I am getting my Rivian and want to know if I should go with their charger or is there a better 3rd party unit on the market. Happy to hardwire. I have a 60 amp circuit already wired waiting. I will be charging a tesla also and who knows what in the future. Thanks
Best home charger
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I have owned a Chargepoint Flex for almost 3 years now and I really like it. My first had the WiFi fail after about 6 months; (it would still charge and on the schedule I had previously set btw), but Chargepoint replaced it quickly for me. I would buy one again. Easy to buy an adapter to charge your Tesla also iirc.
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The place to hang the charger.. I think it can be little more sturdy.. Also, there isn't much benefits in terms of software at the moment..
Once Rivian adds more features, I think it'll be much better. I might end up getting stand alone hanger for it.
Very minor gripes.
We're waiting for an Audi e-tron in the next few weeks and an R1S next year. I need to get on the horse about a charger...
Forgive my ignorance but I'm checking Google and also want to ask smarter people than me. I have a 220 outlet in our garage for it, and it's on a double breaker labeled 50 on each. I think that means it's 50 amp, and that I should be good to get an L2 charger installed in my garage. Am I missing something?
Forgive my ignorance but I'm checking Google and also want to ask smarter people than me. I have a 220 outlet in our garage for it, and it's on a double breaker labeled 50 on each. I think that means it's 50 amp, and that I should be good to get an L2 charger installed in my garage. Am I missing something?
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You would get up to 40amp charing at 9kw if I am not mistaken. For max at 48amp/11.3kw, you'd need 60 amp breaker with 6 guage wires. Obviously, if you are okay with the 40/9kw, then nothing to do..
Other than that, you are mostly set.
You should be OK - that's a "double pole" breaker, so although it does look like it has 2 "50" labels, the breaker switch is joined and it's a single 50-amp circuit.
The remaining question would be what receptacle is installed in the garage. Chances are it's a 14-50 (will have 4 holes), which will work with many EVSEs. If it's something a little less common like a 6-50 (will have 3 holes) you may need to look a little harder for an EVSE that will plug into it.
As @toshee noted you will be able to pull 40 amps continuous over a 50 amp circuit.
Thanks! Very much appreciated. Looks like the Audi's acceptance rate is only 9.6 kw. The Rivian will accept higher but I think I'm fine.
Appreciate the response. My outlet is below. Should handle the 50 amp per what I read online. TBH, I was a little nervous about the responses I was going to get, like I had loads of work to do to get a charger in, but I think I'm good. I live in Portland and the city requires a permit to upgrade electrical. Based on what I'm reading, I don't think I need a permit as I'm already set on the electrical output. Really to purchase and install.
Sorry for hijacking the thread...
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"Technically" the city will want to inspect and permit that install but functionally it is likely the installer will just come do it (assuming your panel is relatively modern 200amp service) and move on (as my installer did and they are a fairly well known Solar/Electrical installer in the PDX area)
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J1772 Wall Connector
Our J1772 Wall Connector is a convenient charging solution for Tesla and non-Tesla electric vehicles alike, and is ideal for houses, apartments, hospitality properties and workplaces. With up to 44 miles of range added per hour, a 24-foot cable, multiple power settings and a versatile...
shop.tesla.com
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Two things:
1: make sure the NEMA 14-50 that you have installed is very high quality, and not just ‘constructor grade’, and
2: make sure the gauge of the wire running from the breaker box to the outlet is of very high quality also.
You do not want to feel any excessive heat either in the cable and/or outlet. Plus the plug for your EVSE needs to fit tightly into the outlet.
you can set your EVSE at 40 amps when it gets installed
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I fixed your post. Suggesting a $200 mobile charger as a cheap alternative doesn't sound so good when you have to add on a $300 piece of plastic to make it work for a Rivian ...
Actually called PBOT and was directed to a city senior electrical inspector. As long as we're not doing any electrical work and just installing the charger, we don't need a permit. Our house is new construction in SE and we added the circuit added when the house was built.
The tesla charger is not Cheap as you suggest. This used to sell for $500 before Tesla quit selling one with every car. Price was decreased following and it is a DEAL!. It has the best array of male plugs to allow it to be used in almost any location. The Tesla tap adapter is a great piece of engineering and there is no "plastic" in this. See Specifications:
- MADE IN USA - Original TeslaTap MINI 80 – Up to 80 AMPs at 250VAC (20KW).
- Compatible – Can be used with ALL Generations of Tesla Chargers so you can connect your EV to ANY Tesla High Power Wall Connector, Destination Charger, or Universal Mobile Connector.
