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Level 2 Charger for Home use..Recommendations?

9K views 15 replies 13 participants last post by  enovikoff 
#1 ·
Hi There,
I am shopping around for a Level 2 charger for my Volt.
I plan to install this on my driveway where it will be exposed to the 4 canadian weather seasons :)
What charger would you recommend? and How mush did it cost?
I am looking for and affordable option but at the same time something thats safe and relaible.

Thanks.
 
#2 ·
The SPX charger is subsidized by GM, so it comes out the cheapest at $500. I'm still using 110V so I can't comment on it much, but seem to see a lot of good things about it here. Home Depot and Best Buy also sell a few chargers. Most of those range from $700-1000 though.
 
#15 ·
SPX has partnered with Chevrolet to provide charging stations to Volt drivers in Canada. I encourage you to visit the Canadian Volt area on our website to see all of the options SPX offers.

https://homecharging.spx.com/volt/Home.aspx?menu=22

If you have any questions or would like to speak to an SPX representative, please do not hesitate to call us at 877-805-3878.

Meghan, SPX EV Team
 
#3 ·
The SPX Voltec one is by far the most reasonable priced one, ($495) and, since I have two of them, I have seen it's internal construction, and it is very well designed, with a rubber seal that should protect it against anything short of an actual flood. It has provision for the electric connection to be made from the bottom, as well as one from the back, and both are completely sealed until you break or drill one out.

I also like the design of it, with it's coiled cord hangs over the top, instead of a straight cord that would end up laying on the floor/ground.
 
#4 · (Edited)
What about a 30 Amps PORTABLE 240 V charger?

The only residential charger MADE in Canada.

They are looking for Beta tester beginning in july and for a period of about 3 months (free). When they get CSA certified, they sell it to you (if you like the product) and they take back their beta unit.

I am ALPHA tester and begin NEXT week!! I will keep you informed with pictures and posts !!

The price will be BELOW 900$ Canadian !! The casing is solid fiberglass ... not like the plastic for the SPX unit.

Take note that the SPX unit supports only 15 Amps, and with shipping charges and duty charges (because you have to import it) will add you about 100$ US. 15 Amps is good for the actual VOLT, but the Ford Focus Electric works at 30 AMP (6.6 KW) and hopefully, 2014 VOLT will also support 30 AMPS (a full charge will only take 2 hours !!!!).

Here is the link for pictures and more details: http://roulezelectrique.com/?p=1202

The Prototype 0001 is working (I tested it with my VOLT) ... it's a PUBLIC station in Shawinigan, Quebec.

Just leave a comment at the end of the blog post if you're interested in the BETA test program. You will just have to get a 240V plug installed by your electrician, at your cost, (NEMA 6-30 or L6-30). When you receive the Charger, you just plug it.

What's interesting, is that you can ask for custom order, like a longer male cable plug, or a different connector like dryers, etc ...

Sly
 
#6 ·
Fascinating. I haven't yet installed a Level-2 charger because my plug is NEMA L14-30R. I'm loathe to hire an electrician to change it (SPX's Power Xpress requires NEMA 6-30R).

So if the Roulez Electrique charger can plug into my L14-30R, sign me up. Feel free to PM me and I'll provide phone number, etc. I'm in Massachusetts.
 
#9 · (Edited)
L14-30 is a pretty common fixture, maybe for an electric dryer? It supports 240 and 120 operation. The L2 EVSEs only do 240, so an L5-30 or L6-30 would be sufficient.

Intriguing. I won't tell you what to do but I can tell you what I did and would do in your situation.

I have a similar socket (L6-30R - the 240V only version of what you have) installed in my garage per my request. I bought the Voltec L2 EVSE, drilled out the bottom hole, ran about 5 feet of cable (12-3 in a black sheathing, but not Romex - I'm not sure of the proper term for it) from the Voltec (through a Romex wire clamp screwed into the Voltec) to a L6-30P and plugged it in. Everybody's happy.

After looking at a wiring diagram for L14-30, if I were to do this I would leave the common pin (the narrow one) on the plug disconnected from any wire, but before I would do that I would double-check that with an electrician or even a "seasoned adult" at the Lowe's or Home Depot (grey beard == experience!) pretty inexpensively. Further, if I did leave it open I would be sure to label the plug indicating that it is not wired per the specification.

This is a <$50 self-install, maybe $100 if you get an electrician to do it. Check Angie's List for someone qualified near you. The plug is $18.00 at Home Depot, and I'd need a 5-6 feet of 12-3 cable in black sheathing ($2/ft or so) along with a connector to use in the bottom of the Voltec (a threaded Romex-style clamp - ~$2 - is sufficient for an indoor mount as the Voltec is pre-threaded, but something watertight would be required for an outdoor connection). I could have used 12-4 OR 10-3/10-4, but since it's only carrying 15A and a short run, 12ga is sufficient. I'd probably use the 3-wire cable and save a couple of $'s on the wire.
 
#11 ·
Wow, thanks Ron for the great post! Dumb question to make sure I understand: to make this work, you fabricated a cable with the ends that you needed.

My outlet is 240V, outdoors, and my dad's an electrician. So maybe next time he visits (next week!) I could ask him to fabricate a cable.
 
#12 ·
Yup. "Fabricate" makes it sound so fancy. The cable only has one "plug" end - the other end screws to terminals inside the Voltec housing.

Remember that the Voltec unit is only UL certified as a "fixed mount" unit, not as a portable unit. That doesn't mean it's not safe in that setup, it's that there is no UL testing indicating that it's safe. As far as I know, there's no UL testing indicating that it's NOT safe in that configuration.

I don't plan on using my setup outdoors, mostly because I know that what I did is not water-tight and hence not safe in outdoor use. I could have made it outdoor safe by using water-tight fittings, a longer cable (to better support a drip loop), and a weather-tight box around the receptacle. I feel pretty confident that since the unit is UL certified for outdoor operation, the housing, etc., is weather sealed. The only non-weather-sealed component would be the installation part, and since there are water-tight fittings required in the fixed case AND there are water-tight fittings that work with non-metallic water-tight cabling, a portable configuration can be made water-tight. What I can't do is make a UL certification for that configuration. That wouldn't bother me so much, since my current situation is ALSO not UL certified, as long as I was convinced that water couldn't get into it.
 
#14 ·
#16 ·
My portable L2 charger

I have used the Clipper Creek LCS-25 Level 2 charging station for the last 3 months and am very happy with it. Because it's almost the same size as the charger that comes with the Volt, you have the option of taking it with you if you put a dryer plug (or locking 240V plug with various adapters like the Tesla has) onto it. Using the plug+adapter-based approach, you can charge at friends' houses, RV parks, etc. I just checked clippercreek's website and see that it's on sale for $595 this month, which is an unbeatable deal!
 
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