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New Bolt owner requesting help for charging configuration

8.9K views 25 replies 19 participants last post by  Technical 1  
#1 ·
Hello!
Waiting for my new Bolt to arrive.

Here's my situation:
My landlord says he will install a 220V plug for me but it will be limited to 20 amps.
Will this work with the supplied charging cable that comes with the car?
Will I need to manually set something in the cable converter?
I'm assuming it will work but only charge slower than the "recommended" 32 or 40 amps.
Thanks for your help.
 
#2 ·
Hi StephP. Welcome to the forum. Unfortunately, no. You will need to buy a unit that will allow you to set the amperage to different levels. The unit supplied by GM will draw 32 amps @ 240V. If you use it you will just trip the breaker. There are suggestions on this forum on how to use the 120V plug on a 240V outlet that will allow you to charge at 12 amps on 240V.
 
#4 ·
You need a 40A circuit for the included EVSE, which charges at 32A. There is no provision to reduce the current in the factory EVSE.

You'll have to purchase a 16A EVSE that plugs into the socket your landlord provides.
Thanks for the response! :(
But won't a 20A EVSE work with my 220V socket? or do I absolutely need a 16A EVSE?
Sorry...I'm definitely no electrician..
 
#5 ·
The maximum amperage for the EVSE is 80% of the circuit amperage rating. So, for a 20 amp circuit, a 16 amp EVSE is the maximum. The good thing is that there are many 16 amp EVSE available.

We have been charging two plug-in vehicles (Bolt EV and Volt) with a 16 amp EVSE without any problems.
 
#7 ·
Here are the options with the EVSEs provided by GM:

It may be possible to use it with your outlet, but in a way that is not officially supported or certified.
 
#8 ·
The cord that comes with Bolts is either 120V only, or with EUV (or optional on EV) it is dual voltage. The dual voltage cord is 32A on 240V or 8/12A on 120V and not configurable on 240V, the 120V (8A or 12A) setting is in the Energy screens in the Infotainment system. However, both the 120V, and the dual voltage cord (with the 120V cord attached) can supply 240V@12A with adapters. Some find this "hack" to be too risky, so follow your own risk tolerance if considering going that route.

If you don't want to take the risk, or feel 16A would better suit your needs, the chart at the beginning of this thread will give you an idea of how much range you can expect to recover at various power levels. For instance, 16A (highest level you should attempt to use on 20A circuits) will give you 240*16 = 3.84kW, so about 12-16 miles of range per hour on the plug. The 120V cord (or dual cord with 120V plug) and 240V adapters will yield 2.88kW or 9-12 miles per hour. From these numbers, you can determine how well each option might meet your daily needs. If it comes up a little short, you might be ok making up for it over weekends, or occasionally using public chargers.

I assume you are aware, but worth mentioning, the cord does not lock to the port so a small luggage sized lock inserted in the release lever of the J1772 plug might be wise if you are concerned about cord theft. Here is a lock sold by a maker of Tesla adapters (see next paragraph) that seems to work really well, I use it on a Tesla Tap adapter, but it should work on virtually any J1772 plug that has a hole for locking the handle.

If you choose to go with a 16A or adjustable cord, there are a few options described in this section. One reasonably priced option is the Tesla mobile cord (aka UMC), but it requires an adapter to work with the J1772 outlet in the car. The adapter is good to have for travels as some public chargers and many hotels have Tesla Destination (Level 2) chargers. With the Tesla UMC, the cord and adapter will not lock to each other. If you are handy, someone recently posted a link to a video on a guy who replaced the Tesla plug with a J1772 plug on a Tesla UMC, but that was a bit involved. The great thing with the Tesla UMC is that you can buy adapters for nearly any type of outlet and the unit will automatically set the max output to the car based the adapter attached to the unit. If you go this route, it is important to buy an adapter that is rated for 50A or more because the 2022+ Bolts can charge at up to 48A. Many Tesla destination chargers are higher powered, so you don't want to fry the adapter. Here is the Tesla Tap site, Lectron also makes adapters and sells them on Amazon.

Beware of cheap Chinese knock off brands, many reports of them melting to the charge port. Search Mustart on this site for examples.
 
#13 ·
However, both the 120V, and the dual voltage cord (with the 120V cord attached) can supply 240V@12A with adapters. Some find this "hack" to be too risky, so follow your own risk tolerance if considering going that route.
Give it a beat before you run out and spend money needlessly.

If there is a 120v outlet available to you as well, you can choose to commence charging at 120v 8 amps and if it is a dedicated outlet (without other appliances pulling amps from it) you can change the setting in your Bolt to draw 12 amps; which will give you about 3 or 5 miles per hour charged respectively.

