Lucid Home Connected Home Charging Station Total loss

[Ozzie118]

Just a PSA to choose your licensed electricians wisely. This morning I went to plug in my Lucid Home Connected Charging Station for the 2nd time since installation. I was working from my home office for approximately 15 minutes and noticed that my computer UPS kept kicking on and then hallway lights dimming followed by a buzzing sound throughout my house. Ran downstairs to a basement filled with smoke. 100 amp breaker switch never tripped. Shut off the breaker and ran to driveway to unplug my GT. Bottom of charger was melted and once outside charger panel was removed found the charger to be a total loss. I’m led to believe the electricians never installed compressions lugs the instruction manual calls for. This most likely caused an electrical arc and fire. Please note same installer left site with a charging station that didn’t work because they skipped step of plugging terminal connector into front panel which also allows me to speaks pretty confidently on the absence of compression lugs. I recall seeing raw wire terminated directly to the terminal connector but I’m also not a licensed electrician so didn’t know enough to call them out on it.

Electrical install details are as follows: 200 AMP panel; 100 breaker installed; 2 AWG wire; 10ft wire run to charger. I have a case open with Lucid support and have sent them the photos just in the event the failure is on the hardware side. Just thankful I was home to the time and able to prevent any major damage to the retest of my house.

 

[gmglass]

Whoa! That's terrible. I'm glad everyone is safe.

 

[BACamster]

Glad everyone is safe

 

[Ozzie118]

Also…strongly recommend having electrician provide pictures of terminal connectors before they install the faceplate. I had the faceplate off last week to connect the terminal connector and wish I had taken pictures of the terminal connectors.

 

[Adnillien]

I am glad that everyone is OK. I would contact your state registrar of contractors and open a complaint with them also.

 

[APSenec]

Just a PSA to choose your licensed electricians wisely. This morning I went to plug in my Lucid Home Connected Charging Station for the 2nd time since installation. I was working from my home office for approximately 15 minutes and noticed that my computer UPS kept kicking on and then hallway lights dimming followed by a buzzing sound throughout my house. Ran downstairs to a basement filled with smoke. 100 amp breaker switch never tripped. Shut off the breaker and ran to driveway to unplug my GT. Bottom of charger was melted and once outside charger panel was removed found the charger to be a total loss. I’m led to believe the electricians never installed compressions lugs the instruction manual calls for. This most likely caused an electrical arc and fire. Please note same installer left site with a charging station that didn’t work because they skipped step of plugging terminal connector into front panel which also allows me to speaks pretty confidently on the absence of compression lugs. I recall seeing raw wire terminated directly to the terminal connector but I’m also not a licensed electrician so didn’t know enough to call them out on it.

Electrical install details are as follows: 200 AMP panel; 100 breaker installed; 2 AWG wire; 10ft wire run to charger. I have a case open with Lucid support and have sent them the photos just in the event the failure is on the hardware side. Just thankful I was home to the time and able to prevent any major damage to the retest of my house.

Wow! Sorry to see such a failure. Any chance this electrician will stand behind their work? This is a good example of how much heat can be generated by 80 amps.

 

[Penguin]

Thank you for the PSA and I am glad that the damage didn’t spread to your structure. Proper terminations, correctly torqued, are really important at the higher amperage levels used by car chargers. Make sure that the other end of your 2AWG wires are properly torqued at the circuit breaker end. And if your electrician happened to use aluminum wires for the 100A circuit consider replacing with copper instead - cost adder is small for a 10ft run and copper provides more reliable connections and better conductivity.

Even properly terminated cables and connections have resistance and generate heat - the best charging amperage is the minimum level that gets your car charged in the required time - this minimizes the percentage of power lost to heat during a charging cycle. (Charging times scale linearly with current ; resistive losses scale with current^2). Improperly torqued connections have way too much resistance and can easily start fires.

 

[Pragmatic]

Probably a bad install but why don't EVSE's shutdown if their connection points get too hot?

Seems simple enough to do.

 

[Ozzie118]

Wow! Sorry to see such a failure. Any chance this electrician will stand behind their work? This is a good example of how much heat can be generated by 80 amps.

