SF Bay Area - Wall Charger required?

[ThePirate]

Hello All: At my test drive, the sales person said that you don't need that $500+ wall charger. If you install a 3-phase (basically a dryer plug) you get the same charge time. All your $500 gets you is internet access in your garage. She said, "you can just buy the plug".

Now I contacted some installers for the garage 3-phase, including Coil, and they say no, the law requires the wall charger.

Anyone in the SF Bay Area know if this is correct, or if there really is a good reason to get the wall charger? I might move soon; anyone know about taking it with you when you go?

Thanks,

-TPC

MYLR white OOD 3/4/22, EDD (Estimated Delivery Date) is Dec. 2022
(approx. May 1) EDD: Jan-Apr 2023
6/6/22 - Mar-June 2023
7/29/22 - Jan 24 - Mar 21 2023
8/29/22 - Dec 2022!!!
9/14/22 - dec 14 2022 - Jan 16 2023
10/14/22 (approx)- Nov 14-Dec 16
10/24/22 - 10/26-11/28!!!
10/25/22 - hold.

 

[roblab]

Someone's full of BS here. I have never heard of anyone having to install a wall charger. I have been charging on a 220-volt outlet for ten years and don't see the necessity of having a several-hundred-dollar charger when my outlet does the same job.

That being said, if I'd wasted my money on an unnecessary wall charger, I guess I'd want to use it.

Who is it that's got interest in selling wall chargers? I bought my outlet for less than $20, and installed it for about that amount, too. There is ZERO benefit in having a "Wall Charger", plus it takes up more room and has only one function, while I can plug any 220-volt appliance (think garage AC) into my outlet.

 

[jjrandorin]

Hello All: At my test drive, the sales person said that you don't need that $500+ wall charger. If you install a 3-phase (basically a dryer plug) you get the same charge time. All your $500 gets you is internet access in your garage. She said, "you can just buy the plug".

Now I contacted some installers for the garage 3-phase, including Coil, and they say no, the law requires the wall charger.

Anyone in the SF Bay Area know if this is correct, or if there really is a good reason to get the wall charger? I might move soon; anyone know about taking it with you when you go?

Thanks,

-TPC

MYLR white OOD 3/4/22, EDD (Estimated Delivery Date) is Dec. 2022
(approx. May 1) EDD: Jan-Apr 2023
6/6/22 - Mar-June 2023
7/29/22 - Jan 24 - Mar 21 2023
8/29/22 - Dec 2022!!!
9/14/22 - dec 14 2022 - Jan 16 2023
10/14/22 (approx)- Nov 14-Dec 16
10/24/22 - 10/26-11/28!!!
10/25/22 - hold.

I would recommend not paying any attention to @roblab since they seem to think that the only choices that are the correct ones are the ones they made. I am normally not this heavy handed, but am getting a bit tired of seeing them basically poo poo any decision that isnt the one they made as if it was wrong.

With that out of the way, there are a few different things here that you are saying that dont make sense / dont add up.

1. There is no requirement to install any type of charging whatsoever.
2. A dryer plug is not "3 phase power"
3. Whether you get a wall connector or buy a mobile connector, until you get to certain charging speeds they will charge the car the same

"just buy the plug" probably means "just buy the mobile connector" which is the mobile connector (charger) that used to come with the car, and no longer does. It works perfectly fine to charge the car. It can charge at various charge rates depending on what you plug into.

A dryer plug is one of those things you can plug into, but a dryer plug is NOT "3 phase power". A dryer plug is also not something you want to plug and unplug all the time, but if you have a dryer plug in your garage that is unused, you are good to go.


I will postulate that the issue you had calling around for quotes, is likely that you asked for something similar to what you said here. Before buying anything at all, I will suggest that you take a step back and know if you have a dryer plug in the garage where you will park your car, that is unused by a dryer. If so, you dont need anything else beside buying the tesla mobile connector and the appropriate adapter to plug into that dryer plug.

If you actually use the dryer plug for the dryer, then lets take a step back and evaluate what your options might be. You can post some more information about your garage, where you will park in it, etc, and we can try to help you figure out what you might want to do.

There is no law that says you have to have a wall connector, but there are codes as to how you can plug in (electrical codes). you dont need to understand all that, but you should know what you have in the garage currently, and where you are going to park, so you know your options (and what to ask for).

 

[iamnid]

There's no need for a wall connector -- you could even use a regular household outlet if you want one (but it would charge very slowly).

You can use a dryer outlet (or the like) along with the mobile connector as long as you have the appropriate adapter.

Roblab's comments aren't as relevant as they may have once been considering the mobile connector isn't included with the car any more. It used to be that you got that (now $200) item free and all you'd have to do is buy the right adapter ($35) and install a cheap outlet as he describes. The wall connector also used to be $500.00 -- it's now $400.

The real benefit of the wall connector is speed. The mobile connector tops out at 32A or about 7.6Kw. The wall connector tops out at 48A or 11.5Kw. The wall connector will charge your car 1.5x as fast as the mobile connector for $200 more (for the device alone). Once you factor in the cost of the outlet and the breaker, the cost differential is much less than $200.00. You can use a simple breaker for the wall connector ($25) vs. a GFCI breaker for the mobile connector ($95). You can get an outlet for about $20 but many argue that you should buy a better one for about $60.

