Hi all, We are completely new to the EV world and my head is spinning just trying to read about a basic question we have. We are contemplating reserving a VW ID4 and are curious about home charging. We currently have an unused 110v 30 amp outlet in our garage (former RV outlet), which we are hoping an electrician can convert to a 220v with a 40-60 amp breaker. That being said, if we are to do that, what is the need for a charger (i.e. ChargePoint or something similar)? Could we just plug the car into the outlet? We are not opposed to spending the extra money if we need to just don't want to spend money on something we don't need. Plus, at least with the ChargePoint from what I read if we wanted to go up to 60amp, it would need to be hardwired. If we are able to just use the outlet, could we use all 60amp (or well however much of it we need)? Sorry for the long winded questions and Thanks!
The cheapest would be to convert the RV circuit to a 240 volt 30 amps and then hardwire an amperage, adjustable EVSE (charger) set to the 24 amp setting. Just make sure the EVSE doesn't require a neutral wire to work. You can check the charging time to see if that works for you. https://clippercreek.com/charging-times-chart/ Running a new 240 volt 40 or 50 amp circuit can make a lot of sense. You have more EVSE manufactures to select from and the charging speed will increase. This is important if your electrical rate is significantly lower at night and you need a full battery to start the day. A 60 amp circuit makes sense if you have a double car garage and plan to have two electric vehicles that need a full charge to start the day. Otherwise, you can use a splitter like NeoCharge with a 40 or 50 amp circuit. https://www.getneocharge.com/smart-splitter Also check with your local utility to see if they offer any rebate for buying and installing an EVSE. See the best EV charger section. https://insideevs.com/features/341500/the-ultimate-buyers-guide-to-home-ev-chargers-plus-top-5-picks/ https://insideevs.com/news/341348/portable-electric-car-ev-charger-comparison-which-ones-the-best/
Thank you Marshall very much! That was all very helpful. I have one more dumb question if you don't mind me asking. Admittingly, I am a complete novice to all this. Is it possible once we convert our outlet to 240v to just plug our car into it and get the same Level 2 charging speed? I guess my questions is what does the EVSE actually do and is it necessary? I mean, I know everyone has them so there is a reason, but I have read a lot of folks just plugging into a 240v outlet as well. Thanks again!!
The EVSE is absolutely necessary. It is a communication device between the power supply (wall plug) and the car. It finds out from the car how much current the car can accept and determines when the battery has reached the level of charging selected. If you were to try to plug directly from the car in to a wall socket nothing would happen because there would be no communication and the car would not open the relay on board for current to flow to the car. Those who say they just plug in are making the assumption that you know they are plugging in using an EVSE.
The ID4 comes with a 120 volt low amperage EVSE. It will take about 83 hours to fully charge it when using the EVSE that comes with the car. For some folks that's all they need, probably about 3 to 4 miles per hour of charging. With a new upgraded EVSE, changing the RV circuit to 240 volts, you will probably get around 18 miles per hour of charge.. If you add a new 40 amp circuit will get you 30 miles per hour of charging. A 50 amp circuit, 37.5 miles per hour of charging. A 60 amp circuit will get you 43 mile per hour of charging. Again this with a new upgraded EVSE and not the one that comes with the car. You have to decide what you need, want, and wish to spend. As noted above, the EVSE is necessary to prevent you from electrocuting yourself, telling the car about the home electrical connection, and preventing you from driving away with the car plugged in.
One thing that may add to the confusion is that many EVSEs are basically just cables. The ID.4 certainly comes with an EVSE/charging cable stored in the trunk, which may be L1/L2 or just L1. My MINI Cooper SE came with a L1 EVSE/charging cable, but the new models are coming with a dual L1/L2 EVSE charging cable. I plan to get one as soon as possible for portable L2 charging.
You can watch Tom's guide on the ID.4 charging: There will some technical stuff (aluminum vs copper wiring, main panel service etc.) that your electrician will have to assess as well.
For the first 2 yrs of my EV ownership (Hyundai Kona electric) I simply plugged into a regular wall socket with the low-voltage charger that comes with the car. Because I wasn't driving much that was all I needed, even though it was slow. When I moved, a variety of circumstances, including the fact that I'm driving more, persuaded me to install a hardwired L2 EVSE. Each was right for me at the time. It all depends on your circumstances and your use of the vehicle.
The electrician will tell you if your service can support a 60amp circuit. Note that wire capable of carrying the sort of wattage (volts multiplied by amps) you need is heavy solid copper and fairly expensive. Again,the electrician will know how much it costs, but don’t be shocked (joke intended) at the price for your installation. Sent from my iPad using Inside EVs
