[bro1999]

For the past 4 years I've used my trusty Clipper Creek LCS-25 (4.8 kW/20 amp max) unit with 0 problems with my Volt, and more recently my Bolt. However, since I am moving soon to a house that has a garage, I decided it was time to upgrade to a EVSE that can max out the Bolt's 7.2 peak charge rate. So I sold my old CC unit, and decided to get a Tesla Gen 2 mobile connector (see http://www.chevybolt.org/forum/9-20...id-unthinkable-i-bought-tesla.html#post418825)

So until I move and get the Tesla unit installed, I am forced to charge L1 with my 120v charging cord. This morning I woke up after plugging the Bolt in last night, and checked the charge state at 7AM this morning. The display said it would be finished charging at 11AM....TOMORROW (notice the display doesn't say the date it will finish charging).

Just a couple of more weeks! I already know that long term 120V charging would not work for my household.

 

[Packard V8]

Your results obviously vary, but we're retired, no daily commute, just errand running. While waiting several months for our utility to install a free EVSE, we discovered 120-volt charging would have covered our use adequately.

jack vines

 

[Fivedoor]

For the past 4 years I've used my trusty Clipper Creek LCS-25 (4.8 kW/20 amp max) unit with 0 problems with my Volt, and more recently my Bolt. However, since I am moving soon to a house that has a garage, I decided it was time to upgrade to a EVSE that can max out the Bolt's 7.2 peak charge rate. So I sold my old CC unit, and decided to get a Tesla Gen 2 mobile connector (see http://www.chevybolt.org/forum/9-20...id-unthinkable-i-bought-tesla.html#post418825)

So until I move and get the Tesla unit installed, I am forced to charge L1 with my 120v charging cord. This morning I woke up after plugging the Bolt in last night, and checked the charge state at 7AM this morning. The display said it would be finished charging at 11AM....TOMORROW (notice the display doesn't say the date it will finish charging).

Just a couple of more weeks! I already know that long term 120V charging would not work for my household.

Are you charging at 8 amps or 12 amps?

You can always make a 240v adaptor and charge at 2.9 kw on the stock evse if the 120v is not enough.

Later,

Keith

 

[bro1999]

Are you charging at 8 amps or 12 amps?

You can always make a 240v adaptor and charge at 2.9 kw on the stock evse if the 120v is not enough.

Later,

Keith

12. Forgot to mention I had to uninstall my Clipper Creek unit in order for my HOA to approve me selling my house (I guess I needed to apply for an exterior application permit when I had it installed years ago, which I didn't know. Bleh)

 

[XJ12]

Man, I'd be figuring how to plug the Bolt's OEM EVSE into the dryer. Been running that EVSE on 240 volts since last year. Have a 30 amp 240 volt welder outlet in the shop if needed too. You got to find 240 volts somewhere! Get @GregBrew to set you up.

 

[hatchy]

Been slumming it on 110v 12a for 6 months. On the included charger with no plans to ever upgrade to anything else..

Rarely change settings from off peak only to immediate charging. And I even have a 230v outlets at my house and at work, that I will probably never use. Have not felt the need to build an adapter cable yet, but I guess I will if I do. Then I'd double to what, 90 miles each night? Personally don't understand everybody's feeling like the bigger chargers are a necessity.

 

[max]

Been slumming it on 110v 12a for 6 months. On the included charger with no plans to ever upgrade to anything else..

Rarely change settings from off peak only to immediate charging. And I even have a 230v outlets at my house and at work, that I will probably never use. Have not felt the need to build an adapter cable yet, but I guess I will if I do. Then I'd double to what, 90 miles each night? Personally don't understand everybody's feeling like the bigger chargers are a necessity.

Depends on how much you drive...

110/120 charging is like 50 hours from empty.
220/240 charging at 30 amps is about 9 hours from empty

-much better than double.

 

[Fivedoor]

Been slumming it on 110v 12a for 6 months. On the included charger with no plans to ever upgrade to anything else..

Rarely change settings from off peak only to immediate charging. And I even have a 230v outlets at my house and at work, that I will probably never use. Have not felt the need to build an adapter cable yet, but I guess I will if I do. Then I'd double to what, 90 miles each night? Personally don't understand everybody's feeling like the bigger chargers are a necessity.

