So I just bought my Bolt this weekend and really love it. Today was the first day of my normal "real" driving and it was great. As a luxury car owner for literally the past several decades (including 2 Acuras, 2 5-series BMWs) I am amazed at what a great car this is at such a fraction of the price. Next up is to look thru these forums and get some recommendations for the level 2 home chargers.
New owner, all I can say is WOW!
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Congrats and good luck with your new ride.
I have also installed the Schneider EVLink at my office and at home since 2012. Had some issues with my fathers 2017 Chevy Volt using these EVSE's but Schneider customer service was awesome and sent us replacement internal circuit boards to correct the problem. Kudos to Schneider customer service.
I also have used Clipper Creek units and they have been bulletproof so far. These are more economical and have less bells and whistles.
I will soon order a JuiceBox Pro 40 for my Bolt (on order) because of the connectivity, data and load sharing characteristics.
I also have used Clipper Creek units and they have been bulletproof so far. These are more economical and have less bells and whistles.
I will soon order a JuiceBox Pro 40 for my Bolt (on order) because of the connectivity, data and load sharing characteristics.
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Very happy to hear that you are delight with your Bolt! Congratulations! On the EVSE, I purchased the Clipper Creek HS-40 with the plug in. It's simple and it works very well. They are located fairly close to us in Auburn, CA. so we just went up there to pick it up. Their customer service people are very friendly so if you check out their website and then have questions, give them a call to get answers you need.
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Everyone seems to have a different situation. I installed a Chargepoint Home 25 (240v/32A) because it’s streamlined 7” width allowed installation in the 14-inch framed space between garage door openings. From there it allows the shorter 18 foot cord to reach both inside and outside. With no issue of the cord getting hung up on the garage door wheel tracks. The Chargepoint programming was also a plus: in my case I just set it to “Ontario lowest rate schedule” and leave the Bolt setting on Immediate. On the Chargepoint app it also lists energy consumption and actual cost of each fill by month. And along with most others like Clipper Creek it’s eligible for 50% rebate up to $500 under Ontario government EV charging incentive.
We went with a Clipper Creek HCS-40 with a NEMA 14-50 plug. Happy with it so far.
https://store.clippercreek.com/featured?product_id=67
No connectivity but simple and solid performance. Had read that some had problems with units with connectivity when their internet went down. Not sure if that is true, but we're impressed with the Clipper Creek unit for our needs.
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Welcome to the forums and congratulations on your Bolt! Another Clipper Creek owner here. I bought it mostly because of the reputation and it's made right here in the states not far from me. Also considered the Juice Box. So far so good. No regrets.
My only complaints with the Clipper Creek unit is it's size, the lack of provision to make it portable and the short little 12" pig tail for the NEMA plug. If you think you might take your Level 2 with you on the road, maybe consider the Juice Box.
Another member here also has a Tesla and uses the Tesla Level 2 and it is competitively priced and has some nice features. You might check that one out too. I didn't know much about it, but I kind of wish I had checked it out. I assumed Tesla meant expensive, but that's not the case. It's about the same money.
My only complaints with the Clipper Creek unit is it's size, the lack of provision to make it portable and the short little 12" pig tail for the NEMA plug. If you think you might take your Level 2 with you on the road, maybe consider the Juice Box.
Another member here also has a Tesla and uses the Tesla Level 2 and it is competitively priced and has some nice features. You might check that one out too. I didn't know much about it, but I kind of wish I had checked it out. I assumed Tesla meant expensive, but that's not the case. It's about the same money.
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I don't think so. So if you are doing a hardwire install with permits, I would avoid the Juice Box. If you're doing the plug in NEMA plug, I don't think it matters.
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I live in metro Boston, and my town gives me a 15% discount on electricity and a $250 rebate if I buy one of 2 recommended Level 2 EVSEs with wifi, and only charge after 9 pm. The JuiceBox 40 Pro was on the list of two, and so I bought that. (The wifi is so the L2 EVSE can report on the timing and amount of my charging, which the utility has access to). I had to have a new 50 amp 240V circuit installed by my electrician. So far it has worked fine. Between the various eMotorWerks, and on-board car, programs I just had to make sure the time for charging was consistent and not Pacific time zone (eMotorWerks, the JuiceBox manufacturer, is located in CA).
