[jms]

Hi - I'm new here. I ordered my 2019 Bolt and figured I would get started in the community so I can hit the ground running.
I've been driving all electric since 2012 in the nissan leaf in the 2012 and 2013 models. I recently sold my leaf to make room for the bolt.
I look forward to all of the hints and tricks that you guys have accumulated and I hope to be able to help out in the future.
Thanks

 

[PhilBo]

Unfortunately, since you don't have your Bolt yet, you can't join this forum.........JUST KIDDING!!!
Welcome aboard! I'm sure with your past experience with EV's you will be able to offer some great input!
Again welcome, and don't be a stranger. What part of the country do you hail from?

 

[NY-Rob]

Welcome... welcome!!


Nice to see new blood, the Bolt (imo) will be a major upgrade to the Leaf.


How are you planning to charge the Bolt? It can draw up to 32amps at full L2/240vac charging (you need a 40amp rated circuit for the continuous load rating).

 

[GregBrew]

Welcome... welcome!!


Nice to see new blood, the Bolt (imo) will be a major upgrade to the Leaf.


How are you planning to charge the Bolt? It can draw up to 32amps at full L2/240vac charging (you need a 40amp rated circuit for the continuous load rating).

Also, if your commute isn't excessive, the included 120V EVSE can be easily modified to run off a 30A electric dryer outlet at 240V and 12A. The resulting 2.8kW should get you around 100 miles of range (instead of 50) in ten hours of overnight charging. Several people on this forum have been able to get by without a 32A 240V EVSE and the associated 40A 240V (minimum) circuit installation expense.

 

[jon8491]

Also, if your commute isn't excessive, the included 120V EVSE can be easily modified to run off a 30A electric dryer outlet at 240V and 12A. The resulting 2.8kW should get you around 100 miles of range (instead of 50) in ten hours of overnight charging. Several people on this forum have been able to get by without a 32A 240V EVSE and the associated 40A 240V (minimum) circuit installation expense.

Sorry for hijacking the OP thread. It just seemed to fit with GregBrew's comment.

Don't have my Bolt yet. I've noted you have posted this tip a number of times so I guess it's time to ask some questions. I'm retired so don't have a 'commute', unless you count the daily 3mi R/T to the gym. I am pretty sure I can get by using 110v EVSE but it just makes sense to me to put in a 220v line. I need 60 ft to run from subpanel to garage location. And it makes sense to me that since I'm running it I should go for the full enchilada, just in case I decide in the future to go to a level2 EVSE. So I will make room in my panel for a 40A tandem breaker, running 60 ft of #6 /3 wire.

My question is what is the best receptacle to use? I know I can pick amongst many and I have been leaning towards a 14-50 (4-prong oven receptacle). That one includes neutral & ground. Maybe that is not the best choice? I have not yet researched level 2 chargers other than to note the preferences of various members. I think I would prefer a plug-in rather than hardwired one. So do all plugin level 2 chargers use the same source plug? I would need to know this so I can make an informed decision making or buying an 240v adapter for the OEM charger. Or am I over-thinking it?

 

[XJ12]

My question is what is the best receptacle to use? I know I can pick amongst many and I have been leaning towards a 14-50 (4-prong oven receptacle). That one includes neutral & ground. Maybe that is not the best choice? I have not yet researched level 2 chargers other than to note the preferences of various members. I think I would prefer a plug-in rather than hardwired one. So do all plugin level 2 chargers use the same source plug? I would need to know this so I can make an informed decision making or buying an 240v adapter for the OEM charger. Or am I over-thinking it?

I went with the NEMA 14-50 because that's what is common at RV parks. Not that I'll ever use one, but just to have the option. Plus, I think I paid $10 for the receptacle and could easily change it.

 

[jon8491]

I went with the NEMA 14-50 because that's what is common at RV parks. Not that I'll ever use one, but just to have the option. Plus, I think I paid $10 for the receptacle and could easily change it.

Thanks. That's a good idea however I don't envision towing my Bolt behind my 5th wheel
But I suppose it's just right for a quick top-up if there are no public chargers near by.
Yes, changing receptacle has crossed my mind but I was hoping to avoid that with a consensus of opinions. Then again, maybe there will be no consensus.

 

[PhilBo]

If you go with the two most popular level 2 chargers, the ClipperCreek and the Juicebox, both use NEMA 14-50 plugs.

 

[PhilR]

Thanks. That's a good idea however I don't envision towing my Bolt behind my 5th wheel
But I suppose it's just right for a quick top-up if there are no public chargers near by.
Yes, changing receptacle has crossed my mind but I was hoping to avoid that with a consensus of opinions. Then again, maybe there will be no consensus.

I'd like to add my $0.02:

I had a NEMA 6-50 receptacle installed to accommodate the Siemens VersiCharge EVSE that I ordered prior to taking delivery of my new Bolt.

I now realize:
1. The Siemens VersiCharge does not play well with the Bolt's charging schedule if you plan to utilize the "off-peak charging only" feature.
2. I'm also mostly retired and don't really need an L2 EVSE for driving only 500 miles/month.

So thumbs down on installing NEMA 6-50R to use a VersiCharge unit.

 

[jon8491]

If you go with the two most popular level 2 chargers, the ClipperCreek and the Juicebox, both use NEMA 14-50 plugs.

NEMA being the 'Electric Oven' 4 prong, 2 hots, ground & neutral. Correct? Good to know that both use same receptacle.

