Best 240VAC charging cable for 2013 Leaf

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JohnKuthe said:
I'm only having three 240VAC jacks installed. Let people get their own charger for their own electric vehicles. I'm getting one for my 23013 Nissan Leaf!
Click to expand...
Except for Tesla owners, most EV owning visitors will only have a mobile L1 EVSE. Unless you plan to feed and house them overnight while they charge at ~ 1.1 kW, you will want to be generous and let them use your spiffy L2 EVSE. So this comes back to 1, placing the outlet in a central location that lets the EVSE cable reach any car in the garage; and 2, installing a nice beefy EVSE that can output at least ~ 6 kW (although I recommend 9.6 kW (a 50 Amp circuit.) if your panel box has room.

Unless you are in Europe ? I gather that people do indeed wander around with their own EVSEs across the pond. Or is this a shared garage with tenants ? In the case of tenants, you may wish to have the electrician install a meter to each outlet for billing. The analog types that were a staple on homes for decades can now be bought for ~ $30 on Ebay.
 
SageBrush said:
JohnKuthe said:
I'm only having three 240VAC jacks installed. Let people get their own charger for their own electric vehicles. I'm getting one for my 23013 Nissan Leaf!
Click to expand...
Except for Tesla owners, most EV owning visitors will only have a mobile L1 EVSE. Unless you plan to feed and house them overnight while they charge at ~ 1.1 kW, you will want to be generous and let them use your spiffy L2 EVSE. So this comes back to 1, placing the outlet in a central location that lets the EVSE cable reach any car in the garage; and 2, installing a nice beefy EVSE that can output at least ~ 6 kW (although I recommend 9.6 kW (a 50 Amp circuit.) if your panel box has room.

Unless you are in Europe ? I gather that people do indeed wander around with their own EVSEs across the pond. Or is this a shared garage with tenants ? In the case of tenants, you may wish to have the electrician install a meter to each outlet for billing. The analog types that were a staple on homes for decades can now be bought for ~ $30 on Ebay.
Click to expand...

Obvious typo on the year of my Leaf, which is 2013.

I am one of six residents in this house and we split the gas and electricity six ways. We also pay for water, the first rental I've ever lived in that does that too! I paid a bonus on the water when I first moved in because I have a queen sized waterbed I had to fill twice as I had to trace down and fix a leak caused while moving the mattress, I suppose. Thankfully there was only one leak and I FIXED IT!

I wanna have this electrician install new electrical boxes with two 120VAC sockets and one 240VAC one. Damn garage is wired for 120VAC but specifically for the garage door openers which are both broken. I want places I can plug something IN in the garage!

John Kuthe...
 
Well I just ordered a "ClipperCreek LCS-20P, 240V,16A, EV Charging Station, with 14-50 plug, 25 ft cable, SAFETY CERTIFIED, Made in America" so I guess I'll will instruct my electrician to install me a Nema 14-50 240VAC socket!

Thanks for the recommendations, folks!

John Kuthe...
 
JohnKuthe said:
Well I just ordered a "ClipperCreek LCS-20P, 240V,16A, EV Charging Station, with 14-50 plug, 25 ft cable, SAFETY CERTIFIED, Made in America" so I guess I'll will instruct my electrician to install me a Nema 14-50 240VAC socket!

Thanks for the recommendations, folks!
Click to expand...
Easy Peasy
 
Since you are installing a new receptacle, wait until the Clipper Creek unit arrives before having the electrician install the outlet. The supply cord on the Clipper Creek unit is only 12 inches long (to the farthest point on the plug) to comply with National Electrical Code (and testing laboratory) requirements so receptacle and unit mounting locations need to be coordinated to make sure the cord will reach the receptacle.
 
Rauv said:
Are your sure your electrical panel can support a 50 amp circuit? Maybe I missed that part above.
Click to expand...

Yes, the panel in the basement is rated at 200 amps for the whole house. I'll tell my electrician to create a 50 amp 240VAC line out to9 the garage and to the charging sockets. Or better 100 amps.

John Kuthe...
 
GerryAZ said:
Since you are installing a new receptacle, wait until the Clipper Creek unit arrives before having the electrician install the outlet. The supply cord on the Clipper Creek unit is only 12 inches long (to the farthest point on the plug) to comply with National Electrical Code (and testing laboratory) requirements so receptacle and unit mounting locations need to be coordinated to make sure the cord will reach the receptacle.
Click to expand...

I have a whole garage wall to put these electrical mods. And I've got the Clipper Creek charging thing ordered, should be here in time for the electrician to actually hold in his hand too! If not I can tell him the type of 240VAC outlet I need, a Nema 14-50!

That's the nice thing about standards! We have so many to choose from!! ;-)

John Kuthe.,..
 
JohnKuthe said:
Rauv said:
Are your sure your electrical panel can support a 50 amp circuit? Maybe I missed that part above.
Click to expand...

