Note, OP is in Canada. I am total unfamiliar with the CEC (Canadian Electrical Code) - my comments below relate to NEC (US National Electrical Code), but, as I understand, CEC is similar.
Want to put Nema 14-50 but my panel is not in a great location vs the garage so will be quite expensive.
However, I do have a dry sauna that is never used that is right beside the garage wall that has a 40amp wire to it.
If I could split this service with a manual either/or switch and take it to the garage I would be in pretty good shape.
What would I terminate it with?
To confirm, you have a 40A (not 50A) breaker on this circuit, and there is no outlet at the other end (the sauna is hard wired)?
You can set the DIP switches in the HPWA to 40,50,60,70,80,90 or 100A breakers - is that an option or is it an unneeded expense to get a HPWA? You could then potentially upgrade to the full 80A in the future if you wanted. Or couldn't you just terminate with a plain old 240V socket like at your dryer? I think I got an adapter for that plug with the car.
FYI, it appears that new HPWC's have a different encoding for the DIP switches (now 15/20/30/40/50/80/100 amps; 60/60/90 dropped, 15/20/30 added):
Tesla HPWC On EBay from Canada - Page 3
wouldn't a 1450 try to draw 50 amps and trip the breaker?
NEC only allows a 14-50 outlet to be powered by a 40A circuit when the connected appliance is rated for <40A. Since the Model S can draw more, I don't think an inspector would allow a 14-50 to be installed here, unless the wire is large enough to support a 50A breaker and a 50A breaker is installed.
If you don't want to spend for an HPWC, Tesla sells a couple of adapters for 30-amp outlets for the UMC:
Tesla Gear Shop NEMA 14-30
Tesla Gear Shop NEMA 10-30
I assume that would then work with your 40 amp wire. Note: I'm not an electrician by any means!
I am 95% sure that NEC does not allow installation of new 10-xx outlets, since they are technically ungrounded (despite the fact that Home Depot/Lowes have bins of 10-30 and 10-50 outlets).
You can set the maximum current in the Tesla's UI.
And I think the breaker is generally somewhat higher than the expected maximum current. For the HPWC I believe the max current is 80A but they recommend a 100A breaker. Any idea what breaker you have for your sauna.
It's not a "recommendation" - it's a code requirement under the National Electric Code. Continuous loads (EV's are always considered a "continuous load") cannot draw more than 80% of the circuit (breaker/wire) max rating.
You need to talk to an electrician, but I see a few options here:
- If the wire in place has a neutral (4 wires total; hot 1, hot 2, neutral, ground), you could install a 14-30 outlet and replace the breaker with a 30A. If the wire is big enough, you could install a 50A breaker and a 14-50 outlet.
- If there is no neutral (3 wires total, hot 1, hot 2, ground), your limited to a 6-xx outlet (for which there are no adapters) unless you replace the wiring, in which case you'd just install a 14-50.
- Install a hardwired EVSE (HPWC or J1772).
If the sauna doesn't need 120V, it was probably wired without a neutral (saving money on wiring). I'm thinking your best option is to install a HPWC, set it for a 40A breaker, and charge at 32A max.