I've never paid attention to the 50A outlets in RV parks, my rig uses the 30A. I'll be visiting an RV park at end of month and will now pay attention.

 

[jon8491]

So thumbs down on installing NEMA 6-50R to use a VersiCharge unit.

Thanks. That one wasn't on my list of possible choices due to the very reasons you mentioned. I believe that is the one advertised at Costco, so I need to remember not to get carried away when I see one there.

 

[PhilBo]

The NEMA 14 devices are four-wire grounding devices (hot-hot-neutral-ground) available in ratings from 15 to 60 A. The voltage rating is 250 V. Of the straight-blade NEMA 14 devices, only the 14-30 and 14-50 are in common use. The 14-30 is used for electric clothes dryers, the 14-50 is used for electric cooking ranges, and either may also be used for home charging of electric vehicles. The NEMA 14 connectors are essentially the replacements for the older NEMA 10 connectors, but with the addition of a dedicated grounding connection.

 

[GlenandhisBolt1!]

Use the off-peak charging software built into the Bolt. It's independent of the charger used, including the Level 1 (120VAC) charger that comes with your Bolt. But Level 1 charging is painfully slow.

 

[TimBolt]

I’m very happy with my Clipper Creek HCS-40 EVSE. It’s been very reliable in the 16 months I’ve owned my Bolt.

However, if I had known about the 220v charging option for the Bolt’s included EVSE, I would have gone that route instead and saved about $600. Charging at about 3kw per hour would be good enough for me.

One option would be to install a 220v circuit and 14-50 outlet, and a 110v to 220v adapter, and see how that works out. If you eventually decide to get a separate more powerful EVSE you’ll only be out the small cost of the adapter, and the adapter might be handy for road trips.

I noticed you mentioned running #6 /3 wire for a sixty foot run. I had a similar length run to my garage, and my electrician used #8 /2 with a 40 amp breaker, which I believe is adequate for the 32 amp continuous draw for Bolt charging. Not sure if there’s a big cost difference between #6 /3 and #8 /2, but using the lighter gauge might save a few bucks.

Good luck with your new Bolt.

 

[NY-Rob]

Here's a standard ampacity chart that should help you choose the correct AWG for your needs:
(FWIW- I also used 8/2 UF (50ft total run) with a 40amp breaker for my 240VAC Bolt L2 charging circuit)

 

[shocker]

Electricians - can a 5-15 plug-receptacle carry 240 V safely?

 

[jon8491]

I’m very happy with my Clipper Creek HCS-40 EVSE. It’s been very reliable in the 16 months I’ve owned my Bolt.

However, if I had known about the 220v charging option for the Bolt’s included EVSE, I would have gone that route instead and saved about $600. Charging at about 3kw per hour would be good enough for me.

One option would be to install a 220v circuit and 14-50 outlet, and a 110v to 220v adapter, and see how that works out. If you eventually decide to get a separate more powerful EVSE you’ll only be out the small cost of the adapter, and the adapter might be handy for road trips.

I noticed you mentioned running #6 /3 wire for a sixty foot run. I had a similar length run to my garage, and my electrician used #8 /2 with a 40 amp breaker, which I believe is adequate for the 32 amp continuous draw for Bolt charging. Not sure if there’s a big cost difference between #6 /3 and #8 /2, but using the lighter gauge might save a few bucks.

Good luck with your new Bolt.

Thanks for info. Although I initially was interested in Clipper Creek, other comments I read indicated remote monitoring of some EVSE's which I find enticing. I need to research this first. I'm definitely planning to go with the 14-50 outlet and use an adapter to see if that is enough for my situation (but switching the Bolt charge setting from 8 - 12A every time may get old). I'm also interested in the comments about having an adapter that works with Tesla destination chargers.

I got the #6 wire size from an online calculator for thhn wire and an initial estimate of 75 ft. Since then I have not rechecked the calculator but have measured it to be 60 ft. I also found Home Depot has precut 75ft NM-B so maybe the calculator has a different result for NM-B rather than my initial THHN. NY-ROB published a handy dandy table that confirms your comment of #8 wire. I need to revisit the entire thing but having settled on 14-50 has been useful for my planning. 75 ft of #8 /3 wire is about $20 cheaper than #6 /3 and it is rated at 40A so maybe I mis-read the online calculator I was using. #8 would be easier to work with in addition to cheaper.

 

[Sean Nelson]

Electricians - can a 5-15 plug-receptacle carry 240 V safely?

Caveat emptor: I am not an electrician.

You're going to get a lot of argument about the dangers of merely having 240V present in an outlet that someone could accidentally plug a 120V appliance into.

That aside, assuming you plan to use the stock EVSE then you won't be pulling more current at 240V than you would at 120V, so it's really just a matter of how well insulated the socket is. I'm using a NEMA 5-15 at 120V and not having any issues, although I did buy one intended for industrial use as opposed to a lightweight household one.

 

[jon8491]

Electricians - can a 5-15 plug-receptacle carry 240 V safely?

I'm not an electrician but the info I've found online shows 5-15 rated as 110v.


 

[XJ12]

I went with a 5-20 rated receptacle instead of 5-15. At least there's extra margin with respect to power. 12 amps by 240 volts is 2,880 watts. 20 amps by 120 volts is 2,400 watts. Pretty close. Stays cool to the touch.

another note to the original poster, if you go 240 volts with the Bolt's OEM EVSE, the car will default to the 12 amps setting. So no need to keep resetting it like it does on 120 volts.