So, yes, back when the $200 mobile connector and 14-50 adapter came free with the car, it was more economical to simply get an outlet installed, even if you were only charging at 32A vs. 48A. Now, I'd say just get the wall connector, it's faster, looks cool.

**The wall connector doesn't get you internet in your garage -- I have no idea what the salesperson was talking about with that. In fact, you will want to have Wifi reach wherever the wall connector is installed so that it can download firmware updates, if necessary.

 

[BobHinden]

I have the earlier version of the wall connector and am happy with it. It's mounted outside my garage (near were we park our cars. I discovered when we got our second Tesla the cord was long enough to reach either car.

 

[ThePirate]

Coil, the installer, says that if I have an electrician install a dryer plug, if they " install the outlet to current California electric codes (which MANDATES that the outlet must have a GFCI breaker on it), the charger will malfunction. Most or all chargers have an internal GFCI breaker as a safety measure, and the cross-communication from both GFCI circuits causes something called "nuisance tripping." "

So, that's why they claim I HAVE to have a wall charger. Other posters have also said that you can get unexpected GFCI tripping as well, perhaps that is also in CA.

They wanted to charge $700 for a Tesla wall charger, but when I asked about it they said yes I could buy the same one from Tesla for $400. Sheesh. My install is some 50 feet from the box, so it will be $4000 + charger. Yes, you read that right.

-TPC

 

[jcanoe]

If you plan to move in the near term you might want to wait before purchasing any Tesla home charging or mobile charging solution.

The Tesla Model Y comes with a Tesla SAE J1772 adapter. This small adapter enables charging using any public Level 2 charging station.

Download the Plugshare app. You should be able to locate nearby charging options, even some that are free to use for a few hours.

Other charging options include Tesla's Supercharger network (The Tesla Model Y's in-vehicle Navigation system can help you to navigate to a Supercharger.)

Tesla now sells a CCS charging adapter for the Tesla Model Y. The CCS adapter would enable you to use DC Fast Charging networks including Electrify America, EVgo, Chargepoint and other networks.

You can use Google Maps to locate "EV Charging Stations" and "Tesla Supercharger Stations".

Once you move you can decide what type of home charging solution best meets your needs. (Previously, when the Tesla Mobile Connector was included with the purchase of the Tesla vehicle and the Tesla Wall Connector cost was $550 - $500 the case could be made that using the Mobile Connector was the smart choice. Today the Wall Connector price has been reduced to $400 and the Mobile Connector is no longer included (cost is now $200) the choice is less clear.)

 

[dachshund]

When I added a 220 circuit for an induction stove I had the electrician add a nema 14-50 plug in the garage.I asked him to install the wall charger, which I had because I assumed I'd need it. He said it was an unnecessary expense for a small increase in charging power. The mobile charger and the 14-50 adapter should be sufficient.

I suppose if you need the fastest charging possible at home, go for it, but it's not required by California law, and it would have cost me over $1000 to install. I think that's because I have a 50 amp circuit which is inadequate for the wall charger.

 

[jcanoe]

When I added a 220 circuit for an induction stove I had the electrician add a nema 14-50 plug in the garage.I asked him to install the wall charger, which I had because I assumed I'd need it. He said it was an unnecessary expense for a small increase in charging power. The mobile charger and the 14-50 adapter should be sufficient.

I suppose if you need the fastest charging possible at home, go for it, but it's not required by California law, and it would have cost me over $1000 to install. I think that's because I have a 50 amp circuit which is inadequate for the wall charger.

The Tesla Wall Connector does not require a 50 amp circuit. The Wall Connector can be set to operate on any circuit rated from 15 amp up to 60 amp.

The Mobile Connector is no longer included with the Tesla vehicle, must be purchased for $200.

Tesla has lowered the price of the Wall Connector from $550 to $400.

There is approximately $200 worth of additional electrical components that are needed when installing a new 50 amp circuit and 14-50 receptacle. The difference in total cost between purchasing the Wall Connector ($400) and purchasing the Mobile Connector ($200) plus all of the required items for the 14-50 receptacle is nil.

 

[Fraslin]

Just moved from the Bay Area but when there I lived in new construction - I think they are confused as new construction requires a way to charge EVs. So my house had a 220 outlet installed in the garage when we moved in. We used it with the mobile charger with no problems and was great as we set it to charge starting at midnight when the rates got lower. And when we moved we took the charger so the outlet is there for the next person who wants to use. A much better way then a dedicated charger as you might not always own a Tesla so will have flexability.

 

[howardnj]

Although the mobile connector is no longer in the car at delivery you will receive a $200 coupon via email shortly after purchase/delivery so Tesla will send you the mobile connector at a zero cost after applying the $200 coupon.