For my daily commute I only drive 45 miles round trip, call it 11.5 KW used and could easily do that on 120V 12 amp charging... If I only worked an 8 hour day instead of 12 hours I could keep up with charging on 120V 8 amps... but with only 10 hours available for charging I would slowly fall behind on 8 amps. I leave the car on hill top reserve for commuting duty.

Now the weekend is a totally different story. I turn hill top reserve off after my last work day, and travel 150 to 200+ miles on a day off. In that situation, a couple hours at home between destinations can add almost 60 miles of range on 240V 32 amps vs 8 to 10 miles of range on 110V 12 amps. For example, last weekend I drove 231 miles on one day (mostly highway 70 mph) using 59.9 kWh. I was able to do this without massive range anxiety by getting 7 KW of charging out of my 240V chargers (3.8 KW at rental house I am moving out of, 2.9 KW stock EVSE running on 240V at my new home) in a bit over 2 hours of charging on a couple of stops. After I get my new 32 amp charging installed at the new house I would be able to duplicate this type of day with 1 hours of charging... if I was on 110V charging it would have taken me 7 hours of charging.

Today I only drove 133 miles, and with my 2.9 KW charging I currently have at my new home the car will not be fully charged until after noon on Saturday. So, Saturday will be planned to be a "light driving" day since I will not have a full charge in the morning, so I will do any more "heavy travel" plans on Sunday. If I already had my 32 amp charger installed, I would probably do another heavy travel day Saturday since the car would be topped off and ready to go in the morning.

Later,

Keith

 

[Vertiformed]

For the past 4 years I've used my trusty Clipper Creek LCS-25 (4.8 kW/20 amp max) unit with 0 problems with my Volt, and more recently my Bolt. However, since I am moving soon to a house that has a garage, I decided it was time to upgrade to a EVSE that can max out the Bolt's 7.2 peak charge rate. So I sold my old CC unit, and decided to get a Tesla Gen 2 mobile connector (see http://www.chevybolt.org/forum/9-20...id-unthinkable-i-bought-tesla.html#post418825)

So until I move and get the Tesla unit installed, I am forced to charge L1 with my 120v charging cord. This morning I woke up after plugging the Bolt in last night, and checked the charge state at 7AM this morning. The display said it would be finished charging at 11AM....TOMORROW (notice the display doesn't say the date it will finish charging).

Just a couple of more weeks! I already know that long term 120V charging would not work for my household.

We have a JuiceBox Pro 40 which I like a lot, but when we first got our Bolt, I used the provided portable charger. Over ten hours, it can put over 12 kWh into the car. On typical weekdays from errands and commuting I use between 2.75 and 6 kWh which it could put back overnight without breaking a sweat. On weekends, I tend to go further afield most commonly using about 15 kWh on Saturday. When I was using the charge cable, it was more than it could add back in 10 hours of charging so it would finish off on Sunday night and be back to fully charged for Monday.

Occasionally I do longer trips of 35 to 40 kWh which would take more than one extra day to catch up and get back to a full charge, but I could probably have coped okay with that given how rare those trips are.

The provided charger can run at 240 volts with a suitable adapter which would add about 25 kWh in 10 hours. That'd cover my normal weekend driving without needing to defer any charging to the next day. And my longer trips could be handled with just one catch-up day.

So really, with a 240-volt adapter, the provided charger is pretty capable.

That said, although technically I didn't need the JuiceBox Pro 40, faster charging means I'm more prepared for the unexpected, and all the web-connectedness is fun too.

 

[Lin19687]

I have only 110, 15 amp outside plug that has my 1200gpm pond pump that runs 24/7. I also plug the Bolt in occasionally.

I work from home right now and don't go too far.
I just try to find free L2 or L3 chargers when I need them. And yes I will eat at one restaurant over another if there is a charger near by


All in all it depends on how far you go and how often.

before my commute was 16 miles total, I had the 'i' Mitsubishi and it was fine to plug in at night and be fully charged in the morning.

 

[California]

An insight, don't know why it took so long to think of this possible interim '240 volt outlet':


A 12 or 14 gauge extension cord from the far side of the house could be brought over near the 110 volt outlet nearest the car, to make 240 volts available at the custom adapter there.

