Lucid Combined Home Charging System Installation tips!

msaunders9430 said:

@DeaneG I have a question for you. Others feel free to chime in.

...When you say "backside" do you mean input direction 2?

...If the input is a cap to be opened, why is drilling necessary?

...Related to that, why are there two holes for the ethernet grommet?

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DeaneG said:

Yes, the backside would be location 2.

There is a threaded hole and cap present only at location 1. The instruction text is incorrect. Most EVSEs are primarily designed for conduit entry from this direction, the bottom center, like @coma24 's photo. To ease future EVSE swaps, that's a good cable entry direction to use. Top entry (3) is pretty rare. Back entry (2) is less rare.

You'd need to drill into the plastic housing with a hole saw to use cable entry locations 2 or 3. The housing has a circular recess marking the drilling location. It looks like you could knock out the circular plastic with a hammer, but you can't without subjecting the unit to a huge shock. It's not difficult to drill with a hole saw, and electricians should be used to it. Many modern electrical mains-connected things are designed to be drilled this way to improve water resistance - no extra holes if they aren't needed.

I don't know why there are two holes for a smaller cable rather than just one. Maybe another low-voltage cable is needed for a future V2H functionality, or for some control and monitoring for some commercial application that the LCHCS guts were also designed to accommodate.

Make sure your electrician uses the correct hydraulic crimp tool for the compression lugs. Most electricians would just show up the day of the installation and then realize they aren't prepared.

Don't install any batteries in the battery holder. And do upper-body exercises for a few weeks before attempting to remove the outer cover.

Good luck!

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msaunders9430 said:

...Is there a certain type of hydraulic crimp tool that I could mention to the electrician?...

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Bobby said:

I must respectfully disagree here.

Recently, my Lucid home charging system started to have a problem: the cable and handle were extremely hot during charging. I expected them to get warm, but not over 160°. I contacted Lucid and discussed it with them. They had me open it up and take a picture of the inside. As soon as they noticed the chair lugs, they said that the installation is incorrect, and the compression lugs are required as per the installation instructions. This is despite the fact that the voltage was proper at the lugs and they themselves were nice and cool. My electrician (25 years in the trade) told me that this is ridiculous, this installation is to code, and he feels that the contractors are the problem with the system. By the way, he almost exclusively installs car chargers, although this was his first Lucid. So… Where to go from here?

After several calls to Lucid, I finally got them to agree to replace the charger. My electrician came out and installed the proper compression lugs using his hydraulic tool. He had to special order them so they would fit… The larger 2 gauge lugs have a very large hole in them so the screw the Lucid charger provides fell right through the hole, and my electrician told me that it is inappropriate to use a simple washer at a 100 amp connection. He was able to find the correct ones and now it has been reinstalled. I sent the old charger back to Lucid and I hope that they are able to find what the real problem is.

TL;DR if you install the Lucid charging system with chair lugs and a problem arises, you may have trouble getting warranty service from them. I got lucky… But only after I pushed a little harder than I should have needed.

Old and new pics below:
View attachment 22641View attachment 22642
View attachment 22640

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Pragmatic said:

You know we could eliminate alot of this discussion if Lucid would just include the lugs with the EVSE, like some other suppliers do.

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Crdgk said:

I had mine installed last winter. Am using 100A wiring, 80A charging to car. My electrician, who also does car charger installs a lot including 2 other Lucid, said absolutely need the compression lugs with the special tool. BUT only if going with 100A. For lower amperage, I think he said 50A/40A, not necessary. The cable is warm-hot. Not measured but it is very warm to the touch but can be held in my hand which I don't think I could do above 150 deg. It does say in the instructions you have to use compression lugs but they are not simple with special tools so some people and their installers in this thread have not used them - and report problems.

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Worldwide Beagle said:

Sounds logical but sorry, that is not how it works. The certified compression lugs are generally mated to a certified and approved compression tool. I believe it's the system of lug and compression tool that is "Listed" and permitted by NEC, UL. ETL, etc. When you get into high amperage commercial mains wiring, everything usually has to be in an approved "system." Lots of examples: such as EVERY item in a main panel, and in plumbing, for PEX connectors, fittings and matching compression tools.

I have seen generic lugs for low amperage use, say 20-50 amps and 8-12 guage wire. Not so for 100 amp plus.

Further, if Lucid included listed industrial 100 amp rated compression lugs in the box, (even with a warning to use the correct tool) I can see a dumb ass installer or DIYer use a hammer or vise to pound/smash the suckers onto the wire. And, in the infamous words of sage @borski, the numpty installer would say: geez, it 'looked like' it would work.

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borski said:

I would never do this, for the record, lol.

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Worldwide Beagle said:

You hit the nail on the head. 100amp is a totally different beast than 50. That's the real issue. I dare say to many handymen that can handle 50amps are totally over their heads at 100.

As an example, the NEC does not permit plug in receptacles above 50. Very Rarely do homes have a branch circuit over 30 or 50 amps. (We have two 50s because my wife insisted on the largest damn induction cooktop Bosch makes)

When we remodeled our garage, we needed a new mains mast, meter box, main disconnect service equipment for our 250 amp service feed. Way above my pay grade and competency. A real Master Electrician did the install. When he opened up the side panels on his truck, there were a hundred or more specialized tools for doing the 240v/200+ amp service feed install. As a toolaholic, I was in heaven.

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Crdgk said:

I had mine installed last winter. Am using 100A wiring, 80A charging to car. My electrician, who also does car charger installs a lot including 2 other Lucid, said absolutely need the compression lugs with the special tool. BUT only if going with 100A. For lower amperage, I think he said 50A/40A, not necessary. The cable is warm-hot. Not measured but it is very warm to the touch but can be held in my hand which I don't think I could do above 150 deg. It does say in the instructions you have to use compression lugs but they are not simple with special tools so some people and their installers in this thread have not used them - and report problems.

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californiaboy935 said:

Being that @Denali_Dane is and aircraft engineer, I think he can handle the compression lugs…

We’ll have to get a picture but the compression lugs used were what was rated for the wire.

I think @Denali_Dane is maybe overthinking the heat, but that’s my untrained non-engineer brain saying “I think they know what they are doing”.

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Denali_Dane said:

As an aircraft engineer. Heat in electrical = Bad. But yah that's for aircraft.

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californiaboy935 said:

Yeah, I suppose it’s been a killer before.

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