Adding one or two simple adapters to the 120v cord will allow you to plug the Chevy EVSE into your 20 amp 240v outlet and only draw 12 amps. This will increase your charging speed to about 10-12 miles per hour.

Given your driving needs per day, either or both of these options may be plenty of juice to recharge your Bolt overnight.

The "risk" that is mentioned but not outlined in detail can be reduced to virtually zero if you use duct tape to wrap around the adapters and make them a semi-permanent part of your Chevy EVSE cord.

I am considering adding these adapters to my 2019 Chevy EVSE for my Bolt EV for a temporary solution to my current but changing needs.

The "risk" is that someone takes off the duct tape, and removes the 5-15 to 240v adapter and uses it in a 240v outlet with a 120v ONLY appliance. How likely that this will happen is something you will have to determine and protect against.

You did not mention the exact style of 240v outlet your landlord will supply.

Ultimately these adapters convert your 120v plug on your Chevy EVSE to be allowed to plug directly into the 240v outlet your landlord provides. The result is that your EVSE will function at 240v at 12 amps; well within the tolerance of your 20 amp outlet.

Ask questions to the many of us here that are wanting to help you.
 
#11 ·
Clipper Creek makes a high quality portable 16 amp 240 vac EVSE (Amazing - E). Costs a bit more than the Chinese throw-aways but it‘s UL approved and it’s guaranteed for 3 years. I have their 32 amp EVSE Amazing-E Fast model and it is literally built like a tank. Amazing-E works on a 20 amp circuit …. Might want to check link below …

 
#12 ·
I'd suggest looking at a level-2 after-market charger that has an adjustable current limit - ideally one where the current limit is set by internal jumper/switch, not a easy push button. I think this one would fit the bill; it has an internal DIP switch for setting the current limit.

https://www.amazon.com/Grizzl-Charg...egrizz,aps,340&sr=8-5&ufe=app_do:amzn1.fos.ac2169a1-b668-44b9-8bd0-5ec63b24bcb5

Fast charging and adjustable amperage: 40A, 32A, 24A, 16A. Maximum current output of 40 Amps for 50A circuit breaker, 32 Amps for 40A circuit breaker, 24 Amps for 30A circuit breaker, or 16 Amps for 20A circuit breaker. Charge Rate: 28-30 miles per hour at 40A, 22-25 miles per hour at 32A, 15-18 miles per hour at 24A and 10-12 miles per hour at 16A.

If you get an EUV (not the EV) it will include the standard GM charge cable. You can keep it handy as a spare /120v charge cable or just sell to recoup some of the costs
 
#14 ·
I am using an old Clipper Creek LCS-20 that is made for 20A circuit and it works just fine for my kind of usage. I have it since 2014, when I bought my Volt. It works strong even now, 9 years later.
Anything around 150 miles per day, you have the car full next day.
Here is a version that is using a Nema 14-50 plug.
 
#17 ·
I am using an old Clipper Creek LCS-20 that is made for 20A circuit and it works just fine for my kind of usage. I have it since 2014, when I bought my Volt. It works strong even now, 9 years later.
Anything around 150 miles per day, you have the car full next day.
Here is a version that is using a Nema 14-50 plug.
You'd think Voldar and myself are the same person, we are not. I bought my Clipper Creek LCS-20 in 2014 when I bought my 2011 Volt. In 2019, I gave the 2011 to my son and bought a 2018 Volt. In 2022, traded the 2018 Volt for my Bolt EUV. The Clipper Creek is still in use today. 16 amps is plenty good for my needs, but I do get free 16 amps charging at work too, so that helps.
 
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#18 ·
I charge my 2019 Bolt from a 20A outlet (NEMA 6-20 outlet) using this charger I got on sale at Costco for $239:
AxFAST Level 2 Portable Electric Vehicle Charger | Costco

Some here might consider it "Chinese throwaway", but it's been working fine for me for about 3 years now. It provides about 15 miles of range for each hour of charging, which is more than I need for my daily driving.

I also recently got a used Grizzl-E charger, which is adjustable for 16 or 24 or 32A, but I haven't installed it yet, and I don't really need the additional power.
 
#25 ·
I drove from home to go play Texas Hold-em poker at a local Card Club about 22 miles away for the first time since the Pandemic and I figured out how to get "free" charging: round trip:

When I arrived at the Club; instead of my normal 82% limit I put on the battery charging (202 miles), I up'ed it to 100% and parked at Valet who put my Bolt EV on their Level 2 charger for the duration of my stay (about 4 - 1/2 hours).

When I came out and got my Bolt, it was 100% charged (263 miles).

Now, at home, it is 90% charged (231 miles) and I won at poker, too!