall-mounted device or a specialized charging cable. Every PHEV and EV sold in the US (except Tesla) has a J1772 charging port so whatever device you choose to use will have a J1772 connector on one end. If you're installing a NEMA 14-50 receptacle, then the other end of the EVSE must have a NEMA 14-50 connector. Just in case you don't know this...

You'll want to have your NEMA 14-50 wired on a dedicated circuit with at least a 40 Amp breaker (if you intend to use a 16-23 Amp EVSE) and wiring that's appropriate to your local building code. Most of the EVSEs you'll find are in the 16-40 Amp range (if you select a 40 Amp unit, you'll want wiring and a breaker capable of handling 50 Amps).

If you want a cable-based device (not wall mounted) you can find any number of different units 16 Amp available and a smaller number that are capable of 32 Amp service. Prices vary from day to day, it seems, even on Amazon. About the least expensive wall-mounted unit will be the Siemens Versa-Charge sold as "factory refurbished" at Home Depot. You can expect to pay $200-$500 for a cable-based device and $400-$800 for a wall-mounted unit.
 
Kerbe said:
If you're installing a NEMA 14-50 receptacle, then the other end of the EVSE must have a NEMA 14-50 connector.
Click to expand...

Adapters can be used to connect a device that is not equipped with a 14-50 plug to a 14-50 receptacle. The 120V OEM device can be powered from a 14-50 receptacle. So, it isn’t a “must have” but it would seem logical to some that the installation of a 14-50R would lead to the purchase of a device with a 14-50P.
 
Landshark said:
Adapters can be used to connect a device that is not equipped with a 14-50 plug to a 14-50 receptacle. The 120V OEM device can be powered from a 14-50 receptacle. So, it isn’t a “must have” but it would seem logical to some that the installation of a 14-50R would lead to the purchase of a device with a 14-50P.
Click to expand...
Even if you wanted to plug the OEM "granny cable" into a 14-50r you could not do it without a 14-50p to 5-15r adaptor (or by replacing the 5-15p with a 14-50p) so, yes - to plug anything into a 14-50 receptacle it MUST HAVE a 14-50 male connector: This is not an opinion, this is a fact - which should "seem logical" to more than just "some".
 
Kerbe said:
Even if you wanted to plug the OEM "granny cable" into a 14-50r you could not do it without a 14-50p to 5-15r adaptor (or by replacing the 5-15p with a 14-50p) so, yes - to plug anything into a 14-50 receptacle it MUST HAVE a 14-50 male connector: This is not an opinion, this is a fact - which should "seem logical" to more than just "some".
Click to expand...

Perhaps you misunderstood my words.
The device, itself, does not need to have a 14-50 plug. This is also fact, not opinion.
 
Landshark said:
Perhaps you misunderstood my words.
The device, itself, does not need to have a 14-50 plug. This is also fact, not opinion.
Click to expand...
The original poster - to whom I was responding - stated the intention of installing a NEMA 14-50 receptacle and asked what kind of plug would be necessary. I responded to your obfuscatory comment because, whether or not the EVSE has a NEMA 14-50 installed on it by the manufacturer, it will require a male NEMA 14-50 connector to connect to a NEMA 14-50 receptacle.
 
Kerbe said:
The original poster - to whom I was responding - stated the intention of installing a NEMA 14-50 receptacle and asked what kind of plug would be necessary. I responded to your obfuscatory comment because, whether or not the EVSE has a NEMA 14-50 installed on it by the manufacturer, it will require a male NEMA 14-50 connector to connect to a NEMA 14-50 receptacle.
Click to expand...

My apologies. I was unaware they you would find clearly worded statements to be so confusing. But you seem to have understood, since you have now repeated, twice, what I said, which is that a device that does not have a 14-50 plug can be connected to a 14-50 receptacle by using the appropriate adapters.
 
I can't remember if I mentioned this $315 32-Amp Khons charging cable in another thread, but it's the most portable full-power (as far as the Clarity PHEV is concerned) 14-50-compatible EVSE I've seen. You can set it to draw 12A, 24A, or 32A by shaking it! That way there are no switches or knobs to break off as it rattles around in a trunk. The vendor will sell you a $49 14-50 to 5-15 adapter if you want to use it on 120 Volts (at 12 Amps, of course). The unit's little display shows a lot of valuable information.

KHONS-EVSE-1.jpg
 
That’s interesting. I’d probably opt for a plain old 32A unit like the Lefavev for $299. It would stay in the garage and the OEM 12A stays in the trunk.

I wouldn’t consider the rattle switch/mercury switch or whatever is inside, a desirable feature.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top