I'm looking for your experience/advice/anecdotes regarding sharing a single charger between two vehicles.
I currently have a 2012 Chevrolet Volt that works well and that I plan to keep for a few more years. I will be adding a Model 3 in the next 6 months or so (depending on the COVID situation, battery day announcements and general ordering delays). However, with winter coming, my window to make electrical changes relatively easily in my uninsulated garage is closing quickly, so I'm considering what my charging setup might need to be for spring.
I currently have a NEMA 14-50 outlet and a 32A J1772 charger that I use for the Volt. The Volt can only draw 14.5A, but I put in the 32A one knowing that whatever replaces it would likely be able to use 32A. What I hadn't considered is the possibility of adding a new EV and keeping the Volt, but that's likely how things will play out for a number of reasons.
I was wondering if anyone here shares a charger between two cars. The Volt, being a PHEV with a small battery, pretty much needs to be plugged in 3 to 4 hours each evening/night. The Tesla could likely go 3-4 days between charges, but that still means that once or twice a week, the Volt would need 3-4 hours and the Tesla about 8 hours. We have time-of-use pricing here, and electricity is half price between 7PM and 7AM weekdays (and all day long on weekends), so I try to charge in those cheap time windows.
It seems like that would mean having to go out before bed a few times per week to switch the charger from the Volt to the Tesla. Not bad in summer, but not fun at all in winter at -15C with snow on the ground. I also lose the benefit of pre-heating the cabin from AC power for whichever car isn't plugged in in the morning.
I'm considering adding a 20A 240V circuit with a NEMA 6-20 outlet to add a second 16A J1772 charger for the Volt (My electrical service can't handle two 32A circuits for charging). There's a good chance the Volt will get replaced by another PHEV when it dies, so it will still be useful. Is it worth the trouble, or should I just share the charger I already have?
I currently have a 2012 Chevrolet Volt that works well and that I plan to keep for a few more years. I will be adding a Model 3 in the next 6 months or so (depending on the COVID situation, battery day announcements and general ordering delays). However, with winter coming, my window to make electrical changes relatively easily in my uninsulated garage is closing quickly, so I'm considering what my charging setup might need to be for spring.
I currently have a NEMA 14-50 outlet and a 32A J1772 charger that I use for the Volt. The Volt can only draw 14.5A, but I put in the 32A one knowing that whatever replaces it would likely be able to use 32A. What I hadn't considered is the possibility of adding a new EV and keeping the Volt, but that's likely how things will play out for a number of reasons.
I was wondering if anyone here shares a charger between two cars. The Volt, being a PHEV with a small battery, pretty much needs to be plugged in 3 to 4 hours each evening/night. The Tesla could likely go 3-4 days between charges, but that still means that once or twice a week, the Volt would need 3-4 hours and the Tesla about 8 hours. We have time-of-use pricing here, and electricity is half price between 7PM and 7AM weekdays (and all day long on weekends), so I try to charge in those cheap time windows.
It seems like that would mean having to go out before bed a few times per week to switch the charger from the Volt to the Tesla. Not bad in summer, but not fun at all in winter at -15C with snow on the ground. I also lose the benefit of pre-heating the cabin from AC power for whichever car isn't plugged in in the morning.
I'm considering adding a 20A 240V circuit with a NEMA 6-20 outlet to add a second 16A J1772 charger for the Volt (My electrical service can't handle two 32A circuits for charging). There's a good chance the Volt will get replaced by another PHEV when it dies, so it will still be useful. Is it worth the trouble, or should I just share the charger I already have?