Yes, the panel in the basement is rated at 200 amps for the whole house. I'll tell my electrician to create a 50 amp 240VAC line out to9 the garage and to the charging sockets. Or better 100 amps.

John Kuthe...
Click to expand...
The question was really whether you have room in your breaker box. The EVSE you ordered will not pull more than 20 amps, but the wiring and breaker have to support 50 Amps to match the outlet you chose.
 
SageBrush said:
JohnKuthe said:
Rauv said:
Are your sure your electrical panel can support a 50 amp circuit? Maybe I missed that part above.
Click to expand...

Yes, the panel in the basement is rated at 200 amps for the whole house. I'll tell my electrician to create a 50 amp 240VAC line out to9 the garage and to the charging sockets. Or better 100 amps.

John Kuthe...
Click to expand...
The question was really whether you have room in your breaker box. The EVSE you ordered will not pull more than 20 amps, but the wiring and breaker have to support 50 Amps to match the outlet you chose.
Click to expand...
 
JohnKuthe said:
SageBrush said:
JohnKuthe said:
Yes, the panel in the basement is rated at 200 amps for the whole house. I'll tell my electrician to create a 50 amp 240VAC line out to9 the garage and to the charging sockets. Or better 100 amps.

John Kuthe...
Click to expand...
The question was really whether you have room in your breaker box. The EVSE you ordered will not pull more than 20 amps, but the wiring and breaker have to support 50 Amps to match the outlet you chose.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

I will have to discuss this with my electrician. I have a meeting scheduled for next Thurs 3/30/17 to discuss what I want to have done. I assume he'll be able to pull the 240VAC line directly out of the big electrical box we have inside, then run it underground to the garage. On it's own "main breaker for the 240V line to the garage" main circuit breaker in the house.

John Kuthe...
 
SageBrush said:
JohnKuthe said:
Rauv said:
Are your sure your electrical panel can support a 50 amp circuit? Maybe I missed that part above.
Click to expand...

Yes, the panel in the basement is rated at 200 amps for the whole house. I'll tell my electrician to create a 50 amp 240VAC line out to9 the garage and to the charging sockets. Or better 100 amps.

John Kuthe...
Click to expand...
The question was really whether you have room in your breaker box. The EVSE you ordered will not pull more than 20 amps, but the wiring and breaker have to support 50 Amps to match the outlet you chose.
Click to expand...
I wonder if you could install a 20A 240V circuit. I'm not sure what kind of outlet it would need, but I'm sure there's got to be a way to change the plug on the Clipper Creek unit.

Anyhow, there's nothing wrong with having a 40 or 50 amp outlet in a garage. Someone may want to do some welding some day. If it's not you, then when you sell your house it might increase the value.

But on the other hand I have heard of the EV owner horror story where the electrician decides your electric service isn't enough for the EVSE circuit and then you have to spend thousands to get the house service upgraded (from 50, 100 or 150 to 200, 250 or more amps) even if your EVSE draws considerably less current (the Clipper Creek LCS-20 draws only 16 amps) or if you know you'd be using the EVSE when you wouldn't be using something else that's high current at the same time (e.g. dryer, AC, electric heat, welder, etc.)

So if he can wire in a 40 or 50 amp circuit with no service upgrade, go for it! If he says you need a service upgrade, which I doubt if you have a 200 amp service and want a 50 amp circuit but would likely be the case if you wanted a 100 amp circuit, then you'd have to either get the service upgraded for a lot of money or see if you can settle with a lower amperage circuit somehow.

I just seems like you're asking for a 100 amp circuit for something that only draws 16 amps and needs a 20 amp circuit.
 
IssacZachary said:
SageBrush said:
JohnKuthe said:
Yes, the panel in the basement is rated at 200 amps for the whole house. I'll tell my electrician to create a 50 amp 240VAC line out to9 the garage and to the charging sockets. Or better 100 amps.

John Kuthe...
Click to expand...
The question was really whether you have room in your breaker box. The EVSE you ordered will not pull more than 20 amps, but the wiring and breaker have to support 50 Amps to match the outlet you chose.
Click to expand...
I wonder if you could install a 20A 240V circuit. I'm not sure what kind of outlet it would need, but I'm sure there's got to be a way to change the plug on the Clipper Creek unit.

Anyhow, there's nothing wrong with having a 40 or 50 amp outlet in a garage. Someone may want to do some welding some day. If it's not you, then when you sell your house it might increase the value.

But on the other hand I have heard of the EV owner horror story where the electrician decides your electric service isn't enough for the EVSE circuit and then you have to spend thousands to get the house service upgraded (from 50, 100 or 150 to 200, 250 or more amps) even if your EVSE draws considerably less current (the Clipper Creek LCS-20 draws only 16 amps) or if you know you'd be using the EVSE when you wouldn't be using something else that's high current at the same time (e.g. dryer, AC, electric heat, welder, etc.)

