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14 Posts
I just got my Bolt EUV delivered 3 weeks ago. I found a way to get a legal charging outlet very cheaply at my house rather than go through Qmerit. Thought this info could be useful: my charge cable will sit under my porch protected from the rain as I have no garage at the moment. This is far cheaper than having Qmerit install a dedicated chargepoint flex and I still qualify for a $500 rebate in remote charging from GM and Chargepoint. It also looks professional as I did not skimp on components.
Rugged NEMA 14-50 RV outlet box: $43.39 on amazon
50 amp double pole Siemens 50a Breaker $16.15 on amazon
Electrician to hook up the box and breaker $250
Electrical Permit from my town: $60
VEVOR backup charging cable: $123.24 on amazon
Cheap Padlock $2
Bicycle mounting hook $3
TOTAL: $497.54
Details:
1. WELLUCK RV Power Outlet Super rugged and outdoor friendly. To save on the cost of installing outdoor conduit my box was wired from the back and screwed right to the house, so there is no outdoor exposed wiring. The box can be wired from the side or bottom if you need that. It is not easy to knock out the holes for the conduit, but my electrician had no issue. Link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09W2J7NZJ?psc=1...
![Wood Rectangle Road surface Floor Flooring]()
2. Siemens double pole breaker. I used 50A because we might need that in the future but 40A would suffice for the Chevy Bolt. The electrician said that Eaton was ok and Square D was not, but please consult your electrician before deciding what do buy. Here is the link to what I bought: https://www.amazon.com/Q250-50.../dp/B00002N7KX/ref=sr_1_1
3. Cheap Electrician After getting quotes of $1000 and up for an electrician to do 240V work I finally found one that was more reasonable. First he did an electric range install for $600 and I requested a few extra feet of wiring. Turns out that the 10 feet left over was plenty to also wire the NEMA outlet. I was able to negotiate a low price because I drilled the hole in the sill for him (in our old house this is no easy task), I bought the breaker and the box, and he needed to come back for inspection anyway.
If you need longer wire, it costs about $120 on amazon for twenty-five feet of 6/3 romex wire. Pure copper is better, it is rated to go above 50 amps. (Caveat: the wire you need may be different based on local codes, run length, etc.)
4. Town Permit. In my jurisdiction it was $60. Worth it for safety, home insurance, etc.
5. Backup Charging Cable. Since I am going to leave the cable that came with my Bolt attached to the house, I needed a backup that would stay in the car. VEVOR makes other products I have tried and they work well so I opted for their J1772 cable. It is 25 ft. long and rated at 32A but that should be fine for a Bolt. Also: my price of $123.24 was after a 40% discount for purchases made on Amazon with American Express reward points, a discount that may not be available to most of you. Link: https://www.amazon.com/.../ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00... I just noticed that the price has gone up by $100 on amazon in a week but it is still at the lower price on ebay...
![Audio equipment Gadget Gas Adapter Cable]()
5. Lock. A small lock on the outdoor box is important to make sure that sure that kids don't play with your high voltage plug, and so that it is not stolen. Actually this is free for me, I have several old locks lying around.
6. Bike Hook. In my case the car is parked 20 feet from the house so I am running the cable to a hook under the end of my porch and out of the rain and snow. A fat hook for holding a bicycle up by the rims works great. I still have enough cable left at the end of the porch to get to the car in my driveway.
![Automotive tire Wood Gas Automotive wheel system Rim]()
Feedback appreciated.
Rugged NEMA 14-50 RV outlet box: $43.39 on amazon
50 amp double pole Siemens 50a Breaker $16.15 on amazon
Electrician to hook up the box and breaker $250
Electrical Permit from my town: $60
VEVOR backup charging cable: $123.24 on amazon
Cheap Padlock $2
Bicycle mounting hook $3
TOTAL: $497.54
Details:
1. WELLUCK RV Power Outlet Super rugged and outdoor friendly. To save on the cost of installing outdoor conduit my box was wired from the back and screwed right to the house, so there is no outdoor exposed wiring. The box can be wired from the side or bottom if you need that. It is not easy to knock out the holes for the conduit, but my electrician had no issue. Link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09W2J7NZJ?psc=1...
2. Siemens double pole breaker. I used 50A because we might need that in the future but 40A would suffice for the Chevy Bolt. The electrician said that Eaton was ok and Square D was not, but please consult your electrician before deciding what do buy. Here is the link to what I bought: https://www.amazon.com/Q250-50.../dp/B00002N7KX/ref=sr_1_1
3. Cheap Electrician After getting quotes of $1000 and up for an electrician to do 240V work I finally found one that was more reasonable. First he did an electric range install for $600 and I requested a few extra feet of wiring. Turns out that the 10 feet left over was plenty to also wire the NEMA outlet. I was able to negotiate a low price because I drilled the hole in the sill for him (in our old house this is no easy task), I bought the breaker and the box, and he needed to come back for inspection anyway.
If you need longer wire, it costs about $120 on amazon for twenty-five feet of 6/3 romex wire. Pure copper is better, it is rated to go above 50 amps. (Caveat: the wire you need may be different based on local codes, run length, etc.)
4. Town Permit. In my jurisdiction it was $60. Worth it for safety, home insurance, etc.
5. Backup Charging Cable. Since I am going to leave the cable that came with my Bolt attached to the house, I needed a backup that would stay in the car. VEVOR makes other products I have tried and they work well so I opted for their J1772 cable. It is 25 ft. long and rated at 32A but that should be fine for a Bolt. Also: my price of $123.24 was after a 40% discount for purchases made on Amazon with American Express reward points, a discount that may not be available to most of you. Link: https://www.amazon.com/.../ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00... I just noticed that the price has gone up by $100 on amazon in a week but it is still at the lower price on ebay...
5. Lock. A small lock on the outdoor box is important to make sure that sure that kids don't play with your high voltage plug, and so that it is not stolen. Actually this is free for me, I have several old locks lying around.
6. Bike Hook. In my case the car is parked 20 feet from the house so I am running the cable to a hook under the end of my porch and out of the rain and snow. A fat hook for holding a bicycle up by the rims works great. I still have enough cable left at the end of the porch to get to the car in my driveway.
Feedback appreciated.
