Topic: Home chargers - what do you have and comments

[Blueprint]

Having my first home charger installed back in 2017 made me a bit ahead of the curve, before the onslaught of new EVs. My unit is a ChargePoint, seen in many of my reviews. Being installed outside, I needed a wateproof unit certified for all climes, so it's a hardwired installation. I also needed "smart" features to be able to read the energy use of every charge. Back then my options were this, or the $500 dearer Flo unit. I really liked the tidy footprint of the ChargePoint, smaller than a letter-sized sheet in surface, and that it is tidy with its built-in cord support.

Only had to reboot it twice in 6 years. My only beef with it is the nozzle's design, as it allows ice to form under the triggered lock when freezing rain conditions happen.

[Blueprint]

Reason for this thread: with the CX-90 PHEV arriving next month, I will take advantage of $750 in subsidies ($600 province, $150 town) to have another unit installed inside the garage. This will require a smart charge splitter so both units can be on the same circuit (the device only allows one unit to pull juice). No real need for a smart unit inside as pressers will use the outdoor unit, but many units have this feature today. Very little cable required also, as I will locate it near the outdoor one on an inside wall.

Looking forward to comments and experiences with other brands. The Quebec-designed EV Duty is the most popular domestic EVSE here; it's ugly, but it will be indoors so not as much an issue as for my initial install.

[ktm525]

What do you do when the local meth head steals your cord to sell to the local scrapper for the copper? How much are cords?

[Blueprint]

What do you do when the local meth head steals your cord to sell to the local scrapper for the copper? How much are cords?

The just steal expensive Lexus-Acura-Toyota-Honda SUVs, and big-3 trucks plus Jeeps, not our charging cords. 10-20% of the houses here have one outside. Never heard of theft.

[ktm525]

hmmm copper. 

https://www.collisionrepairmag.com/on-the-line-copper-wire-theft-and-vandalism-on-the-rise-across-canada/

[EV Dan]

Looks to be an appropriate gauge to power some hydroponic equipment or a little science lab 

[Blueprint]

[No H2O]

Since its never been brought up, what exactly does a FULL charging installation cost? I am assuming 220V.

That means running it from the main panel in the garage or basement (the 30 to 40 feet of wiring) to the outlet box on the outside of your home and then the actual charge line from the outlet box to the vehicle aka the cord and plug?

And don't tell me it is $500 because you can't get an electrician to come in for that in labour alone. Don't guess, look it up.

[Blueprint]

Since its never been brought up, what exactly does a FULL charging installation cost? I am assuming 220V.

That means running it from the main panel in the garage or basement (the 30 to 40 feet of wiring) to the outlet box on the outside of your home and then the actual charge line from the outlet box to the vehicle aka the cord and plug?

And don't tell me it is $500 because you can't get an electrician to come in for that in labour alone. Don't guess, look it up.

My outdoor installation was around $345, by a pro, but I have a fairly modern house (built 2006) with a robust, upgraded SquareD panel that I spec'd for the build and a mechanical room layout that I designed for ease of upgrades. Ditto with the wiring, easy pull route up from the basement through a technical shaft, straight into the garage attic (attached garage wider than the floor above) then down to where it goes through the wall. The electrician did say this was his easiest installation ever.

If the indoor unit can be spliced from the first one, it will then become his really easiest job ever.

[Blueprint]

Panel (fat cable on the left goes to the charger):




40 amp breaker:


Up the shaft:


Down from the attic:


Junction box to the outdoor ChargePoint:

[Blueprint]

Above pics taken from my paper from a few years back: https://www.autotrader.ca/editorial/20180423/electric-vehicle-home-charger-buyer-s-guide/

[No H2O]

I have a fairly modern house (built 2006) with a robust, upgraded SquareD panel that I spec'd for the build and a mechanical room layout that I designed for ease of upgrades.

Same here in my 1996 home. All built above code (plywood thicknesses, etc) and with a 200A panel in the basement but at the back wall of the garage with still a few slots in it. I ran separate breakers to each of the 4 outlets in the garage along with a 40A for the huge 7.5HP compressor which is in the basement and 50A for the TIG welder.

I can see the 40A breaker and thick wiring in your photos...same as the one going to my stove.

If I needed to do this, I'd have to added all up costs. I'd do my own installation and then have an inspector verify it.

Bottom line still is 1) the cost difference to the EV and 2) the change in life of the battery (capacity) in 10+ years of use.

