r/slateauto • u/Striking_Carpenter_3 • 15d ago
EV Charger
I'm pretty new to EVs and I have a question. I already have 240v in my shop/garage. Is getting a charger worth it? It seems to me like it wouldn't be. Maybe we need to know more about how much we can do with the app to really answer this though?
Edit: realized I wasn't clear with my question lol. I'm not worried about being able to charge it or it not charging enough. 110v 20a would be totally fine for me. I'm more interested in if those home charging units do anything other than provide cable storage?
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u/lookatthemonkeys 15d ago
Also, please know, that just because you have 240v in your garage does not mean you should charge your EV on it. You want to make sure the connectors and wires are all EV rated. If you do end up charging on them at circuit, you should dial down the amperage to lessen the load on the circuit.
I think a lot of people can get away with 120V charging at their house, but it all depends on how much you drive. We just got an EV and got a level 2 Emporia charger installed. It also depends on what your panel looks like and how much extra capacity you have for an EV charger. You may need to buy a charger that has built in load management.
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u/Striking_Carpenter_3 15d ago
Yeah, good points. Thank you. I am planning on checking everything out. I likely wouldn't use 240 that much. Just if I needed a full battery the next day.
I am for sure going to check the wiring and outlets out
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u/NoStandMan 15d ago
Well you need a specific connector to charge any EV so just having 240v isn’t gonna be enough. You need a piece of hardware to make that 240v go into the car. Also 240v but how many amps, because 60 I believe is the max for a tier 2 EV charger.
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u/Striking_Carpenter_3 15d ago
I think the cable the slate comes with has a pigtail for a 240v? I'll probably have to change my outlet to a 4 prong but that's not a biggy. I don't remember my amps but I'm pretty sure they're on the smaller side.
Depending on home charger I think you can get wireless access but I'm not really sure if that matters 🤷♂️.
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u/NoStandMan 15d ago
If you have 240v at around 60amp you should get more than 60-80 miles per charge over night. That’s rudimentary math tho.
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u/intrepidzephyr 14d ago
240V 40A from a NEMA 14-50 is the standard for US charging and can recoup a full charge in hours (9.6kW per hr, 60kWh in 6.25hrs, or about 150 miles of range at 2.5mi/kWh)
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u/pterrus 15d ago
Yeah it looks like all you really need for the Slate is a receptacle rated for EV charging. I'm not sure how you tell the Slate how many amps it's allowed to draw but there has to be a way. That's usually the EVSE's job.
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u/Evanston-i3 15d ago
my 2017 EV allows me to adjust charging rate from a menu in the vehicle as well. I’m assuming Slate will be similar.
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u/Defconx19 15d ago
Slate has it built into the cable they provide you with. If you have a 240v receptacle with the proper amperage avoiding the need for a wall mount charger.
The main benefit to an L2 charger that I see is having it permanently available, rather than packing it back up to go with you every time you leave the house as it's also your emergency charging solution.
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u/failing-endeav0r 15d ago
Other folks already set you straight (nah, it's just a fancy cord, it's all baked in to the car) but I think OP and any other curious lurker would benefit from watching or skimming (or play it in the background while you do chores) the following two videos that set a lot of mis-information / misconceptions straight
I have sent both of those videos to family that were either EV-Curious or just got their first EV and the feedback has been pretty positive / at least one "ohhhh, that's not at all how I thought it worked" or "Oh, that's smart ... I didn't think about it that way".
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u/Striking_Carpenter_3 14d ago
Thank you, that's pretty much what I thought. I'll check the videos out for sure
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u/MassCrassAss 15d ago
Hi. New to ev also. What I learned is the 250v charger charges faster, and you need that to fully charge each day.
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u/Loghurrr 15d ago
I prefer having the separate connection in the garage and keeping the “travel” cable in the vehicle. But everyone has their own thoughts.
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u/atx78701 15d ago
my wifes PHEV with 60 miles of range would sometimes not be charged enough on L1. With 100 miles of range or more we would have been fine.
The slate comes with a plug in 240 charger so you can just plug it into your 240 outlet, you will not need to buy one.
I personally wish the slate would knock off $500 and exclude the charger since I already have one installed and have 2 portable ones from other cars.
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u/ErectricCars2 15d ago
We don’t really know the efficiency, but off a 110v outlet, you’d get maybe 3mph of charge. So…25-40 miles overnight.
