[Orlyi]

Howdy,

Looking for some advice here. I have a 2019 Bolt Premier arriving soon (TM) I'm trying to figure out my charging logistics. I'll be driving heavy on the weekend (Lyft / UBER) Probably averaging 150 mi a day friday - Sunday

I'll be moving around March of next year, so i'm trying to avoid the cost of having a dedicated 220 installed for charging purposes.

Currently I have a 10-30R plug (30a breaker) that is used for my dryer that I was hoping I could borrow for charging overnight.

My brother has a Juicebox pro 40 and says that you can limit the current (say to 28a for my existing 30a plug) Originally In my mind I figured I could just swap out the head on the ESVE to a 10-30R head, with the current limited I should be "fine", however, the 10-30r has no neutral line.

I want to be safe here, any advice? am I out of luck? Has anyone safely found a solution to use a 10-30r for charging their bolts?

Thanks!

 

[GJETSON]

Forget the Juicebox.

Get this

https://shop.tesla.com/us/en/produc...odel-s_x_3-gen-2-mobile-connector-bundle.html

and the 10-30 adapter

https://shop.tesla.com/us/en/product/vehicle-accessories/model-s_x_3-gen-2-nema-adapters.html

and this.

https://shop.quickchargepower.com/JDapter-Stub-Tesla-Charge-Station-Adaptor-JDPTRSTB.htm

Or get this

https://shop.quickchargepower.com/J...-J1772-portable-charging-solution-JESLAJR.htm

and the 10-30 adapter

 

[raitchison]

Howdy,

Looking for some advice here. I have a 2019 Bolt Premier arriving soon (TM) I'm trying to figure out my charging logistics. I'll be driving heavy on the weekend (Lyft / UBER) Probably averaging 150 mi a day friday - Sunday

I'll be moving around March of next year, so i'm trying to avoid the cost of having a dedicated 220 installed for charging purposes.

Currently I have a 10-30R plug (30a breaker) that is used for my dryer that I was hoping I could borrow for charging overnight.

My brother has a Juicebox pro 40 and says that you can limit the current (say to 28a for my existing 30a plug) Originally In my mind I figured I could just swap out the head on the ESVE to a 10-30R head, with the current limited I should be "fine", however, the 10-30r has no neutral line.

I want to be safe here, any advice? am I out of luck? Has anyone safely found a solution to use a 10-30r for charging their bolts?

Thanks!

Most if not all EVSEs can limit the maximum current draw either with software (such as with a "Smart" EVSE like a JuiceBox) or by changing a switch or dial inside the unit.

I have a JuiceBox Pro and am very happy with it, I have set the maximum current as low as 6A. and it does work. In your case I'd probably set the max to 24A or lower just to be safe, I'd be worried that your circuit won't be able to safely handle a 30A (or 28A) continuous load.

You'll also need a 10-30 to 14-50 adapter, you can make one or buy one https://amzn.to/2A6hG6r

Forget the Juicebox.

Apples and oranges (or maybe Apples and Pears). I agree the Tesla UMC is by far the best, most flexible portable EVSE available but it doesn't have the feature set of something like a JuiceBox Pro. One of the reasons I went with a JuiceBox over something like a UMC is I wanted the convenience of something that's permanently wall mounted instead of what's essentially a glorified extension cord (yes I'm aware that "glorified extension cord" could be used to describe basically all EVSEs)

 

[XJ12]

you need to limit your charge to eighty percent of the 30 amp circuit for a continuous load per code. that would be 24 amps.

 

[GJETSON]

Has anyone safely found a solution to use a 10-30r for charging their bolts?

Thanks!

EVSE's don't use the neutral. For temporary you could make up an adapter for your OEM EVSE that came with the Bolt. Get a 10-30P, a foot of three conductor cable, and a 5-15r from Lowes, or Home Depot.

 

[Orlyi]

Thanks for the responses, not sure why all that was so confusing to me earlier. makes sense now.

 

[SparkE]

Originally In my mind I figured I could just swap out the head on the ESVE to a 10-30R head, with the current limited I should be "fine", however, the 10-30r has no neutral line.

Careful here - the NEMA 10-30 has two hots and one neutral - it has no dedicated GROUND pin. Now, while Ground and Neutral are supposed to be bonded together at the main breaker panel, so electrically identical ... um, well, ...

Just google NEMA 10-30 and read. YMMV. Do at your own risk. Etc.

 

[ai4px]

Careful here - the NEMA 10-30 has two hots and one neutral - it has no dedicated GROUND pin. Now, while Ground and Neutral are supposed to be bonded together at the main breaker panel, so electrically identical ... um, well, ...

Just google NEMA 10-30 and read. YMMV. Do at your own risk. Etc.

WOW... great catch.... I just looked it up in disbelief but you are 100% correct.... 10-30 uses the neutral instead of the ground. I learned something today!

 

[Sean Nelson]

Forget the Juicebox.

Get this

https://shop.tesla.com/us/en/produc...odel-s_x_3-gen-2-mobile-connector-bundle.html

and the 10-30 adapter

https://shop.tesla.com/us/en/product/vehicle-accessories/model-s_x_3-gen-2-nema-adapters.html
...

Yeah, the Tesla charger that automatically adjusts its current depending on which NEMA adapter you plug into it is a brilliant design. I can't imagine why nobody else is doing the same thing.

 

[ga2500ev]

EVSE's don't use the neutral. For temporary you could make up an adapter for your OEM EVSE that came with the Bolt. Get a 10-30P, a foot of three conductor cable, and a 5-15r from Lowes, or Home Depot.

