[dfburrow50]

Our 2022 2LT Bolt was just delivered. We bought it used from a VW dealership. However it came with only the 115 charging cord. Any suggestions about the best place to get a 220 volt cord or is there an adaptor for the 115 cord?

 

[JerryP]

First order of business is to decide how many amps you want it to have, if it will have adjustable amperage, if it will be hard wired or plugin, and if you want a smart EVSE or just a dumb one.

For example, I have the dual voltage one that came with my EUV that charges at 32 amps. I also have an old Duosaida 16A EVSE that I've been using for years. I like it because it charges at the same rate that my solar panels make electricity on clear days. Both are simple dumb cords. Those are the least expensive options. If you want something you can monitor and even control from your phone, that'll cost a lot more.

Once you know what you want, the suggestions can fit your requirements a lot better.

 

[ARCowboy]

Our 2022 2LT Bolt was just delivered. We bought it used from a VW dealership. However it came with only the 115 charging cord. Any suggestions about the best place to get a 220 volt cord or is there an adaptor for the 115 cord?

This is a very frequent topic. I recommend the "dumb" Grizzl-E or a Clipper Creek. Both can be found on the UL listing database. A lot of chargers are made by other companies or sold under different names. You can email them and ask for their UL certs and find out who actually made the chargers, but why not go with a company that makes their own and is Canadian or American, respectively ?

I spent quite a bit of time researching this myself after seeing the warnings on these forums about Mustarts. With the Bolt's "smart" features contained within the car, I didn't feel the need to purchase a "smart" charger to control charging times or monitor current since the Bolt does that already. I sound far older than I am when I say this but "just more things to break". Plus another IOT WiFi device on my home network is just one more security risk since they're notoriously unsecure.

Of the "dumb"/reliable chargers out there, it seems like it comes down to two very well regarded choices:

The Clipper Creak HCS-40 32A charger​

Available as either hardwired or with a plug.​

Reliability noted in excellent reviews​

Excellent customer service​

Most commonly 32A or 40A . Also has a 48A version but doesn't have a NEMA 14-50 plug on it.​

Charging cable conveniently hangs on unit​

Made in America​

$622 as of this post​

​

​

Grizzl-E Level 2 EV Charger, 16/24/32/40 Amp​

Sells with a 14-50 plug but hardwire instructions included​

Selectable between 16A, 24A, 32A, or 40A with dipswitches​

Reliability noted in excellent reviews​

Good customer service​

Made in Canada​

$395 as of this post​

Lastly, kinda niche, but I think of note:

OpenEVSE DIY kits​

Fascinating kit of easily replaceable components if interested in putting one together yourself and seeing how it works.​

I chose the Grizzl-E because it's almost $200 cheaper, was prime eligible, and seems to provide the same charging capability/reliability. Personally both of those countries of origin are acceptable to me and I consider myself to be a proud American who promotes individual freedoms, doesn't live in California, and doesn't support either major party because I'm a free thinking individual who doesn't need to be told how to feel about a certain subject or which freedoms we should or should not have.


Regarding amps/voltage and charge times, you can get an idea with these excel charts I made. They're approximate, but have been accurate IME.

OEM 32A L2 Charger compared to L1 @ 12A:

40A (Like my Grizzl-E) L2 Charger compared to L1 @ 12A:

48A

 

[jreddington]

Our 2022 2LT Bolt was just delivered. We bought it used from a VW dealership. However it came with only the 115 charging cord. Any suggestions about the best place to get a 220 volt cord or is there an adaptor for the 115 cord?

Check with your local utility to see if they have rebates on the EVSEs and/or supply power wiring.

I concur the suggestion to save a few $s and buy a “dumb” charger (EVSE).

I see on their site that the Grizzl-E is even available in your choice of black, white, or camouflage to match your decor😉.

Other advantage is they have refurbs for $299. Won’t find much cheaper than that.

And they sell replacement charger cords. If you damage it, you don’t have to replace the entire unit. Mine got sucked into a helpful neighbor’s snowblower auger. But amazingly we snaked it out of there undamaged.

 

[dfburrow50]

Thanks to all for your advice.

 

[Sean Nelson]

Our 2022 2LT Bolt was just delivered. We bought it used from a VW dealership. However it came with only the 115 charging cord. Any suggestions about the best place to get a 220 volt cord or is there an adaptor for the 115 cord?

IF (big if!) it is the OEM cord that was originally supplied with the Bolt then it's capable of running from 240V, which would double your charge speed. I personally installed a 240V feed to a NEMA 5-15 plug so that I could plug the cord in directly, but you also have the option of using an adapter or replacing the plug on the end of the cord with a 240V plug.

