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Charging at 240 V

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by Northerner, Jun 20, 2022.

  1. Northerner

    Northerner Active Member

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    I would like to charge my 2020 prime faster on some days. I so far have only used the recharging cord supplied with the car plugged into the 120v outlet used by our garage door opener.
    During a home-remodel project, I had an electrical sub-panel installed in our garage that can supply the 240 power however I choose to do so. I’m ready to take the final step and any advice would be appreciated from those who have already done the same.
     
    #1 Northerner, Jun 20, 2022
    Last edited: Jun 20, 2022
  2. MikeDee

    MikeDee Senior Member

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    Well, you need a Level 2 charger and a 240V outlet in your garage with the same type of plug preferably near your car. I had an electrician install the outlet. The Prime only draws 16 amp so you don't need a high amperage (and thus higher cost) charger. I think I wired for 50 amps though, for future proofing. I bought a basic Leviton charger.
     
    Northerner and schja01 like this.
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    just use the oem with a plug adapter
     
  4. Northerner

    Northerner Active Member

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    This is exactly what I needed to hear. I also plan to go all electric in the future and so will have an electrician wire an outlet for 50 amp but buy a cheap Level 2 16 Amp charger that plugs into it. I am a near-complete neophyte and so didn’t understand that a “charger” is just the term used for the cable that runs from the wall outlet to the car. I thought it was a box of some sort that hung on the wall. Thank you.
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    that is the evse. the charger is in the car.
     
  6. PT Guy

    PT Guy Senior Member

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    Yep. Notherner, you're talking about a charging station, also called electrical vehicle supply equipment, EVSE. This is a smart power supply. The car's charger communicates with the charging station and tell it how much amperage to send and when to shut off.

    While the charging station that comes with our Prime has only 120 volts listed on the back, some have used it successfully plugged into a 240 volt receptacle. I haven't heard of any failures. If you do that, find a way where you do not have a standard 120 volt receptacle for the original system actually hot with 240 volts and available. It can destroy other things plugged into it and possibly hurt someone.

    Keep in mind the 80% rule---the expected load on a circuit will be designed to draw no more than 80% of the circuit capacity. For the 16 amps a Prime can use a 20 amp 240 volt circuit suffices. For a different electric car that can use a 40 amp charge circuit a 50 amp supply is needed. Also do a load analysis of your power panel. Be sure you have 50 amps available if everything else in the house is running. (We are almost all electric--water heater, range, heat pump with auxiliary electric heat, electric dryer, plus all the usual 120 volt circuits, and I'm not sure we'd have 50 amps available from our 200 amp service.)
     
  7. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    The proper term is EVSE(electric vehicle supply equipment). It's a fancy safety switch. If it can't make a proper connection to the car, it won't power on the cord. Then it lets the car know the amount of electricty it can supply After the connection is made, it monitors the charging, and will shut down if any faults are detected. It is housed in the lump of the charge cord that came with the car. Less portable versions do use a box on a wall.

    The EVSE that came with your car can safely handle current higher than what a 15 amp outlet can supply. It isn't the absolute maximum the Prime can use, but it is pretty close. There are discussions here on modifying it for more powerful outlets.