 

[GJETSON]

An insight, don't know why it took so long to think of this possible interim '240 volt outlet':


A 12 or 14 gauge extension cord from the far side of the house could be brought over near the 110 volt outlet nearest the car, to make 240 volts available at the custom adapter there.

Yup. I made a cord up, with parts from Lowes, to pull power from different legs in my garage. It worked with non-GFI outlets only.

 

[GregBrew]

Yup. I made a cord up, with parts from Lowes, to pull power from different legs in my garage. It worked with non-GFI outlets only.

Yeah. I can imagine that a GFCI would go nuts with such a thing.


For those that aren't aware *most* electrical panels have one 120V phase (of the 240V) on every other breaker, so if you want both phases for 240V, use adjacent breakers (above or below each other).


Then again, if you weren't aware of this, you probably shouldn't be mucking about in your main panel.

 

[California]

Yup. I made a cord up, with parts from Lowes, to pull power from different legs in my garage. It worked with non-GFI outlets only.

Is that adapter as scary as it sounds?

When only one leg of the Y is plugged into 110 volts, does 110 volts appear at a prong on the other leg of the Y?

 

[GJETSON]

Is that adapter as scary as it sounds?

When only one leg of the Y is plugged into 110 volts, does 110 volts appear at a prong on the other leg of the Y?

No. The only real concern is somebody plugging a 120 volt device into the female plug. I had mine clearly labeled 240 volts only. We are an old retired couple, and kids don't even come around for Trick or Treat anymore.

 

[California]

No. The only real concern is somebody plugging a 120 volt device into the female plug.

That'd good to know. Thanks.

 

[NJ Bolter]

Like you, the "trickle charger" satisfies my charging needs.
Additionally, I hope, but cannot prove, the 120v charger is easier on the electron of the high voltage battery.
Is it analogous to drinking from a garden hose vs a fire hose?

 

[hatchy]

I get that on the faster chargers the people who NEED it, need it. Period. If you do big miles there is no way around it.

But. Statistically most people aren't driving 90 miles a day. I just worry that we are scaring away potential EV users with the "must have fast charger" speak in these topics. So I like to butt in with with my dissenting view on every thread where the slow charger gets spoken ill on.

Hi my name is Bob, and I am a Bolt owner. I drive 50 miles a day. I only use the freebie Chevy 110v slow charger and its been fine. My tank is above 3/4 full 95% of the time. The odd non commute trip is the only time it dips below 3/4. And for long road trip.. borrow/rent gas car. I have spent a grand total of zero dollars on the charging accessories.

 

[Vertiformed]

I get that on the faster chargers the people who NEED it, need it. Period. If you do big miles there is no way around it.

But. Statistically most people aren't driving 90 miles a day. I just worry that we are scaring away potential EV users with the "must have fast charger" speak in these topics. So I like to butt in with with my dissenting view on every thread where the slow charger gets spoken ill on.

Hi my name is Bob, and I am a Bolt owner. I drive 50 miles a day. I only use the freebie Chevy 110v slow charger and its been fine. My tank is above 3/4 full 95% of the time. The odd non commute trip is the only time it dips below 3/4. And for long road trip.. borrow/rent gas car. I have spent a grand total of zero dollars on the charging accessories.

100% agreed.

I did buy a JuiceBox Pro 40 in the end, but it wasn't because I needed it. Being able to charge quickly at home (and track/control all sorts of charging minutia from my couch) just seemed nice rather than necessary.

 

[raitchison]

Like you, the "trickle charger" satisfies my charging needs.
Additionally, I hope, but cannot prove, the 120v charger is easier on the electron of the high voltage battery.
Is it analogous to drinking from a garden hose vs a fire hose?

That is a valid theory but you also have to consider that other systems, namely the onboard charger which includes moving parts like fans and cooling pumps will be running for much longer which would in theory cause those components to fail more quickly.

When I put in my JuiceBox Pro I told the charger to limit itself to 24A even though I have a full 50A circuit feeding it. I figure that's a good compromise point between not feeding the battery too much too soon (or working the onboard charger at it's maximum 32A capacity) and working the battery unnecessarily long. Basically I figured that 75% of the onboard chargers maximum capacity was as good of a starting point as anything.