HEADS-UP: Simultaneously Charging a Tesla and a LEAF

[Lloyd]

S-2000

Leave the wire, you can always have larger, but you need a 50 amp breaker as the recipticle will only take 50 amps. If you upgrade later to an HPC or other reciptacle then the wires will be in place.

[tdevince]

...so a Leaf moves in, and there goes the neighbourhood?...

It could be worse...don't get near a Chevy Volt (plugged in or not)


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...cond-week.html

[Jaff]

Let's hope it wasn't the Volt nor the conversion...bad press for EV's either way...

[Doug_G]

What are the odds that the ICE component started the fire...?

[S-2000 Roadster]

you need a 50 amp breaker as the recipticle will only take 50 amps.

Good advice! I didn't think about that. Easy to change since I've already purchased the 50A breaker.

If you upgrade later to an HPC or other reciptacle then the wires will be in place.

I disagree on this one. The HPC wires directly in without a receptacle, and I would need a new conduit for the HPC anyway. I'm planning on taking out the 70A wire just because it's so thick that it's in the way. Things will fit much nicer with the 55A wire, and I've already purchased it. The 70A wire wouldn't be good enough for the HPC anyway, since I'd need 90A wire for that. 70A (or 72A?) is the load on the 90A breaker.

[S-2000 Roadster]

If anyone cares, I did downgrade to a 50 A breaker and 55 A wire. I though the smaller gauge wire would be easier to work with than the 70 A, but it was still a pain!

P.S. I verified that the neutral wire is not used by the Tesla UMC, but the Safety Ground is most certainly connected. I still wired the neutral to my house in case I ever plug anything else in to that receptacle.

[ChargeIt!]

Any updates on this issue of charging both cars at the same time?

Yes ... Nissan determined that better filtering is in order and started updating the charger in the LEAF. However, I am not privy to details (like starting with which VIN). A particular LEAF owner who also happens to charge where a Tesla Roadster 1.5 charges at the same location has had the LEAF updated via a warranty service at the Nissan dealer. That solved the issue.

My guess: LEAF VINs after probably 2,000 should be ok, but no guarantees. If you have a 1.5 Roadster charging off the same electrical service (sometimes hard to determine -- separated circuits are *NOT* sufficient isolation) as an early (<2000 VIN) LEAF ... I would pay close attention if it is unavoidable to charge simultaneosly. Again, the VIN cut off is a (conservative) guess ... I don't know if Nissan can be prodded to release that info. And then there's the uncertainty of older VINs getting updated.

Some folks I've talked to think this issue is being overblown. Ok ... but if it was my $100k car ... I'd want to be very conservative.

[daniel]

Now I'm more glad than ever that Nissan botched my order so that I was unable to get a Leaf. And especially glad that I didn't get a Volt, which I would have done had it been available two years ago. I guess GM has a new strategy for trying to kill EVs.

[DarkStar]

My guess: LEAF VINs after probably 2,000 should be ok, but no guarantees. If you have a 1.5 Roadster charging off the same electrical service (sometimes hard to determine -- separated circuits are *NOT* sufficient isolation) as an early (<2000 VIN) LEAF ... I would pay close attention if it is unavoidable to charge simultaneosly. Again, the VIN cut off is a (conservative) guess ... I don't know if Nissan can be prodded to release that info. And then there's the uncertainty of older VINs getting updated.

Nissan does have a line filter installed right before the actual charger unit in the vehicle. I have VIN 568 and have no measurable line noise and have never tripped a GFCI. One thing I have noticed is that some owners that have reported random issues have also report low line voltage. One LEAF owner also has reported that the car will attempt to draw more amperage in the event of a voltage sag. I'm not sure if that could be related, but my home runs just above nominal voltage (244/122 volts to the outlets).

[dmckinstry]

Nissan does have a line filter installed right before the actual charger unit in the vehicle. I have VIN 568 and have no measurable line noise and have never tripped a GFCI. One thing I have noticed is that some owners that have reported random issues have also report low line voltage. One LEAF owner also has reported that the car will attempt to draw more amperage in the event of a voltage sag. I'm not sure if that could be related, but my home runs just above nominal voltage (244/122 volts to the outlets).

Wow, is that ever brilliant (I'm being sarcastic in case you didn't guess)? The circuit is already overloaded, so you try to load it more.