(Note - many people think it's heresy, sacrilege and damnation to do what I did because it's against code and risks someone plugging the wrong thing into the socket and blowing it up. But it does have the advantage of leaving the thermistor in the cord plug intact so that if there's an overheating problem in the plug or socket the cord will shut off automatically.)

I originally expected to spend a few thousand bucks running a higher capacity underground feed to my detached garage, but the OEM cord at 240V / 12A works fine with my 30A panel and it's been more than enough for me >99% of the time (the other <1% I just get a head start at a DC fast charger for 30 minutes before coming home, plugging in and letting the OEM cord finish the charge overnight).

 

[Sheldon]

Our 2022 2LT Bolt was just delivered. We bought it used from a VW dealership. However it came with only the 115 charging cord. Any suggestions about the best place to get a 220 volt cord or is there an adaptor for the 115 cord?

Post a picture of your J1772 plug. Post a picture of the part that the wall plug feeds into.

 

[PhilipD]

IF (big if!) it is the OEM cord that was originally supplied with the Bolt then it's capable of running from 240V, which would double your charge speed. I personally installed a 240V feed to a NEMA 5-15 plug so that I could plug the cord in directly, but you also have the option of using an adapter or replacing the plug on the end of the cord with a 240V plug.

If I understand you correctly, you attached 1 wire @ 120V to one side of the outlet and another wire @ 120V to the other side. Did you have a neutral? If so did you attach it to ground? Also, how did you keep the power from exceeding 12 amps?

Thanks

 

[Sean Nelson]

If I understand you correctly, you attached 1 wire @ 120V to one side of the outlet and another wire @ 120V to the other side. Did you have a neutral? If so did you attach it to ground? Also, how did you keep the power from exceeding 12 amps?

Socket ground is wired to panel neutral, socket neutral and hot are wired to the two 240V breaker outputs (which are two opposite 120V phases). Panel neutral is not connected to ground inside the panel, but it may be elsewhere in the system (in the main panel inside the house, perhaps).

Note, I am not an electrician and I am not advising anyone to wire things up the way I have. All I can say is what I did and testify that I am still alive and writing about it. Proceed with caution!

The OEM charge cord ("EVSE") sends a pilot signal to the Bolt to tell it to limit the current draw to 12V. This is a fixed setting inside the EVSE and doesn't change whether you connect it to 120V or 240V.

Some other EVSEs are wired to send a different pilot signal requesting a different current draw - these are supposed to be configured appropriately based on the kind of 240V plug they have so that they don't overload the circuit that they are plugged into. For example a NEMA 14-30 wall socket is rated for 30A, or 24A for a continuous load, so an EVSE with a NEMA 14-30 plug should request 24A.

And some EVSEs have can be configured to request various current draws - these are generally the type that are hardwired into a circuit where the electrician installing them sets requested draw based on the kind of wiring he installed and the rating of the associated breaker.

 

[PhilipD]

Socket ground is wired to panel neutral, socket neutral and hot are wired to the two 240V breaker outputs (which are two opposite 120V phases). Panel neutral is not connected to ground inside the panel, but it may be elsewhere in the system (in the main panel inside the house, perhaps).

The OEM charge cord ("EVSE") sends a pilot signal to the Bolt to tell it to limit the current draw to 12V. This is a fixed setting inside the EVSE and doesn't change whether you connect it to 120V or 240V.

Got it. Thanks. 2 120V wires phased 180 degrees apart. No neutral. Does this increase your charge speed?

 

[Sean Nelson]

Got it. Thanks. 2 120V wires phased 180 degrees apart. No neutral. Does this increase your charge speed?

Yes, 240V / 12A delivers twice as much power as 120V / 12A, and so it cuts charge times approximately in half (not exactly, because some portion of the charge [cell balancing, for example] may be a fixed amount of time). 240V charging is also supposed to be a bit more efficient, so that may reduce times by another percent or two.

Remember that this applies to the OEM charger supplied with the Bolt. Other chargers may work on 240V, or they may melt, or....?

 

[PhilipD]

@Sean Nelson
Thanks, I am waiting for the Qmerit quote. I am looking at other options if Qmerit is too expensive. I have no room in my box for a 40 amp breaker.

 

[LoneR]

@dfburrow50 I would have replied, "Thanks to all for your advice. Also, any suggestions about the best place to get a 220 volt cord or is there an adaptor for the 115 cord?".

 

[PhilipD]

Our 2022 2LT Bolt was just delivered. We bought it used from a VW dealership. However it came with only the 115 charging cord. Any suggestions about the best place to get a 220 volt cord or is there an adaptor for the 115 cord?

Hey dfburrow50. It's kinda hard to answer your question because we don't know what you have. The charger that came with my '23 EUV has three pieces. There is a long cord. On one end there is a piece that plugs into your Bolt. On the other end, there is a rectangular box. There are also two plugs. One is 120V and the other is 240V. They are easy to tell apart because the 120V plug has three prongs and the other has four prongs. Either one of these will plug into the rectangular box. So, what do you have?

