[Michigan] DTE Energy PEV hookup in detached garage (lessons learned)

RyZt

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That's not what I recall. What's to stop you from plugging in a hot-tub, or an AC unit for your detached garage, or even an electric clothes dryer?
DTE can't stop you from swapping the hardwire box out for an electric socket yourself later on anyways.
 

methorian

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My utility just requires a dedicated circuit and meter for the EV, can be hardwired or plug on the end of the circuit. They make it clear that it must be "accessible" by them, probably in case they think you're using the energy for more than your EV (or to service the meter.) Haven't gotten a clear indication on what "accessible" means, they clearly show the EV meter and plug in a garage on their website, which is where I'd want mine, like most other folks, but my garage is certainly not freely accessible to their employees.

They had no answers for me by phone, and directed me to e-mail. Emailing a detailed list of questions gave me no answers. Can't sign up until you have an EV though, so I stopped inquiring for now.
 
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AEtherScythe

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So, hey. Point of order, the official DTE requirements do in fact say that PEV second meter connections have to be HARDWIRED, not just "dedicated.." :-(

Check it here:

https://www.newlook.dteenergy.com/w...rviceEquipment.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_TO=url

Excerpt from page 18:
EXPERIMENTAL ELECTRIC VEHICLE RATE D1.9

1. General

This rate is available to residential customers through special agreement with Detroit Edison. For details please consult the Rate Book, Rate Schedule NO. D1.9

This separately metered rate is approved for permanently installed (permanently hard-wired) electric vehicle charging stations.
We've ordered the hard-wirable, "Ford Connected Charger" but ETA is December. The car will likely beat it here.

It would be great if the Mobile Charger had an optional hard-wire kit, short of cutting the NEMA 14-50 off and wiring that in. I checked parts.ford.com and there are no parts listed or I might just order a replacement NEMA 14-50 end and hack it. :-/
 

JamieGeek

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So, hey. Point of order, the official DTE requirements do in fact say that PEV second meter connections have to be HARDWIRED, not just "dedicated.." :-(

Check it here:

https://www.newlook.dteenergy.com/w...rviceEquipment.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_TO=url

Excerpt from page 18:


We've ordered the hard-wirable, "Ford Connected Charger" but ETA is December. The car will likely beat it here.

It would be great if the Mobile Charger had an optional hard-wire kit, short of cutting the NEMA 14-50 off and wiring that in. I checked parts.ford.com and there are no parts listed or I might just order a replacement NEMA 14-50 end and hack it. :-/
Actually the mobile charger has two adapters depending on which plug you are plugging into. You could order a 2nd adapter for the 14-50 end and hack that. Thus no damage to the charger(EVSE) at all.

Of course that may still be considered a "plug".
 


hybrid2bev

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So, hey. Point of order, the official DTE requirements do in fact say that PEV second meter connections have to be HARDWIRED, not just "dedicated.." :-(

Check it here:

https://www.newlook.dteenergy.com/w...rviceEquipment.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT_TO=url
I think those are the rules for the prior program that was called the 'Experimental' Rate. Under that program there were higher rebates etc. That 'Experimental' program was discontinued in 2019 I think.

It looks like the rate card was just updated on May 15, 2020. Here is what it looked like back in April 2020 before the change:
Ford Mustang Mach-E [Michigan] DTE Energy PEV hookup in detached garage (lessons learned) 1603365269276


https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/ford-charger-for-mach-e.365/post-11901

If you look at the DTE rate card now it just says 'Electrical Vehicle Rate' and the description says dedicated.

Ford Mustang Mach-E [Michigan] DTE Energy PEV hookup in detached garage (lessons learned) 1603365401753

Ford Mustang Mach-E [Michigan] DTE Energy PEV hookup in detached garage (lessons learned) 1603365753429


Ford Mustang Mach-E [Michigan] DTE Energy PEV hookup in detached garage (lessons learned) 1603365429219


https://newlook.dteenergy.com/wps/w...vice-request/residential/pricing/energy-rates

Click on the "Electric Rate Card".

