For those considering a 100amp breaker install

[hellolucid]

Why can't the electrician install a charger in a detached garage? Inadequate amperage going to the garage? Do you own the garage or does the HOA?

Just kind of curious as to what the real issue is here.

yeah - inadequate amperage. he said there's no subpanel or main panel nearby and it's impossible to put a higher amperage wire. my unit is across the street from the garage.

 

[hydbob]

This is for Southern California Edison, but I'm sure it'll work in your area.

 

[hellolucid]

This is for Southern California Edison, but I'm sure it'll work in your area.

i'm in NorCal and it looks like PG&E has rebates for only single-family owners installing chargers not for HOA.

 

[hydbob]

i'm in NorCal and it looks like PG&E has rebates for only single-family owners installing chargers not for HOA.

That just means it'll cost your HOA more to install unfortunately.

 

[hellolucid]

since i can't have a charger in my garage my next best option is to use EA chargers in the neighborhood. i read conflicting reports about constant DC fast charging though. it seems like half of the world thinks it's bad while the others think it's okay.

"The accepted wisdom in the industry is that faster charging will increase the rate at which an EV’s battery capacity will decline. However, a study conducted by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) concluded that while an electric car’s battery will deteriorate faster if it’s only power source is Level 3 charging (which is almost never the case) the difference isn’t particularly pronounced."

Source

 

[DeaneG]

My NEMA 14-50 was installed by a licensed solar installment company and it was inspected by the city. It has a 40 amp breaker.

National electric code allows either a 40 amp or 50 amp breaker on a 14-50 outlet for some reason.

 

[DeaneG]

The Lucid mobile charger (the one that comes with the car) should adjust automatically to whatever amperage the circuit can deliver, per my understanding, up to 40A continuous (on a 14-50 plug with a 50amp breaker and wiring).

The mobile charger charges at a max amperage determined by the plug adapter that is inserted into it. It has no idea about the size of the circuit breaker that is actually feeding that plug, other than what the national electrical code says.

 

[allenalarm]

• Install high-powered breaker and wires (up to 100A) and run wires into junction box/sub-panel in garage or near vehicle. From junction box/sub-panel, run smaller gauge wires as appropriate, which can be landed in a 14-50 outlet. Once you are ready to install Lucid Connected Home Charging System(LCHCS), have a electrician remove outlet, smaller wires and junction box or sub-panel, allowing the main wire to run from the panel to the station directly.
  The included Lucid Mobile Charging Cable is limited to delivering 40A to the vehicle (breakers are usually approx. 20% from the current they deliver for safety reasons). A licensed electrician will know this and be able to properly wire in the NEMA 14-50 needed with the above instructions.
  
  I hope this helps, Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us, as we, in Customer Service, are available 24/7. Thank you
  
  Lucid Motors
  Customer service
  Jack.

Jack,
We are in the process of remodeling. Our home has an automatic whole house standby generator so is the Lucid Connected Charing System needed? Should I have the electrician install a 50A plug? Will the vehicle then just utilize that connection for charging at home?
Thx

 

[Bishop]

Jack,
We are in the process of remodeling. Our home has an automatic whole house standby generator so is the Lucid Connected Charing System needed? Should I have the electrician install a 50A plug? Will the vehicle then just utilize that connection for charging at home?
Thx

I would just do the plug.

 

[DeaneG]

Jack,
We are in the process of remodeling. Our home has an automatic whole house standby generator so is the Lucid Connected Charing System needed? Should I have the electrician install a 50A plug? Will the vehicle then just utilize that connection for charging at home?
Thx

I'd plan to hardwire a commercial EVSE (Lucid's or a Chargepoint Home Flex) using at least a 60 amp circuit. If you are having the work done anyway, a 60 amp hardwired circuit won't cost much more than a 50-amp 14-50 receptacle. It'll charge faster (once in a while this comes in handy), and will be safer and more reliable than a 14-50 outlet and plug. Current NEC requires a ground-fault circuit interrupter on all outlets in a garage, regardless of amperage, and ground-fault breakers aren't compatible with an EVSE. Though your local electrical code may be using an older version of the NEC so may not require the GFCI breaker on a 14-50 outlet, things are moving in that direction and hardwiring is a better solution anyway.

