Charging Amps Install?

[2023macheB]

If I get a new plug installed. What amps min? What amps max? Should I get, any advantages or disadvantages?

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[mkhuffman]

I installed a 48 Amp EVSE, but that requires a 60 Amp circuit. If your breaker box has room, and you can afford to run 60 Amp wire, that is the best option. Everything else is a compromise.

That said, I am planning to replace the 60 Amp circuit with a 100 Amp circuit so I am ready for 80 Amp charging. The Lightning can charge at 80 Amps, and it will become much more common in the future. I want to be ready.

 

[AKgrampy]

I believe @mkhuffman hit it on the head - go as big as you can afford. You can get by with less if you are limited by finances. I only had a 100 amp service so could only go with a 50 A breaker and have mine charging at 32 amps. It works fine for me. I will have to do a major upgrade including the buried cable to my house under a road to go bigger so not willing to pay the price at this time.

 

[Just Lurking]

The Lightning can charge at 80 Amps

Not anymore...*

*As of 2024 no more 80 amp onboard charger unless you order via a special fleet option.

and it will become much more common in the future.

Do you really think so? I've wrestled with this question myself. For many things, numbers tend to get bigger over time, but this might not be one of those things.

The industry seems to have settled on 48amps / 11Kw as the fastest mainstream home charging rate. That's plenty to fill up even a very big battery overnight, so I'm not sure there's going to be much demand for faster home charging beyond fairly niche (and expensive) use cases.

 

[V8toEV]

If I get a new plug installed. What amps min? What amps max? Should I get, any advantages or disadvantages?

It depends on multiple factors:
1) The total service amperage of your main breaker.
2) Total of existing circuits you already have.
3) What charge station will you be using?

Whatever you do, you must not exceed 80% load on any circuit.

 

[Fremont Kid]

I agree with Just Lurking and V8toEV. A 48A charger should provide sufficient charge overnight, and will require a 60A circuit.

 

[mkhuffman]

Not anymore...*

*As of 2024 no more 80 amp onboard charger unless you order via a special fleet option.



Do you really think so? I've wrestled with this question myself. For many things, numbers tend to get bigger over time, but this might not be one of those things.

The industry seems to have settled on 48amps / 11Kw as the fastest mainstream home charging rate. That's plenty to fill up even a very big battery overnight, so I'm not sure there's going to be much demand for faster home charging beyond fairly niche (and expensive) use cases.

Too bad about the Lightning.

I do think battery sizes will keep growing, as long as customers demand longer range BEVs. If that happens, battery sizes could reach 200 kWh as the normal size. That size battery will take twice as long to charge as ours does now, so I think 80 Amp charging will become normal. Just like 350+ kWh DCFC will become normal.

But who knows? It really depends on the market and what people want. I am going to upgrade my circuit to 100 Amps anyway, and then it will make it easier to share 2 slower chargers on the same circuit even if 80 Amps never becomes a thing.

 

[alexgorod]

A 48A charger should provide sufficient charge overnight

I have a 40A plugged-in charger but rarely use more than 20A. Why should I try to charge the car in 3 hours when it stays in the garage for 12 or more?

 

[Billyk24]

Too bad about the Lightning.

I do think battery sizes will keep growing, as long as customers demand longer range BEVs. If that happens, battery sizes could reach 200 kWh as the normal size. That size battery will take twice as long to charge as ours does now, so I think 80 Amp charging will become normal. Just like 350+ kWh DCFC will become normal.

But who knows? It really depends on the market and what people want. I am going to upgrade my circuit to 100 Amps anyway, and then it will make it easier to share 2 slower chargers on the same circuit even if 80 Amps never becomes a thing.

Solid state batteries may be a key for higher energy density and less weight. Not going to fit a 200kWh battery pack into a 190 inch long vehicle and keep the price low enough to sell it.

 

[CTZ]

I bought a 20A charger because I already had a 20A plug in my garage. Have never needed more juice than that and car is charged to 80% to 100% every morning depending on need.

 

[mkhuffman]

Solid state batteries may be a key for higher energy density and less weight. Not going to fit a 200kWh battery pack into a 190 inch long vehicle and keep the price low enough to sell it.

Yep. I think it will happen, one day. SS or some other battery improvements that double energy density without doubling weight. Ten years? IDK. But I think it will happen. Just like phone batteries last longer and have higher energy density than 10 years ago, it will happen in cars also. It has happened, actually, and it will continue I think.

 

[kdonnel]

I was able to repurpose a 30a run for a low cost. For years now I have charged two EV on that circuit. I have 400a service so could install whatever size breaker I wanted.

My wife plugs in when she gets home, takes an hour to hour and a half for her car to return to 80%.

Sometime before bed I plug my car in. We drive my car longer distances daily and it might take four to eight hours to return to 85%.

There have been ends of road trips where I arrived home in the single digits SOC but always get more than enough charge overnight to drive my normal driving the next day. The following night it back to 85%.

I think the only people that need maximum charging power are those with a time of use rate plan and those that have a daily driving pattern that uses 80+% of the battery.

Otherwise I feel you should save your money. I feel that a 20a or 30a circuit is enough for one or two EV and typical driving patterns.

 

[23RedMache]

I installed a 50 Amp breaker but ran #6 wire so I could increase to 60 Amp if necessary. My Emporia EVSE can be set to multiple charging amperages. So far I have found charging at 35 amp to be more than sufficient.

 

[Space_Pony]

It didn't cost much more for a 60 amp double pole breaker and #6 THHN wiring. I had an empty double pole circuit, so I figured I might as well run the adequate wiring now so I wouldn't replace the wiring in a few years. I was able to do the whole project for under $1,000 including the EVSE set at 48 amps and 75' of wiring. My MME accepts 46.5 amps consistently.

 

[silverelan]

I have a 40A plugged-in charger but rarely use more than 20A. Why should I try to charge the car in 3 hours when it stays in the garage for 12 or more?

For those times when you’ve got a short turnaround window, you’ll want the full 48A.

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