Amp draw from my 200 amp service for the 240 volt charger

[Big Moe]

Does anyone have any concrete information on what the amp draw is for the 240 SPX charger? I have read that the 240 volt charger draws 16 amps during charging. I am installing an auxiliary 125 amp box onto my 200 amp service due to the fact that all my breaker slots are used up on my main box.
I have a 60 foot wire run. I am using #10-3 with a ground. I am running the wire through my basement and then into the garage. I will use PVC pipe for the conduit in the garage. I am using a 20 amp breaker on the assumption that the total amp draw will not exceed 16 amps. The instructions that come with the SPX charger do not make any note of the Chevrolet Volts amp draw.

Thanks, Big Moe

[Marty]

Does anyone have any concrete information on what the amp draw is for the 240 SPX charger? I have read that the 240 volt charger draws 16 amps during charging. I am installing an auxiliary 125 amp box onto my 200 amp service due to the fact that all my breaker slots are used up on my main box.
I have a 60 foot wire run. I am using #10-3 with a ground. I am running the wire through my basement and then into the garage. I will use PVC pipe for the conduit in the garage. I am using a 20 amp breaker on the assumption that the total amp draw will not exceed 16 amps. The instructions that come with the SPX charger do not make any note of the Chevrolet Volts amp draw.

Thanks, Big Moe

You'll be fine. It's actually closer to 14 amps than 16. 3300 watts / 240 volts = 13.75 amps plis some very small overhead for the control logic and indicators. 10-gauge wire is rated for 30 amps, more than adequate for a 60-foot run. 10-3 with ground will give you an extra wire for neutral which isn't needed for the Voltec EVSE.

Depending on the manufacturer of your service panel, you might be able to change some of the existing single breakers to the "skinny" style that provide two circuits per physical slot and free up space for the EVSE breaker. This would be a lot less expensive than adding a sub-panel.

[bitguru]

Does anyone have any concrete information on what the amp draw is for the 240 SPX charger? I have read that the 240 volt charger draws 16 amps during charging. I am installing an auxiliary 125 amp box onto my 200 amp service due to the fact that all my breaker slots are used up on my main box.
I have a 60 foot wire run. I am using #10-3 with a ground.

My CT-500 reports about 14 amps, however SPX has directed its contractors to use 40A breakers and 8-gauge cable. (At least it has for us east-coast folks getting the Coulomb EVSE.)

You obviously shouldn't use a 40A breaker, since you say you'll be using 10-gauge cable, but I don't see why you wouldn't use a 30A one. [edit: I am presuming by "the 240 SPX charger" that you mean either the Coulomb CT-500 or the Ecotality Blink. If you mean the Voltec then I wouldn't recommend a 30A breaker. See subsequent posts in this thread.]

[Marty]

My CT-500 reports about 14 amps, however SPX has directed its contractors to use 40A breakers and 8-gauge cable. (At least it has for us east-coast folks getting the Coulomb EVSE.)

This is because the CT-500 is capable of delivering 32 amps if the vehicle can use it. A Tesla, the next generation Volt, or next generation Leaf will pull 32 amps from a CT-500. 40-amp breakers and 8-gauge wire are appropriate here.

You obviously shouldn't use a 40A breaker, since you say you'll be using 10-gauge cable, but I don't see why you wouldn't use a 30A one.

Don't over-fuse the Voltec. For the Voltec EVSE, the breaker should be 20A. The Voltec is only rated for this. A larger breaker could result in damage to the Voltec EVSE in the event of a fault in the vehicle or cordset. Note that the pilot signal sets the current that the car should pull, so plugging a Tesla into a Voltec charge station will still pull only 16 amps and not trip a 20A breaker.

8-gauge wire might not be a bad idea if you plan on upgrading the EVSE later when you get a car capable of higher charge current.

Note that the input terminal block in the Voltec won't take 8-gauge wire so you'll need to wire-nut some 10-gauge pigtails to make it work if you go that route. There's plenty of room inside the Voltec housing for this.

[bitguru]

This is because the CT-500 is capable of delivering 32 amps if the vehicle can use it. ....

Don't over-fuse the Voltec.

