Which is the best home charging system?

[borski]

Deane .. just curious, how does hardwiring charge the car faster? I'm waiting for a VIN assignment and was going to install a 14-50 outlet (and then decide which charger to buy), but if hardwiring is better, then I may order the Chargepoint home flex now.. thanks

Yes; if you hardwire you can charge at up to 50 amps (48A depending on the charger). If you use a 14-50 you're limited by code to 40A.

 

[LucidNC]

Yes; if you hardwire you can charge at up to 50 amps (48A depending on the charger). If you use a 14-50 you're limited by code to 40A.

aah .. makes sense; thanks.

 

[DeaneG]

Deane .. just curious, how does hardwiring charge the car faster? I'm waiting for a VIN assignment and was going to install a 14-50 outlet (and then decide which charger to buy), but if hardwiring is better, then I may order the Chargepoint home flex now.. thanks

You can draw a maximum of 40 amp continuously through a 14-50 outlet on a circuit with a 50-amp circuit breaker (10kW charge rate). But if you hardwire, the Chargepoint can handle 48 amps on a 60-amp circuit breaker (20% faster at 12kW). Or hardwire a Clipper Creek HCS-80 (64amps on an 80-amp circuit, 15kW). Or for the max: wire a 100-amp circuit and use Lucid's to-be-released home charging adapter.

Chargepoint and others may have a 1-2 month lead time currently.

 

[DeaneG]

For reference I have a Chargepoint at home on a 40-amp circuit from a legacy installation of a prior EV. It's pretty slow. Plugging the car in after a long day trip leaves the charge level creeping up over many hours. My other charging circuit is on a 60-amp breaker and is much faster - not strictly necessary for an overnight charge, but nice if you want to top off during the day.

 

[Drendino]

I only have experience with the ChargePoint Home Flex and Grizzle. I own the Chargepoint and love it. It just feels like commercial grade quality and is plug and play. I had some issues getting the Grizzle going at an Airbnb, but I do think it charges quicker.

When the Lucid charger comes out, I’m going to upgrade the panel to accommodate. I’ll upgrade to 50 amp, set it up for my wife’s Rivian (coming next year) and use the Lucid charger for my GT. Right now it’s set up for 40 amps, which is just fine.

 

[Tesla2.0]

I am drawing 48amp at home with my new Wallbox roughly 40 ~ 45 miles / hour.

 

[cabood]

Clipper Creek HCS 80 charging at 60mph
No frills, no app

 

[cabood]

View attachment 4078
Clipper Creek HCS 80 charging at 60mph
No frills, no app

I chose this charger for it’s high power. I don’t have the time or interest to follow my charging statistics. I plug it in and it does the job. I never paid much attention to gasoline prices and electricity costs are much lower - this does everything I need.

 

[DeaneG]

I chose this charger for it’s high power. I don’t have the time or interest to follow my charging statistics. I plug it in and it does the job. I never paid much attention to gasoline prices and electricity costs are much lower - this does everything I need.

Great choice, those are very reliable. In my area, electricity prices vary more than 2:1 through the day, so I need a timed charging solution. I hope that the car will be able to limit its charging to a timed window. I find this far more useful than a set "start time".

 

[cabood]

Great choice, those are very reliable. In my area, electricity prices vary more than 2:1 through the day, so I need a timed charging solution. I hope that the car will be able to limit its charging to a timed window. I find this far more useful than a set "start time".

My local utility company requires a second meter to get the lower EV rate, about 5 cents less / kW. It would have taken 5-7 years to recoup the cost of the meter installation, so I just charge at the regular rate.

 

[FastEddi3]

My Juicebox recognizes which vehicle is plugged in, switched between my Fisker Karma and the Lucid. Supports timed charging, I have mine programmed to charge only during EV off peak charging hours when APS gives me the lowest rate. Though I can override to charge any time via the app.

 

[HC_79]

My local utility company requires a second meter to get the lower EV rate, about 5 cents less / kW. It would have taken 5-7 years to recoup the cost of the meter installation, so I just charge at the regular rate.

Damn, that's excessive. SoCal Edison just applies the EV rate to your entire house

 

[borski]

Damn, that's excessive. SoCal Edison just applies the EV rate to your entire house

PGE has both options.

 

[Steveinarizona]

PGE has both options.

But will PG&E bury the wires?

 

[DeaneG]

But will PG&E bury the wires?

It's the same set of service entry wires. You need to pay an electrician to install a dual-meter service entry panel. Could cost a couple thousand $. I stuck with one meter for this reason - payback is hard to justify.