Are there any future benefit to install a 240V/60A outlet for L2 Charger?

[wmcbrine]

Yeah, it's 80. Although, AFAICT, nobody implements that.

I take it back -- apparently there are several vehicles and EVSEs that do 80 amps these days.

 

[SageBrush]

Battery life, I believe. I installed a 40 amp capable EVSE on a 50 amp circuit for my Tesla, and for a couple of years charged a 40 amps. Then at some point the car started switching itself to drawing 30 amps every time I set to 40. I vaguely recall Tesla forum posts at the time talking about Tesla having derated the allowable charging current for the express purpose of protecting battery life.

The 80A L2 charging went away when DC fast charging became available. Meaning it was implemented for long trip driving (and failed, but that is another story.)

As a rule of thumb, the range of Amps in L2 charging has very little effect on battery degradation in a Tesla outfitted with pack temperature control.

As for the chatting on the Tesla forum, speculation is like mushrooms: it grow everywhere, and fools with weak analytic skills are drawn to the toxic, psychedelic varieties.

 

[Yodrak]

Thanks for your input. Nevertheless, the car at one time was able to take a 40 amp Level 2 charge but at some point started limiting the charge to 30 amps. I can reset to 40 amps but the car unfailingly drops it to 30 amps. How and why remains unknown given your information.

 

[SageBrush]

I can reset to 40 amps but the car unfailingly drops it to 30 amps.

I'm not positive, but I have a vague recollection of this happening if the Tesla EVSE overheats (or thinks it is overheating.) It was discussed on TMC. You may wish to point an infra-red gun at your receptacle. If it is hot then the wire terminations may need torque adjustment.

 

[eMaS]

Consider bi-directional charging and put in wiring for a 100A; we will in future be ev charging at home with DC

 

[todatsu]

The old Leviton (circa 2013) 240V charger came with a 30 amp 3-wire pigtail, so I downgraded my outdoor 50 amp RV socket and circuit breaker to 30 amp, and bought a new 30 amp socket to match. Worked great for 6 years then began to overheat and melt, because the utility company switched to daytime charging, when the hot sun is shining on the pigtail and ambient temperatures are 40 degrees F hotter. The only reason I noticed the damage was because we had to plug something else into the melted socket.

So I had to buy a replacement 50 amp pigtail for the Leviton and will put back the original 50 amp RV socket. Until that's done, the Nissan-provided Level 1 charger-in-a-bag is doing just fine, and it monitors the temperature of its AC plug, so I'm not concerned about overheating.

In my opinion, it is a disgrace that USA 30 amp sockets cannot do 30 amps continuous, which they cannot, and why did Leviton supply a 30 amp pigtail if this was the case? I'm tired of replacing cheaply-made, poor quality wiring devices being sold to the public today.

 

[cornbinder89]

No, 30 amp circuit is not to see more the 24 amp continuous per the national electric code. Code states a derate to 80% for continuous draw. If your level 2 charger was drawing the full 27.5 amp the Nissan (6.6Kw charger) is capable of, then you are overloading the circuit. Don't blame the NEC for an appliance that doesn't meet it. I have seen some that can be bought with a 30 amp plug that can be set to 32 amps! The EVSE must be set to the correct CONTINUOUS amps allowed by the NEC for the circuit it is placed on.
Many aftermarket EVSE's are made to fit any market and/or power supply the world over and are adjustable. They must be correctly installed and set to the circuit that they attach to.
A 27.5 amp draw must go on a 50 plug if plug in, and the 50 amp plug must go on a properly wired (heavy enough gauge) wire. IF hard wired, a 24-32 amp EVSE can be on a 40 amp branch circuit, but there are no NEMA 40 amp plugs that I am aware of. A 32- 40 amp EVSE must go on a 50 amp circuit.

 

[Yodrak]

I'm not positive, but I have a vague recollection of this happening if the Tesla EVSE overheats (or thinks it is overheating.) It was discussed on TMC. You may wish to point an infra-red gun at your receptacle. If it is hot then the wire terminations may need torque adjustment.

I'll look into that, thanks.