I might have gotten a larger L2 EVSE but I wouldn't have gotten the rebates or discount unless I went with one of the 2 recommended units, and it was not worth the hassle to argue the point with the utility. Plus, honestly, I can fully recharge with a 100% dead battery overnight, so the extra amps would not have made a material difference while costing me more $$$.
FYI I asked my electrician about installing a 100 (not 50) amp circuit in case my spouse wanted to go EV when she gets a new car - turns out the size of the wires would have been so big we would have needed a different 240V receptacle, and running the wiring would have been significantly harder (we had wall, concrete, etc to navigate). She did install conduit pipe that is big enough to handle larger wires if we go that direction in the future.
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Have used a Clipper Creek 120V unit on an electric motorcycle, 5 days a week, for the last 4 years without a problem.
Picked up a 240V Clipper Creek plug-in for the Bolt and it works well. I don't need connectivity, since my car is in my attached garage, the the door provides very hassle-free connectivity!
Totally agree with you about the Bolt's driving experience. Over the last 60 years, I've driven everything from an Austin Healy 100-4 to a Lincoln Continental to a Miata, to a Grand Caravan, and the Bolt is one amazing car to drive!
Picked up a 240V Clipper Creek plug-in for the Bolt and it works well. I don't need connectivity, since my car is in my attached garage, the the door provides very hassle-free connectivity!
Totally agree with you about the Bolt's driving experience. Over the last 60 years, I've driven everything from an Austin Healy 100-4 to a Lincoln Continental to a Miata, to a Grand Caravan, and the Bolt is one amazing car to drive!
Lincoln Continental, now that's impressive. Those are known to have the best ride quality, like riding on a cloud. Even the Towncar and Navigator. I think one good test is how well the suspension holds up over the next months as more people break them in.
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Speaking with my electrician hat on, if you install a 100 amp breaker and appropriate size wire (at least #4 ) then you have to install a 100 amp receptacle. ($400+) Once you get to the size of 100 amps, the NEMA connectors get pretty pricey and also less user friendly. To plug in a EVSE with a NEMA 14-50 plug on it, you would need to make a pigtail adapter. (More money!)
What you could do though is lay in the wire, or at least conduit size for 100 amps at a later date. In other words, install a normal 50 amp install, but run along side the wires for 100 amps. That way in the future all you would have to do is install a different breaker and then use your receptacle box as a junction box because very likely any 100 amp EVSE in the future would be hardwire only and likely require a disconnect.
It seems to me that charging overnight seems to work so well now for daily driving, that having bigger faster charging equipment at home in the future might just be overkill. Where big amps and fast charging will make a difference is on the road when traveling.
Thank you all for this wealth of info on the EVSEs. I've also been reading multiple posts in the Charging & Batteries subforum. Thankfully, because of being a stay-at-home dad, my driving is so limited to short around the town stops that the uber-slow cable that comes with the car has actually been able to keep me almost completely topped off with a nightly charge.
We also have solar on the house so my energy savings are just making me oh so happy, boy that makes me sound a lot "greener" than I really am
But again, thanks to all for the great evse suggestions.
We also have solar on the house so my energy savings are just making me oh so happy, boy that makes me sound a lot "greener" than I really am
But again, thanks to all for the great evse suggestions.
Just wait till solar tech increases and things will get even better. If other countries are developing solar roads, odds are we might see solar driveways become a thing. Any way to get more panels somewhere on our property.Thank you all for this wealth of info on the EVSEs. I've also been reading multiple posts in the Charging & Batteries subforum. Thankfully, because of being a stay-at-home dad, my driving is so limited to short around the town stops that the uber-slow cable that comes with the car has actually been able to keep me almost completely topped off with a nightly charge.
We also have solar on the house so my energy savings are just making me oh so happy, boy that makes me sound a lot "greener" than I really am
But again, thanks to all for the great evse suggestions.
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DaV8or, Thanks for the thought on future wiring. Will keep it in mind!
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