I am a new Bolt 2017 owner in St. Paul, MN where the temperature today will get no higher than -3 degrees F. My commute is approximately 50-55 miles total during the day with the potential of adding a few more miles in the evening. Since I "purchased" (leased) the Bolt last Tuesday, I have only been getting 1.8 miles/hour on my 120 volt outlet in my detached garage. In addition, I have been preconditioning my car (for a few minutes) before getting in to the car at home. Unfortunately, I do not have access to a plug in station at my different places of employment (travel around to different sites). I have used the heat at a low level and have been taking advantage of the seat and steering wheel warmers. As a result, so far, I have been using approximately 70-80 miles of charge per day which suggests to me that I will have to get a Level 2 charging station installed. I do have a fast charging station at the Chevy dealership on my way home (free, but slightly slower than it should be) and a Level 2 charging station as well as fast charging station about 3/4 miles away from my house where I could leave it for a few hours (but it would cost me). When I initially researched this, I thought the install would cost 1-1.5 k, but other posts have suggested that this could be 2-3 times more which surprised me. Let me know your thoughts. So far, the car has been a joy to drive.
Costs of installing Level 2 charger in St. Paul, MN
- Thread starter pbagdade
- Start date
Help Support Chevy Bolt EV Forum:
Are you charging at the the default 8A rate? Or can you use 12A? If there is nothing else plugged into the ame circuit, you can adjust this in the Bolt setup screens.pbagdade said:
pbagdade said:
Even $1K is on the high side of what most pay for an install.
If your home electrical panel is 200A, you can most likely add a new 240V circuit by either adding it to an empty spot, or if full (or nearly full), use tandem style breakers to free up the space.
Run a 40 (or 50) amp circuit to a 14-50R receptacle. The Bolt charger is 32A, so it will never need more than the 40A circuit, but some swear the "future proofing". If your panel is in the garage and does not need to be upgraded, it should be only a few hundred dollars to get the outlet installed. This will vary based on distance and a few other factors.
Buy this for $300:
https://shop.tesla.com/us/en/produc...mobile-connector-bundle.html?sku=1139373-00-A
WetEV
Well-known member
pbagdade said:
You probably need an L2 in the garage.
A 240V 50 Amp outlet with a 40 Amp breaker cost me $321. Minimum cost would be less, several details added maybe $50 to this cost. This might vary a LOT depending on where your panel is, and the details of your panel. You might get a better quote if you don't mention electric car or charging station at first. You just want an outlet installed that matches the EVSE you are planning on buying.
A reasonable quality 30 Amp EVSE that plugs into such an outlet starts at about $500. So sub $1000 is possible.
On the other hand, if your service needs to be upgraded, your panel needs replaced, a trench dug to get from the panel in the house to a detached garage, and so on, it would be a LOT more.
WRONG!
That's NOT going to work, because it does not have a J-1772 plug necessary to plug it in to a Bolt.
It is an excellent EVSE at a great price, but to use it for a Bolt, you would also need one of these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tesla-compatible-J1772-adapter-TeslaTap-Tesla-Tap/142544249020
http://shop.quickchargepower.com/JDapter-Stub-Tesla-Charge-Station-Adaptor-JDPTRSTB.htm
We now live in Nashville but used to live in the Twin Cities so I know how cold it can get. When I got my Bolt in August, I first tried using the charge cord that came with the car but not satisfied with the slow charge rate at 110. Also noticed how warm (even hot) the cord got when set to 12 amps. I ended up having a 220V outlet installed in the garage below the panel, then purchased this 220V charging cord:
https://www.amazon.com/Charger-Leve...88389&sr=8-1&keywords=duosida+ev+charger+cord.
It works great, has a 12 gauge cord that easily handles the 16 amps which does a full recharge in less than 24 hours. So you should be able to get a recharge to full over night after a day's commute. I guess the big question is how you could get a 220V outlet run to the garage from wherever your panel is, or extended from a nearby 220V dryer outlet you might have.
https://www.amazon.com/Charger-Leve...88389&sr=8-1&keywords=duosida+ev+charger+cord.
It works great, has a 12 gauge cord that easily handles the 16 amps which does a full recharge in less than 24 hours. So you should be able to get a recharge to full over night after a day's commute. I guess the big question is how you could get a 220V outlet run to the garage from wherever your panel is, or extended from a nearby 220V dryer outlet you might have.
Appreciate all of your help. It looks like I may need to get a new box in the detached garage to take advantage of off peak rates. That may cost 1.8k. Xcel Energy may also charge an extra $300. Also, do you all have preferences for Level 2 charging stations and whether to hardwire or plug in? Siemens, ChargePoint and JuiceBox would be available to me by this Friday through AmazonPrime with free shipping. If you think Clipper Creek is worth the extra money and shipping costs (and waiting until the middle of next week), let me know.
WetEV
Well-known member
pbagdade said:
if you move, a plug in is easy to disconnect and take with you. If you have a problem with the unit, and need to exchange the station, plug in is easier. If you upgrade later, plug in is easier. Hardwire will be cheaper. I have a plug in L2 charger, and have done all three over the past 6 years.
Note that a new EVSE may require a different plug, and perhaps a new breaker.
Yep, my bad. Last part of my post got cut off and I didn't notice.EldRick said:
The other option is to swap out the "nozzle" for a J1772 plug, but that is more than most should undertake as the crimping/soldering is critical for function and safety.
winterescape
Well-known member
pbagdade said:
1) $1.8K is a lot of money to recoup in savings for off peak rates, I might do the math on that first if you have any other options. Do you currently have 240 available in the detached garage? what size circuit breaker is on that line?
2) you list several great EVSE options, all have a good reputation. I bought the Juicebox 40A version from walmart.com when I was faced with the same dilemma.
Just as a cost reference, I have an attached garage.
I purchased
the Jucebox 40A ($500)
And for $200 from Home Depot the following:
50 feet of 6AWG wire
50A circuit breaker
14-50 receptacle
misc wire hangers, conduit, etc
Self installed, so my total cost for a 40A level 2 was $700
Currently the Juicebox pro40 is listed straight from the mfg at $500 with free shipping
https://emotorwerks.com/store/residential/juicebox-40-40-amp-evse-with-24-foot-cable
Costco has the Siemens @ $460
https://www.costco.com/VersiCharge-LVL-2-Universal-Electric-Vehicle-Charger.product.100295506.html