- Tough – Completely machined from 100 percent Delrin (Acetal Homopolymer) (used by NASA for high strength and heat requirements) to very high tolerances and connections are fully encased and sealed internally for protection and can even be driven over and continue to operate.
- Small - Less than 5” in total length (only extends 3.5” when inserted into EV) and has two Locking levers to give you the ability to lock it to your EV and/or your Tesla connector and can be easily stored in your EV glove box when not in use.
- Warranty - TeslaTap's are protected for 1 year against manufacturing defects and have a direct US customer service phone number.
The High-Performance Acetal Resin
Leading companies across the globe specify Delrin® acetal homopolymer for high-load mechanical applications such as gears, safety restraints, door systems, conveyor belts, healthcare delivery devices, and other demanding products and parts. Delrin® acetal homopolymer (Polyoxymethylene POM) is the ideal material in parts designed to replace metal. It combines low-friction and high-wear resistance with the high strength and stiffness such applications require. It provides a wide operating temperature range (-40 °C to 120 °C) and good colorability. Delrin® also mates well with metals and other polymers and offers excellent dimensional stability in high precision molding.
Compared to acetal copolymer, Delrin® acetal homopolymer offers higher tensile strength, stiffness, creep and fatigue resistance, and significantly higher impact resistance. The combination of these excellent mechanical properties in a single material allows for thinner, lighter-weight parts and shorter molding cycles with potential cost reductions. Learn more here about the major benefits Delrin® offers, it’s more than acetal – it’s Delrin®.
https://www.amazon.com/TeslaTap-Mini-J-1772-Adapter-TTMINI80/dp/B098BLLSHC/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2L2F76TOB1MQ5&keywords=tesla+tap+mini&qid=1669303374&sprefix=tesla+tap+,aps,175&sr=8-2
Back to the original poster: he has both a Tesla and a Rivian and needs to charge both. This is the perfect answer.
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Cheap is also a synonym for inexpensive, you know - that's how I was using it. You were the one who brought up the price of the Tesla mobile charger, presumably to highlight it as cheaper than the alternatives and as a factor in favor of the option you're recommending. That presumption is confirmed by your above post where you call it a bargain. $200 is cheap compared to the alternatives. But that is deceptive because you left out the largest cost - $300 for the TeslaTap, which is a required element of your solution.
I don't see your suggestion as particularly cost effective, while your suggestion seems to make the cost a prime factor. My post was intended to make that clear by spelling out the actual total cost.
The Tesla Mobile Connector is $230 on the Tesla website, can only charge at 32A, and requires a $300 adapter to use with a Rivian. The Rivian COMES WITH a mobile charger that does the same thing for free, without any adapter needed. And the Rivian charger can be used with the OP's Tesla because the Tesla includes a J1772 adapter. So the OP can save $530 and not buy anything, if a mobile charger solution is desired.
The Tesla J1772 Wall Connector is $550 on the Tesla website, and can charge at the full 48A available on the OP's circuit and does not need an additional $300 device. This will work with both a Rivian and a Tesla because Teslas come with a J1772 adapter. This is a more permanent, robust, and higher current solution for essentially the same price as what you suggest, and if the OP is going to spend money then a hardwired charger like this is probably a better choice.
If there is a need to charge two vehicles simultaneously, then perhaps something like the Wallbox would be a better option than either, since it can be hooked up in series with another Wallbox to do charge sharing for two vehicles on the same circuit. Wallbox is not the only charger with this feature - the Tesla Wall Connector can do this as well.
Literally the first search result for "delrin" is the sponsored link from DuPont, titled:
Delrin® Material By DuPont™ - DuPont™ Delrin® Plastic
So yes, it's plastic like I said, by definition and as described by the manufacturer and patent holder of that material. And again you seem to have missed the point. I guess it's my fault for being so terse, so let me add some words:
TeslaTap, whether good or not, is an extremely expensive solution for what it is. You can buy the entire Tesla Mobile Connector for only $230, which itself has quality "plastic" connectors at both ends, plus power electronics, lots of copper cable, a pretty housing, etc. Compared to $300 for the "tap" which IS almost entirely plastic, with some metal for conducting the current. Comparing the two, it's really hard to justify the $300 for the TeslaTap, no matter how good. The Lectron adapter is similar to the TeslaTap at half the cost, but even $150 is a bit hard to justify for something that is essentially and almost entirely a piece of plastic.
So no, the Tesla Mobile Connector is not the extremely great bargain you make it out to be. It is one solution, and it's not a bad solution, but it is most certainly not the cheapest solution and probably not the best solution for the OP unless there are other considerations that weren't mentioned.
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