The problem is that a 10-30R only offers two hots and a neutral. The neutral should be bonded to ground at the main electrical box. But there's always the risk of an unbonded neutral line.

ga2500ev

 

[GJETSON]

Sparke and ga2500ev,

Thanks for that info. Decent EVSEs won't start charging with a faulty ground.

 

[demart]

I have a 30amp dryer outlet and an EVSE that can be set at 16/24/32 amp. It works fine, I normally set it on 16amp, but on occassion I have done 32 amps, and it seems to work just fine (the wire does not get warm and the breaker does not trip).

 

[bro1999]

I think for your situation, getting an adapter made for your OEM charging cord to convert it to 240 would be the easiest and cheapest. You'd be able to charge at ~2.8 kW, or about 10 miles an hour. Assuming the Bolt is parked at least 10 hours per night, that'd be around 100 miles replenished overnight.

If that is still too slow, the Tesla UMC+JDapter or Jesla Jr with appropriate adapter would be best. That would take care of your temporary charging setup AND future 7.2 kW charging needs as well.

Personally, I would go with the UMC+JDapter combo. It is slightly more expensive and a bit bulkier than the Jesla Jr, but it offers a 4' longer cord (5' if you include the JDapter Stub length) and allows you to use Tesla destination L2 stations as well.

 

[DucRider]

I have a 30amp dryer outlet and an EVSE that can be set at 16/24/32 amp. It works fine, I normally set it on 16amp, but on occassion I have done 32 amps, and it seems to work just fine (the wire does not get warm and the breaker does not trip).

32 amps on a 30 amp circuit will work fine - right up until the time that it doesn't

Nothing in that circuit is designed to handle that load, including the receptacle and wiring. The breaker may or may not trip before enough heat builds up somewhere to cause an issue. Not sure what wire your are feeling - is all the wiring between the outlet and panel exposed? Did you feel it after several hours of charging or soon after you initiated a charge session?

You can safely set your EVSE to 24 amps on a 30 amp circuit. Anything more is playing with fire. Literally.

 

[daveo4Bolt]

+1 on the Tesla UMC + JDapter/TeslaTap solution - it will solve both your short term and long term charging needs and with the JDapter/TeslaTap open up a whole new fleet of L2 chargers that you can potentially use while traveling.

it's a good mobile, home, road trip solution and is the most flexible and cost effective solution.

 

[demart]

32 amps on a 30 amp circuit will work fine - right up until the time that it doesn't

Nothing in that circuit is designed to handle that load, including the receptacle and wiring. The breaker may or may not trip before enough heat builds up somewhere to cause an issue. Not sure what wire your are feeling - is all the wiring between the outlet and panel exposed? Did you feel it after several hours of charging or soon after you initiated a charge session?

You can safely set your EVSE to 24 amps on a 30 amp circuit. Anything more is playing with fire. Literally.

I obviously don't recommend setting it at 32 amps on a 30 amp circuit as a general matter, but at least in my case it is not going to be a fire hazard. The length of the wire is relatively short. There is a very large safety margin built into the wire and the outlet. The romex wire is exposed in the ceiling of the garage. I was concerned about it, and touched it after a couple of hours. The recepticle was also cold. It was the same temperature as the air around it.

Also, the NEC definition of "continous load" is 3 hours. So in theory you can draw 30 amps for up to 3 hours and still be in compliance with the rules.

 

[SparkE]

Well, there is "compliance with the rules", and there is "oh crap, my house just burnt down".

Now, it MAY be that the wiring is oversized for the 30amp (standard) socket (if the wiring is exposed, you should be able to read the gauge). However, the socket is most likely NOT designed to handle longer loads at over 24 amps.

 

[GregBrew]

Well, there is "compliance with the rules", and there is "oh crap, my house just burnt down".

Now, it MAY be that the wiring is oversized for the 30amp (standard) socket (if the wiring is exposed, you should be able to read the gauge). However, the socket is most likely NOT designed to handle longer loads at over 24 amps.

It appears that it all boils down to personal comfort level. As long as hazards are clearly understood, it's a decision for the homeowner to make.


THIS homeowner would *never* routinely overload a circuit...

 

[raitchison]

You can safely set your EVSE to 24 amps on a 30 amp circuit. Anything more is playing with fire. Literally.

I agree with this 100%, I'm more willing to bend the rules and electrical codes than many here, partially because I have enough electrical training that I know how and why certain practices increase risk, but I would not even consider running a 32A continuous load (continuous being more than 5-10 seconds) on a 30A circuit.

Now if I could see that the wiring was oversized for a 30A circuit I might call my electrician and have him come out and test it, and only after he told me it was good from the breaker to the plug would I consider upgrading the circuit (and replace the breaker).

Think about it this way, lets say that the electrician that installed the circuit ran 8AWG wiring for a 30A circuit. Now 8AWG wiring should be good for up to 40A but let's say the wiring got damaged during installation, or the electrician decided to save money on the job by using 8AWG wire from another job and there's a splice in the wire you can't see buried in the wall. Now a splice can be allowed if it's done properly but maybe the electrician (or his assistant) didn't do it 100% correctly, after all 8AWG is "more than enough" for a 30A circuit so a half-assed splicing job should be fine.

My electrician has fancy meters that can measure the voltage loss over the entire run and tell if there's more "room" in the wire to safely carry more amps, he's also got decades of experience and I literally trust his advice with my life and the lives of my family.