I agree that the Voltec EVSE shouldn't be over-fused. Moe was asking about "the 240 SPX charger," which I took to be either the Coulomb CT-500 or the Ecotality Blink. If Moe was actually talking about the Voltec (which is also sold by SPX, but not provided by them for free) then please forgive me.

[Marty]

I agree that the Voltec EVSE shouldn't be over-fused. Moe was asking about "the 240 SPX charger," which I took to be either the Coulomb CT-500 or the Ecotality Blink. If Moe was actually talking about the Voltec (which is also sold by SPX, but not provided by them for free) then please forgive me.

Going that route leads to potential problems in the future. You would then have EVSE rated to draw up to 32 amps wired with 10-gauge wire and fused at 30A. You won't trip the breaker with today's Volt or Leaf, but you will with future vehicles.

16-amp rated EVSE -> 20A breaker and 12-gauge or larger wire.
32-amp rated EVSE -> 40A breaker and 8-gauge or larger wire.

Larger wire for possible future expansion and/or if needed due to length of run and voltage drop.

Note that wire gauge numbers decrease as the size of the wire increases.

[DonC]

I am installing an auxiliary 125 amp box onto my 200 amp service due to the fact that all my breaker slots are used up on my main box.

I think Marty's suggestion that you simply go with the skinny half breakers is a good one. I'd think that unless your house is the Playboy Mansion with five hot tubs, 200 amp should be more than adequate (125 is usually OK but then again I don't know what you've got cookin, so to speak ). Should save you a bit of coin.

This is purely personal but I'd go with the 20 amp just because it will be more consistent with the technology at the moment and it's easy to switch out later. On the other hand, I'd probably be absurd and go with 8 gauge just because the cost difference is insignificant, you don't know what might be coming down the pike, and inspectors never find fault with more but sometimes they decide that you need something more than code requires. (Then again doing a pull is no big deal either).

[cjohn1]

Moe,

The specs for the electrical requirements for the SPX charger is on-line at their site. It states 20 Amp service single phase.

[theBike45]

The Tesla can utilize 240V/70A for their 3 1/2 hour, 53 kWhr battery pack charge. A quick charge requires 45 minutes @480V. Their upcoming Model S will have an optional 300 mile range pack and capacity of 67 kWhrs. It will quick charge in about an hour.
All of which boggles my mind that the Volt is so backward in its charging capabilities. Obviously the Tesla is charging cells in parallel.
Why on Earth the Volt lacks this ability is beyond my comprehension. We're only talking a paltry 8 kWhrs. Amazing. I guess 4 years
and a couple billion dollars can't cover all the details. Of course, they did manage to produce the most complicated, Rube Goldberg
machine on the planet. Lyle thinks that's astounding. So do I. The Volt is a mechanic's nightmare
and a virtual monopoly for GM dealership's service departments. Oh, Goody, nothing like those consumer-unfriendly proprietary
machines. I can't wait to see how this amalgamation of ICE and electric, bound tightly together with baling wire and scotchtape,
holds together in the coming years, those few years left before it becomes totally obsolete and a museum curiosity. The Volt was designed too soon. GM should have waited until the battery situation made such cars as the Volt totally impractical.

[WopOnTour]

The Volt is a mechanic's nightmare
and a virtual monopoly for GM dealership's service departments. Oh, Goody, nothing like those consumer-unfriendly proprietary
machines. I can't wait to see how this amalgamation of ICE and electric, bound tightly together with baling wire and scotchtape,
holds together in the coming years, those few years left before it becomes totally obsolete and a museum curiosity. The Volt was designed too soon. GM should have waited until the battery situation made such cars as the Volt totally impractical.

To those commenting in this thread
theBike45 is a well known EV forum troll, usually going by the name K, Ken or Kent Beuchert
Here's a post from the Tesla forum that further documents this
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showt...quot-)-tirades
(you can also google Kent Beuchert for a complete dossier of his rediculous actions on various forums
Don't waste your time debating with this donk as your efforts will certainly be futile
The best course of action is to simply <ignore>
So let me remind everyone again...

+----------+
| PLEASE |
| DO NOT |
| FEED THE |
| TROLLS |
+----------+
| |
| |
.\|.||/..

WopOnTour