Yes they are actively working with Lucid Support on the resolution. They are pretty adamant that it was a hardware failure. Compression lugs were not used but claimed that whatever alternative they used was acceptable. It is a small family business and I had both the father and son here this afternoon to do a full inspection. Now just need to wait and see if Lucid sends a replacement under warranty.

 

[L-Dude]

Hmmm...I think I'm now happy with my measly 40a charging setup.

 

[Ozzie118]

Thank you for the PSA and I am glad that the damage didn’t spread to your structure. Proper terminations, correctly torqued, are really important at the higher amperage levels used by car chargers. Make sure that the other end of your 2AWG wires are properly torqued at the circuit breaker end. And if your electrician happened to use aluminum wires for the 100A circuit consider replacing with copper instead - cost adder is small for a 10ft run and copper provides more reliable connections and better conductivity.

Even properly terminated cables and connections have resistance and generate heat - the best charging amperage is the minimum level that gets your car charged in the required time - this minimizes the percentage of power lost to heat during a charging cycle. (Charging times scale linearly with current ; resistive losses scale with current^2). Improperly torqued connections have way too much resistance and can easily start fires.

Interesting point regarding the torque. I would be surprised if the install team followed the recommended torque. I’ll be sure to add it to the list when they return for reinstallation.

 

[jbawden]

Not a forensic investigator, but looks to me like the installer error. The heat source was right at the terminals and they admitted to not using the proper lugs. Shout out to this forum for creating a specialty knowledge base to make sure the charger is installed properly. Hopefully they have the dip switches set properly.

By the way, totally agree with @Penguin that just because you can charge at 80a, doesn't mean you should. 48a on a 60a circuit is plenty for overnight charging and arguably safer.

 

[Ozzie118]

Not a forensic investigator, but looks to me like the installer error. The heat source was right at the terminals and they admitted to not using the proper lugs. Shout out to this forum for creating a specialty knowledge base to make sure the charger is installed properly. Hopefully they have the dip switches set properly.

By the way, totally agree with @Penguin that just because you can charge at 80a, doesn't mean you should. 48a on a 60a circuit is plenty for overnight charging and arguably safer.

Dip switches were confirmed in the correct position. I confirmed this on the install day.

 

[98point1]

I am so sorry that happened but SO glad you and your family and home are ok!

 

[Bobby]

Yes they are actively working with Lucid Support on the resolution. They are pretty adamant that it was a hardware failure. Compression lugs were not used but claimed that whatever alternative they used was acceptable. It is a small family business and I had both the father and son here this afternoon to do a full inspection. Now just need to wait and see if Lucid sends a replacement under warranty.

Compression lugs are specifically called out in the installation manual.

 

[Ozzie118]

Oh I know. That was the first thing I called out.

 

[Penguin]

Probably a bad install but why don't EVSE's shutdown if their connection points get too hot?

Seems simple enough to do.

Agreed, seems simple to do and I think it is done.

I have owned 2 model S vehicles, (2013, 2023) and both will gripe and eventually stop charging when they detect a lower line voltage while charging at 240V, which is what will happen when there is too much resistance / thermal loss anywhere between the breaker panel and the car. Have had this happen specifically when an electrician had not torqued connections correctly on a 50A circuit (both at the 14-50R and at the circuit breaker). An IR thermometer showed excessive heat at both ends and all of this was cured by tightening things up and by delivering a royal bollocking to the electrician.

The tesla HPWC charging connectors (at least gen 3) are supposed detect thermal overload in the unit and shut off charging.

 

[Blue Lectroid]

Really glad that the OP and his house / car are OK!! On the topic of the install manual for the Lucid home charger, is there a PDF version anywhere? I just bought one second hand from a forum member and now want to be 100% my electrician and I are familiar with every detail!!!!

 

[Penguin]

Really glad that the OP and his house / car are OK!! On the topic of the install manual for the Lucid home charger, is there a PDF version anywhere? I just bought one second hand from a forum member and now want to be 100% my electrician and I are familiar with every detail!!!!

Is this not it? https://store.lucidmotors.com/conte...e_Charging_Station_Guide_51.2.2022(en-US).pdf

 

[Blue Lectroid]

Is this not it? https://store.lucidmotors.com/content/Lucid_Connected_Home_Charging_Station_Guide_51.2.2022(en-US).pdf

Indeed it is! I thank you kind sir (or madame)!!