Click on "Electric Rate Book" and search for the rate plan D1.9

Does not say specifically say it has to be hardwired just 'must conform to the Company's specifications', but doesn't say what those are.

Ford Mustang Mach-E [Michigan] DTE Energy PEV hookup in detached garage (lessons learned) 1603366705286
 
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TheVirtualTim

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In Michigan, you have to add all the numbers together. I know in some other states the billing is not nearly so complicated. The rules are set by the Michigan Public Service Commission.

Ford Mustang Mach-E [Michigan] DTE Energy PEV hookup in detached garage (lessons learned) Screen Shot 2020-10-27 at 10.03.35 PM


Add the capacity & non-capacity energy charges along with the distribution kWh charge to get the total of the cost per kilowatt hour. The monthly service charge is basically the cost of having the account ... and that's a fixed charge no matter how much or how little you use it.

Under the EV rate program

This makes off-peak charging costs: 2.448¢ + 1.972 + 6.611 = 11.031¢ per kWh
But peak charging costs: 9.791 + 7.889 + 6.611 = 24.291¢

Normal residential rates here are:

First 17 kWh per day: 4.500 + 4.176 + 6.611 = 15.287¢
Additional kWh's are: 6.484 + 4.176 + 6.611 = 17.271¢

Assuming you normally use more than 17 kWh/day then the EV rate is 6.24¢ cheaper per kWh.

The extended range battery has a 98.8 kWh capacity. So that's $10.90 for a complete charge (all 98.8 kWh worth).

If you don't install the special EV rate meter then it's $17.06 to completely charge the car.

HOWEVER ... if you were to charge the car at the EV rate during *peak* times, then it's $24.00 to completely charge the car.



As for being worth it ... we *had* to run 220 power to the detached garage. The existing power was a single 20 amp 110v circuit ... not nearly enough. We could have done yet-another overhead wire across the back yard (there FIVE overhead lines now... this would have added a 6th plus installing a mast-head on the garage roof). That would have already been an expensive install. Leon decided to trench the yard (saving the cost of having the contractor do it) and have *everything* buried. It's a little more expensive, but will look MUCH nicer to have all the overhead wires gone. Also ... the city inspector says (if DTE will go along with it) that they will approve putting both the house-meter and the garage EV meter on the garage (so the house is wired as a sub-panel). This way we wont even see the meters.


There is a $500 rebate from DTE for installing the home charger.
There is also a $1000 federal tax credit for installing the home charger.

(The current federal tax incentive allows you to take a take credit of 30% of the cost of buying and installing the home charger with a cap of $1000 max. But it must be purchased *and* installed by Dec 31, 2020 (the program expires)).

That reduces some of the cost, but the whole project cost will be much more.
 

dandelion

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Sorry for digging up an old thread. Doesn't DTE have a 3-tier time-based pricing structure also? From 11pm to 7am it's 11.9 cents per kwh. It's just shy of 1 cent more expensive than EV rate and 2 hours shorter, but for someone who drives 10k miles a year, that amounts to maybe $30-50 difference a year? Is that savings worth installing a second meter for?
 
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AEtherScythe

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Sorry for digging up an old thread. Doesn't DTE have a 3-tier time-based pricing structure also? From 11pm to 7am it's 11.9 cents per kwh. It's just shy of 1 cent more expensive than EV rate and 2 hours shorter, but for someone who drives 10k miles a year, that amounts to maybe $30-50 difference a year? Is that savings worth installing a second meter for?
If you are a single occupant of the home and you drive to an actual work site separate from your home, you might benefit from the other DTE plans. If anyone is at home while you are at work or you work from home entirely, my thinking is the 3-tier plan isn't going to benefit as much as the simpler plan with the two meters and the car being charged only at night / weekends. YMMV, but wouldn't it be nice if DTE did an actual study of your usage and offered and actual calculation of what you would save for plan A vs. plan B? Call them on it. =D
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