 

[greendave]

Our 2022 2LT Bolt was just delivered. We bought it used from a VW dealership. However it came with only the 115 charging cord. Any suggestions about the best place to get a 220 volt cord or is there an adaptor for the 115 cord?

You don't mention what kind of outlet or circuit you have access to. 240V options range from 12A to 48A, so it really depends on what infrastructure you have available and how much you're willing to spend. And whether you want a hard-wired unit or one that you can easily unplug...

 

[evtinker]

I am getting a concerned about this thread: There is a lot of advice getting thrown around, a lot of questions that leave me wondering about the knowledge level of the individuals being advised, and a lot of apparent assumptions that may or may not be true. I think I need to point out a few possibly overlooked facts.

• Bolts and Bolt EUVs come with two possible EVSEs. By default, Bolts are equipped with a 120 Volt 12 Amp EVSE. Starting in 2022 I believe; they do have the option of a dual input EVSE capable of 120 Volts at 12 Amps and 240 Volts at 32 Amps. This EVSE has two different input cords for the two different voltages. It does not have a means of adjusting the current. Bolt EUVs come with the dual input unit standard.
• Many users have run the single input 120 Volt 12 Amp EVSE on 240 Volts in violation of its ratings. When doing this it still supplies 12 Amps but at 240 Volts it supplies twice as fast a charge, but if it burns you house down, I am not sure the insurance company would love you. Yes, I have adapters for mine to do this, but they just give me options. My daily use EVSE is a Clipper Creek LCS-20 240 VAC at 16 Amps. Not everybody needs to charge fast.
• A Bolt is a significant investment, you will be using the EVSE a lot, so make sure it is one that is reliable, and you can trust. Spending a little more to get something you will never need to worry about seems like a reasonable idea.
• The J-1772 standard means any EVSE built to that standard should be able to charge your car, however there are a plethora of poor quality EVSE without UL ratings available on the internet. Take care and question the feedback. You can always ask this forum about a specific unit.
• As someone mentioned, many electrical utilities offered discounted or otherwise incentivized EVSE installation. Make sure you check that option.
• If your garage or parking area already has an unused 240 Volt service, you might be able to use that circuit by simply identifying the outlet design and the circuit breaker rating, then selecting an EVSE to match.
• Personally, I don’t like the idea of only having a single EVSE. The little 120 Volt one can stay in the car, I want a permanent one at home. If an EVSE fails, it will only do this when you need to charge. Also, plugging and unplugging an EVSE from the outlet wears out the outlet. While the J1772 connector is rated something like 10,000 plug/unplug cycles, most wall outlets are rated for only a few hundred cycles. Basically, plug it in and leave it plugged in.

Most of all, if you have a question, either search the forum or just ask. Pretty much anything you can think of relating to charging has come up at one point or another. We are here because we support EVs and Evers. We want to help, so ask away.

 

[jreddington]

@Sean Nelson
Thanks, I am waiting for the Qmerit quote. I am looking at other options if Qmerit is too expensive. I have no room in my box for a 40 amp breaker.

If your breaker box is full, a quad tandem breaker may allow you to fit additional circuits in. Attached is an example with a 30 A double pole breaker. This is for visual reference ONLY. This one has a 30 A double pole breaker in the middle and two 20 A single pole breakers on the sides.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Square-D-Homeline-30-Amp-2-Pole-Quad-Circuit-Breaker/3129819

ONLY your electrician can determine if a tandem breaker is allowed by code or by the panel manufacturer and allows a safe load profile for the whole box. You may not have sufficient safe current availability for a 40 A double pole breaker. If not, many EVSEs, like the Grizzl-E, can be set to a lower limit, down to as low as 16 A. This allows use of smaller breakers and conductors.

 

[prizmev]

I personally installed a 240V feed to a NEMA 5-15 plug so that I could plug the cord in directly, but you also have the option of using an adapter or replacing the plug on the end of the cord with a 240V plug.

Note that just because someone on the internet did this, it's still not OK. It's like leaving a bear trap set in your front yard. You know it's there and can easily avoid it, but others don't know... What if you move and forget to undo that mickey mouse outlet?

 

[Sean Nelson]

Note that just because someone on the internet did this, it's still not OK. It's like leaving a bear trap set in your front yard. You know it's there and can easily avoid it, but others don't know... What if you move and forget to undo that mickey mouse outlet?

Then I'll be responsible for whatever damage it causes. But I do not intend to let that happen.

 

[jreddington]

Then I'll be responsible for whatever damage it causes. But I do not intend to let that happen.

At least stop encouraging others to create this hazard.