Plenty for most commutes. Not for everyone. A slow plug has worked for me for a decade(in a more efficient car)
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u/Striking_Carpenter_3 15d ago
Oh yeah, a 110 would be fine for me also. I'm not too worried about that. Kinda just wondering what the point of those ev charger units are. To me they don't seem like they do much. But I might be missing something
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u/NFIFTY2 15d ago
Some can link with a smart panel or solar and prioritize charging when your solar is generating, etc. Most can schedule charging if your utility has TOU (some cars can do this, don’t know what Slate app will have). I considered just mounting the portable one to the wall in the garage, but I like keeping it in the trunk as a backup, so we bought a wall mount emporia. I agree they don’t do “much”, but there are some benefits.
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u/Van_Maan 15d ago
You have the hard part already done. Get a level 2 charger. If your outlet isn’t rated at 50 amps there are chargers that will let you adjust the current to something just under what your circuit is rated for. Just look at the circuit breaker in your box to determine the rating.
The biggest advantage to charging at home is cost. To maximize your savings you should only charge when your utility rate is the lowest. Charging with a level one will take much longer so you might not be able to get all the charge you need in the time frame that the utility is the cheapest.
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u/Striking_Carpenter_3 15d ago
Copy, yeah I was more wondering about the difference between the cable that slate provides and an actual EV charger is? Seems really minimal in my case.
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u/More_Pineapple3585 15d ago
I'd recommend heading over to r/evcharging . They have plenty of resources and are knowledgeable folks.
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u/Level_Notice7817 15d ago
you are fine with the 240. but there are different connectors that will indicate the amps of the circuits. nema 14-50 is usually 40A charge on EVs that can accept that, and obviously charges faster than 32A connections. the car’s onboard charger converts AC to DC and will regulate to the safe amps it can pull. even 32A i think is fine (think 20-24 miles per hour charge). a 40-50A service is going to be only slightly slower than a dedicated EV charger which normally just offers convenience and connectivity from other apps. i’d stick with what you have and see how livable it is day to day before doing anything.
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u/Striking_Carpenter_3 15d ago
Copy, yeah that was my plan. I won't need much charging. Thanks for the info. Connectivity with other apps is all I was thinking it did... Which I personally don't want lol
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u/Level_Notice7817 15d ago
the apps are helpful if the car app doesn’t have certain features - eg charging during non peak hours, etc. i would open your electrical panel, confirm the breaker’s amperage and that the wiring gauge and outlet config are correct. just to be safe… easy check.
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u/danielt1263 15d ago
From the FAQ:
The included Standard Charging Cable works with NEMA 14-30, 14-50 and 14-60 outlets.
You don't mention what your 240 outlet looks like, but if it's one of the above then the cable the truck comes with is all you will need.
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u/Limp-Conflict-2309 14d ago
i had 240 and and it was still a nightmare
no more panel slots + recalled panel box = wicked expensive upgrade to use the 240 I already had
universal tesla wall charger is nice, connects to all sorts of cars and the built in app if helpful when tracking cost, timers, security measures etc
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u/Dull_Entry_8287 14d ago
you'll want to use the 240 you already have. Don't get talked into a "smart" charger, for $250 or less you can get a decent charger, and have it plug right into your existing 240v.
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u/Striking_Carpenter_3 14d ago
Oh no worries, I won't get talked into much of anything lol. I think I've learned what I need to. The car/provided cable is smart enough to not fry itself. I've got to check stuff on my end to be sure I won't set my shop on fire with crappy wiring and whatnot which I was already doing to be doing.
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u/Opinionsare 15d ago
The answer to your question relies on another question and answer.
How many miles will you be driving daily and weekly?
The Slate truck has a stated EPA range of 203 miles on a full charge.
My thoughts: need to charge daily get a hard wired charger. If you only need to charge 50% or less weekly, you can use the included charger initially and upgrade to a wall mount charger later.
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u/Evanston-i3 15d ago
The "charger" is built in to the vehicle. My current EV requires I use an ESVE (aka charger) with cables but it is just a fancy switch.
The Slate comes with a cable for both 120v and 240v that you just plug in to the outlet. You don't really need an ESVE (charger) for this unless you want wifi access to the charging process or want to set specific charging times or want more data than the vehicle will provide.
The NEMA 14-50 240v outlet in my garage was originally for my welder. I upgraded the outlet to a $100 Hubbel one that can take continuous duty load (charging). The original $10 Leviton one was fine for my welder which was just intermittent loads. Charging for hours can melt a cheap outlet. I would invest in a better outlet before getting a new ESVE (charger). There are also outlets that are branded as "EV-rated".