So if he can wire in a 40 or 50 amp circuit with no service upgrade, go for it! If he says you need a service upgrade, which I doubt if you have a 200 amp service and want a 50 amp circuit but would likely be the case if you wanted a 100 amp circuit, then you'd have to either get the service upgraded for a lot of money or see if you can settle with a lower amperage circuit somehow.

I just seems like you're asking for a 100 amp circuit for something that only draws 16 amps and needs a 20 amp circuit.
Click to expand...

In this case, hardwiring the EVSE to the circuit (20A or 30A) should get around the electrician's reservations. The electrician might have concerns about connecting a 14-50r to a 30A circuit, because someone might mistaken it for a 50A supply. Hardwiring the EVSE would remove any possibility of confusion. Just a suggestion.
 
Oils4AsphaultOnly said:
In this case, hardwiring the EVSE to the circuit (20A or 30A) should get around the electrician's reservations. The electrician might have concerns about connecting a 14-50r to a 30A circuit, because someone might mistaken it for a 50A supply. Hardwiring the EVSE would remove any possibility of confusion. Just a suggestion.
Click to expand...
That's a good idea too. Or I was thinking of something like this (with the same type of plug wired into the EVSE.)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008...6_SY340_QL65&keywords=20amp+twist+lock+outlet
 
I don't understand why you nice people are tossing up SO MANY possibilities..... I did this in my house and it was as easy as buying lightbulbs... Almost all evse chargers are 240 volts... At this time in history, almost all chargers are 30 amp, which happens to be the right size for the most common 6.6 KWH electric car chargers....

SO.... Have you electrician wire a new underground line from the house to the garage.

Have the electrician wire a new electrical box in the garage with breakers for everything, AND a special 40 amp breaker for the 30 amp EVSE...

Have a 240v outlet mounted where you want the evse.

Put a 40-50 amp "range" or "dryer" cable (and plug - the come pre made) on your 240v evse.

Plug in your new evse charging station... Done.

It was not expensive and I got half of the total cost back on my taxes. So it only cost 1/2 of what I paid....
 
powersurge said:
I don't understand why you nice people are tossing up SO MANY possibilities..... I did this in my house and it was as easy as buying lightbulbs... Almost all evse chargers are 240 volts... At this time in history, almost all chargers are 30 amp, which happens to be the right size for the most common 6.6 KWH electric car chargers....

SO.... Have you electrician wire a new underground line from the house to the garage.

Have the electrician wire a new electrical box in the garage with breakers for everything, AND a special 40 amp breaker for the 30 amp EVSE...

Have a 240v outlet mounted where you want the evse.

Put a 40-50 amp "range" or "dryer" cable (and plug - the come pre made) on your 240v evse.

Plug in your new evse charging station... Done.

It was not expensive and I got half of the total cost back on my taxes. So it only cost 1/2 of what I paid....
Click to expand...

Because occasionally the electrician won't add a 30, 40, 50 or 100 amp circuit without upgrading the service to the whole house. When that happens the installation can be very expensive and I doubt it that half of the service upgrade would be covered by tax credits. Basically it could mean a new transformer and wiring from the transformer to the home.
 
If you can, go 6 gauge, nema 14-50 receptacle. You are future proofed to a 10 KW EVSE for the next generation of chargers in the next generation of cars. It costs little or no more. We did this. Around 300 bucks but it was a short run from the box.
 
webeleafowners said:
If you can, go 6 gauge, nema 14-50 receptacle. You are future proofed to a 10 KW EVSE for the next generation of chargers in the next generation of cars. It costs little or no more. We did this. Around 300 bucks but it was a short run from the box.
Click to expand...
Yup. These were my conclusions and choices too, although I bought a 9.6 kW (40 Amp) EVSE instead of a 20 - 30 Amp. I figured just the cost of swapping that part out in the next couple of years made it worthwhile to future proof today; and in the meantime, I could offer an upgraded service to visitors. Oh, and back in 2016 a 30% tax credit was available so the cost difference was about $150.

All told, I paid $600 for the EVSE and $200 for the 14-50 outlet service, and expect $240 tax credit. Net, $560 for two cars, so $280 per car for a home charging setup good for the foreseeable future.
 
I bought a Clipper Creek LCS-30, 24 amps, as it is sufficient for my current needs. My electrical box is rated at 200 amps and the charger is hardwired on a 50 amp breaker.

My electrical co-operative requests we contact them if we are going to be buying an EV. They upgraded the transformer and wiring to the house for free.

Just throwing my setup and experience out here.

Jete
 
If you are going with a 14-50R it is total overkill for a quality Clipper Creek LCS-20. This EVSE requires a 20A circuit and it charges at 16A ( 80% of 20A). A 14-50 is wired with #6 lines and it can use #8 ground and Neutral wires. It would use a 50A breaker. This is what I have since I used to charge my B at 40A. A 50A breaker offers no protection for a 20A EVSE and I am not surprised the electrician has concerns.

A 20A circuit should have #12 wires and a 20A breaker. I am surprised that Clipper Creek would would. supply a 50A plug for a 16A output EVSE.
 

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