 

[DeaneG]

As far as 50/60 amp or 100 amp: besides the tradeoff in charging speed, an EVSE like Lucid's capable of 80 amp charging (on a 100 amp circuit) will have a much thicker, heavier user cable than a unit designed for 48 amp charging on a 60 amp circuit, like Chargepoint's. Something to think about if your S.O. will be charging the car and the EVSE is located at the back of the car instead of near the front.

 

[AIR.LUCID]

Has anyone contacted Qmerit, the company Lucid recommends for doing electrical work? I went through their extensive form, including pictures of the electric panels and job site. The form ends with any other information your want to provide for the quote. I mentioned that we had a 50 amp outlet on the right garage wall, but wanted to set up the left wall for a 50amp, 240V outlet now, but prepped for the Lucid bidirectional V2H EVSE. I stated that perhaps they could tell me how that should be done. They pinged back a quote immediately for $799 plus permit fees. No scope of work was listed. No mention about anything they were going to do. No answering questions (they had not time to actually answer questions). Just asked for $149 to continue. Never have I ever received a quote for only a dollar amount and no a single mention about what I was going to receive for that quote. Does this sound strange to you? Has anyone actually used them yet?

My final email to Qmerit was
“Since it appears that the only way to pay you a deposit is by LINKING my bank account, I will not be using your company for my needs”

 

[idiot900]

My final email to Qmerit was
“Since it appears that the only way to pay you a deposit is by LINKING my bank account, I will not be using your company for my needs”

This is strange, I paid them with a credit card.

Qmerit is just a referral service that farms customer leads for electricians, and collects some preliminary information about the job via their website. They referred me to a local electrical contractor and did nothing else I could tell. I'd suggest just finding one yourself - you should get a lower price because Qmerit takes a cut.

 

[borski]

I thought the QMerit deposit thing was weird too, but the electrician they hooked me up with was *spectacular* and I didn’t have to stress about teaching them the city code or arguing about whether they’d do a permit or anything else.

The deposit is fully refundable (I confirmed this) and goes toward the work if you choose to go with them. I also negotiated with the electrician they gave me anyway, so it all worked out.

But it’s true: they will not give you any quotes from a real electrician until you pay the deposit, presumably so as not to waste the electricians’ time. Given that it’s fully refundable, I was fine with that.

 

[dawktah LucidGT]

Anyone do this install yet?

 

[Bunnylebowski]

I will be in a couple of weeks (or do you mean the direct 100amp line??). Because of my 1940s house, detached garage, ancient 100amp panel and need to comply with new codes and the insane supply chain shortage, it was gonna cost $10,600 to upgrade to 200amp panel and put the NEMA 14-50 in the garage because the wires have to go quite some distance, trenching, need a new street level shutoff switch for the fire department, etc. And that quote was from a friend who’s an electrician who’s getting me a decent deal based on current costs in New England. BUT after looking at Solar apparently there’s some subsidy (not sure if state or federal) where the solar company can cover the cost of the electric panel upgrade since they’d have to upgrade it for solar install, so lucky me, I save the $10K and get solar.

 

[idiot900]

Does that mean the solar company retains ownership of the solar panels, and puts a lien on your house?

 

[borski]

Anyone do this install yet?

I ran the 100A line. No issues. Just waiting on the Lucid EVSE

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Does that mean the solar company retains ownership of the solar panels, and puts a lien on your house?

No, it’s finance to own for the panels. They cover cost of electric upgrade.

 

[hydbob]

No, it’s finance to own for the panels. They cover cost of electric upgrade.

Plus the fed is giving you a credit to upgrade your panel =)