Which L2 and why?

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FFEV Herman

Member
Joined
May 20, 2015
Messages
6
I kind of expected this forum would have a sticky telling us all we needed to know regarding the purchase of a L2 charger (but I haven't been able to find one).

I have seen that some members hove applied their talent to building a portable L2 charger and that seems like a good idea. One of the things I'm trying to understand though, is that are all L2 chargers 30A? What I'm getting at here is that if I were to acquire one of the higher output 40A-50A units (they come this 'big' right?) would I not be able to use it portably with receptacles only wired/rated for 30A?
 
You would only be able to use a 40/50a evse in a 30a receptacle if you can adjust the current setting. A simple 40/50 unit will just throw the breakers on a 30a circuit.
 
The Ford Focus and most other EVs draw 30 Amps even if plugged into a 40 or 50 Amp EVSE. Most PHEVs (Fusion, Volt, etc) will draw only 15 Amps.

The current actually drawn is the lesser of the car's maximum and the EVSE's maximum.

A few EVs that will draw more than 30 A (provided they are used with a large enough capacity EVSE) are Mercedes, Toyota RAV-4, and Tesla. There may be others, but the FFE limits itself to 30 A.

So the main reason to consider a larger than 30 A capacity EVSE is to "future proof" yourself.

At one point I bought a Clipper Creek 80 A capable EVSE, thinking to future proof myself. Once I saw it, I got rid of it...it was too "industrial strength" for my taste. My 30 A capable Aerovironment unit is just fine for my FFE and Volts.

To answer your question, L2 EVSE units are available ranging from 15 to 80 Amperes.
 
Thanks guys. No need to future-proof myself, there are just so many brands from which to choose. It looks like the one from AreoVironment is the same unit, just branded to a number of different manufacturers.
 
Initially, I was going to get the Siemans. I just thought it fit the bill, and I could get an extra bracket to mount outside the garage as well as inside. And then I decided to just trickle charge, since I avg. roughly 19 miles per day. There would be ample time to charge even at 110v.

I finally decided two weeks ago to get the Turbocord, which affords me *portability*. Bought off Amazon, received in two days and my buddy Russ wired the garage for 220v a few days ago. The installation was costly as the line had to be run outside in a conduit in the back near the deck and around the outside of the house and then into the garage. Believe me, there was no other way to do this. I also have a 110v outlet next to the 220v now.

So, the answer for me was portability, which only the Turbocord can provide. It won't charge as quickly as the other 220s but that's fine. It should be three hours max for me.

All I need is my FFE. It was built on the 18th, so it's all a matter of transportation now. I'm hoping for June 5th. Don't ask me why I picked that day, I just did. Then again, if I have to wait for June 24th, it will be a heckuva birthday present.
 
So far I've settled on the Siemens. It seems that no matter what I do I'm looking at $500 - $600 for a glorified extension cord.....sigh!
 
scottt said:
So far I've settled on the Siemens. It seems that no matter what I do I'm looking at $500 - $600 for a glorified extension cord.....sigh!
Have you looked at the ClipperCreeks? We have two, and the only way we'd ever opt for anything else is wifi capability, or the acquisition of a Tesla.
 
That GE unit that you mention, is it model #EVDSWGH-CP01 for $399?

The reviews are great. The only issue or concern I see is there is no on/off switch that I see on the $500+ units.

If the car isn't plugged into the unit (and charging), does the charging station use any electricity?

Thx!
 
scottt said:
If the car isn't plugged into the unit (and charging), does the charging station use any electricity?

Thx!
Typically only a few watts. Some owners have measured the exact number of watts & they can probably chime in about that.
 
I bought the GE EVWSWBC-CP01 at Lowes. I paid about $420 for it, after a $50 on-line coupon. I noticed the price has gone up to $682 before any discounts. Not sure why, must have just gotten lucky. Very happy with it, it does have the on-off switch which I like.

Keith
 
Clipper Creek 4.8 KW charger. Four reasons:
There are some that have been installed for many years nearby that have stood the test of time.
I like the lower amperage since I would have to replace the existing wire to leave an adequate safety margin and pay an electrician $$$$$$ to do all the work.
It has a 24' cord and that way I can charge a car parked in either spot on the garage or the two spots in the driveway.
It was the lowest priced one I could find even though I would have paid more for it for the above reasons.

Only one drawback: it doesn't charge at the 6.6 kW max that our cars charge at which means that it takes about 1.4 times as long to charge. Although, I can't think of a time that this would effect me since I have yet to need to charge the car that fast at home.
 
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