What nobody has done yet is show the change in capacity per year (under 2 or 3 standard conditions) from new to at least 10 years (I already know how my single-cell litium batteries change over the years in capacity). I still say that EV owners should not own the battery but should be owned by chargings stations. Standard fits of different lengths (different capacities) that slide into the bottom of any vehicle (that takes standardization). A 100% fill-up would take under 5 minutes in a battery-out, battery-in change. Batteries would be charged by the charging station and installed into your EV. But of course, this would never happen.

[me_2]

Having my first home charger installed back in 2017...

Do I have to remind you, this is a "charging station" also known as electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) or fancy power cord, the "charger" is inside the EV or PHEV. 
 

[Seafoam]

Since its never been brought up, what exactly does a FULL charging installation cost? I am assuming 220V.

That means running it from the main panel in the garage or basement (the 30 to 40 feet of wiring) to the outlet box on the outside of your home and then the actual charge line from the outlet box to the vehicle aka the cord and plug?

And don't tell me it is $500 because you can't get an electrician to come in for that in labour alone. Don't guess, look it up.

It has been brought up in the past. I believe Rrocket did an analysis a few years ago for his place.

There is a thread here somewhere discussing it.

[rrocket]

Reason for this thread: with the CX-90 PHEV arriving next month, I will take advantage of $750 in subsidies ($600 province, $150 town) to have another unit installed inside the garage. This will require a smart charge splitter so both units can be on the same circuit (the device only allows one unit to pull juice). No real need for a smart unit inside as pressers will use the outdoor unit, but many units have this feature today. Very little cable required also, as I will locate it near the outdoor one on an inside wall.

Looking forward to comments and experiences with other brands. The Quebec-designed EV Duty is the most popular domestic EVSE here; it's ugly, but it will be indoors so not as much an issue as for my initial install.

I really like the Grizzl-E

https://grizzl-e.com/product-category/canada/?gclid=CjwKCAjwjMiiBhA4EiwAZe6jQ0hcpTvuZCbF_Z5HY63fv3_my1XFdmW2DHm2PLMMRmY7nGIeCKIlDhoCKDwQAvD_BwE

Canadian company.

[Blueprint]

^^ These are really cheaper at $549 basic, or $599 "smart". Interesting that they have an open-sourced approach with no proprietary app - will have to look into that.

QC-made EV Duty starts at $799, while QC-made Flo is still at $1,145, both for basic units. US-made ChargePoint is $999.

[Blueprint]

Having my first home charger installed back in 2017...

Do I have to remind you, this is a "charging station" also known as electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) or fancy power cord, the "charger" is inside the EV or PHEV. 
 

Guilty, but even EVSE manufacturers call them "chargers"  But don't start me with "Level 3" - it doesn't exist. It's "DC Level 2".

[Blueprint]

I have a fairly modern house (built 2006) with a robust, upgraded SquareD panel that I spec'd for the build and a mechanical room layout that I designed for ease of upgrades.

Same here in my 1996 home. All built above code (plywood thicknesses, etc) and with a 200A panel in the basement but at the back wall of the garage with still a few slots in it. I ran separate breakers to each of the 4 outlets in the garage along with a 40A for the huge 7.5HP compressor which is in the basement and 50A for the TIG welder.

I can see the 40A breaker and thick wiring in your photos...same as the one going to my stove.

If I needed to do this, I'd have to added all up costs. I'd do my own installation and then have an inspector verify it.

Bottom line still is 1) the cost difference to the EV and 2) the change in life of the battery (capacity) in 10+ years of use.

What nobody has done yet is show the change in capacity per year (under 2 or 3 standard conditions) from new to at least 10 years (I already know how my single-cell litium batteries change over the years in capacity). I still say that EV owners should not own the battery but should be owned by chargings stations. Standard fits of different lengths (different capacities) that slide into the bottom of any vehicle (that takes standardization). A 100% fill-up would take under 5 minutes in a battery-out, battery-in change. Batteries would be charged by the charging station and installed into your EV. But of course, this would never happen.

You can't, if you want to cash in the incentive. They only apply for pro installations.

[rrocket]

^^ These are really cheaper at $549 basic, or $599 "smart". Interesting that they have an open-sourced approach with no proprietary app - will have to look into that.

Of all the chargers I physically looked at, these seemed the best, most robustly built. Bombproof.

And the president of the company even took my personal phone call to answer a question.

If/when I buy a charger, these guys will get my money.

[Blueprint]

^^ These are really cheaper at $549 basic, or $599 "smart". Interesting that they have an open-sourced approach with no proprietary app - will have to look into that.

Of all the chargers I physically looked at, these seemed the best, most robustly built. Bombproof.

And the president of the company even took my personal phone call to answer a question.

If/when I buy a charger, these guys will get my money.

Read a bunch of comments online, everyone is very happy with them. Will probably go with that and make the best of the subsidies!