 

[jjrandorin]

Coil, the installer, says that if I have an electrician install a dryer plug, if they " install the outlet to current California electric codes (which MANDATES that the outlet must have a GFCI breaker on it), the charger will malfunction. Most or all chargers have an internal GFCI breaker as a safety measure, and the cross-communication from both GFCI circuits causes something called "nuisance tripping." "

So, that's why they claim I HAVE to have a wall charger. Other posters have also said that you can get unexpected GFCI tripping as well, perhaps that is also in CA.

They wanted to charge $700 for a Tesla wall charger, but when I asked about it they said yes I could buy the same one from Tesla for $400. Sheesh. My install is some 50 feet from the box, so it will be $4000 + charger. Yes, you read that right.

-TPC

I had another reply typed out here, but I will boil it down to "I highly suggest you tell "Coil" "thank you for your time, I will get a few more quotes" and never contact them again as they appear to be using half truths to apply pressure / fear to you (and that price is out of line, even for CA).

 

[Stirfry]

Although the mobile connector is no longer in the car at delivery you will receive a $200 coupon via email shortly after purchase/delivery so Tesla will send you the mobile connector at a zero cost after applying the $200 coupon.

I'm not sure about this. My understanding was that you will only get the coupon for cars that were ordered before April 17th (ish). But any car ordered after April 17th will have to pay for the mobile connector. So the OP will get a coupon only if they ordered before 04-15-22.....otherwise

 

[804son]

I charge both of my Teslas through nema 14-50 outlets and the mobile chargers. At the time that was a cost effective, and efficient way to charge my cars. I get plenty of charging each night to easily meet my needs, even when charging to a higher percentage for a road trip the next day. However now that the Mobile chargers are no longer included. The cost difference between the $200 mobile charger and the $400 wall connector isn't enough to make this as viable solution as it once was. If I did it again at this time, I would probably order a wall connector and completely forgo the mobile charger.

 

[CMPT PAD]

I charge both of my Teslas through nema 14-50 outlets and the mobile chargers. At the time that was a cost effective, and efficient way to charge my cars. I get plenty of charging each night to easily meet my needs, even when charging to a higher percentage for a road trip the next day. However now that the Mobile chargers are no longer included. The cost difference between the $200 mobile charger and the $400 wall connector isn't enough to make this as viable solution as it once was. If I did it again at this time, I would probably order a wall connector and completely forgo the mobile charger.

if buyers pay 65K+/- for MYLR and worry about installing a wall charger then it would be similar to buying an expensive Porsche and ask what is the gas mileage on this car. Really?

 

[Kokukenji]

if buyers pay 65K+/- for MYLR and worry about installing a wall charger then it would be similar to buying an expensive Porsche and ask what is the gas mileage on this car. Really?

Can I get at least 40mpg? Hehe

 

[Sage Brush]

My OCT ‘22 delivered MY came with a free rebate for $200 towards a mobile connector or a wall charger (so basically a free mobile connector.)
My local electric coop sent me a check for the total cost of the wall charger. It was a very basic install that took me about an hour to do myself.
The wall charger is vastly superior and I would do it all over again without hesitation, leaving the mobile charger in the vehicle for use on the road.

 

[slmskrs]

Coil, the installer, says that if I have an electrician install a dryer plug, if they " install the outlet to current California electric codes (which MANDATES that the outlet must have a GFCI breaker on it), the charger will malfunction. Most or all chargers have an internal GFCI breaker as a safety measure, and the cross-communication from both GFCI circuits causes something called "nuisance tripping." "

So, that's why they claim I HAVE to have a wall charger. Other posters have also said that you can get unexpected GFCI tripping as well, perhaps that is also in CA.

They wanted to charge $700 for a Tesla wall charger, but when I asked about it they said yes I could buy the same one from Tesla for $400. Sheesh. My install is some 50 feet from the box, so it will be $4000 + charger. Yes, you read that right.

-TPC

I had to run 50' of 6 gauge in a conduit to my detached garage because it only had 120v. Put in a nema 14-50 cuz I got the mobile charger with the car just before they discontinued including them. Due to the required location, had to get a $75 nema 14-50 extension cord. Worked okay. But the wall charger dropped to $400, charges 50% faster, and has a longer cord. I got a quote to see what it would have cost to run cable and install, and it was around $1,400 (San FranciscoBay Area) plus the wall charger. So total cost would have been $1,800. There's a 30% tax credit off of federal taxes for charging infrastructure, so ill get money back. $3k? I'd get more quotes.

 

[ThePirate]

I had to run 50' of 6 gauge in a conduit to my detached garage because it only had 120v. Put in a nema 14-50 cuz I got the mobile charger with the car just before they discontinued including them. Due to the required location, had to get a $75 nema 14-50 extension cord. Worked okay. But the wall charger dropped to $400, charges 50% faster, and has a longer cord. I got a quote to see what it would have cost to run cable and install, and it was around $1,400 (San FranciscoBay Area) plus the wall charger. So total cost would have been $1,800. There's a 30% tax credit off of federal taxes for charging infrastructure, so ill get money back. $3k? I'd get more quotes.

Who did you get the quote from? I would like to use them! Please let us know, Thanks and happy T-day (I suppose I should have said "Tky day") -TPC