DayDreaming
Full time employment: Posting here.
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2008
- Messages
- 853
I'm looking for opinions / advice on getting ready for my first EV - a Tesla Model Y LR. I need to get some electrical work done for recharging the EV, and estimates I've gotten were a lot more than I expected.
Currently: old house with fairly new 100 amp main panel in the unfinished basement. There is room in the panel to add a 50 amp breaker. I'd be charging the car outside of a small detached garage, about 70' from the house, currently has 2 120v 15 amp lines running to it. The 120v lines run underground but they were run through well piping, not electrical conduit, so definitely not up to code. I don't have a big electric load in the house so I've been told that a 50amp circuit for the EV would not be a problem.
What I want: the garage if more like a small old barn, too small to easily park a car inside. So I'd be charging the car outside. I'm thinking I should get a Tesla Wall Connector mounted on the outside of the garage. There's a big roof overhang on one side, so I could park under there to be out of the weather and have the Connector mounted there. I know that some people charge their EVs on 120v but my understanding is that that is really slow and almost unworkable on really cold days, so I definitely need a 240v line and that's where the big expense comes in.
I've had a few electricians out, and 2 of the quotes are around $5k which includes
Lowest estimate is around $3,600 which includes trenching and wiring the Connector directly to a 50 amp dedicated circuit - no sub panel in the garage. In this estimate, the trenching alone is $1800 and he said if I do that myself, the electric work would be only $1800.
On thing I'd like opinions on is having the Tesla wall connector direct wired on it's own circuit from the main panel vs adding a sub panel to the garage had running it off that. There are 2 exiting 120v lines to the garage, but one is for an outside light that's on a 2-way switch so I can turn it on from inside the house. The other 120v 15 amp line powers a few outlets and lights. 2 electricians said the sub panel gives me more flexibility for future needs, the other guy said I really should charge an EV on it's own dedicated circuit.
Also wondering if anyone has dug their own trench for electric conduit. If I let the electricians do this, then it's their job to fix anything else they might break - like damaging the exiting 120v lines, or the septic line. If I dig the trench, then that's my problem. My soil is clay with big rocks so I know it won't be easy, so I'm not sure if it's worth the $1800 savings.
Anything else I should be considering?
Currently: old house with fairly new 100 amp main panel in the unfinished basement. There is room in the panel to add a 50 amp breaker. I'd be charging the car outside of a small detached garage, about 70' from the house, currently has 2 120v 15 amp lines running to it. The 120v lines run underground but they were run through well piping, not electrical conduit, so definitely not up to code. I don't have a big electric load in the house so I've been told that a 50amp circuit for the EV would not be a problem.
What I want: the garage if more like a small old barn, too small to easily park a car inside. So I'd be charging the car outside. I'm thinking I should get a Tesla Wall Connector mounted on the outside of the garage. There's a big roof overhang on one side, so I could park under there to be out of the weather and have the Connector mounted there. I know that some people charge their EVs on 120v but my understanding is that that is really slow and almost unworkable on really cold days, so I definitely need a 240v line and that's where the big expense comes in.
I've had a few electricians out, and 2 of the quotes are around $5k which includes
- 70' trenching and wiring from house to garage
- add 50 amp sub panel to garage with 30 (or 40?) amp circuit for charging
- wire the Tesla Wall Connector (which I purchase)
- permits and fees
Lowest estimate is around $3,600 which includes trenching and wiring the Connector directly to a 50 amp dedicated circuit - no sub panel in the garage. In this estimate, the trenching alone is $1800 and he said if I do that myself, the electric work would be only $1800.
On thing I'd like opinions on is having the Tesla wall connector direct wired on it's own circuit from the main panel vs adding a sub panel to the garage had running it off that. There are 2 exiting 120v lines to the garage, but one is for an outside light that's on a 2-way switch so I can turn it on from inside the house. The other 120v 15 amp line powers a few outlets and lights. 2 electricians said the sub panel gives me more flexibility for future needs, the other guy said I really should charge an EV on it's own dedicated circuit.
Also wondering if anyone has dug their own trench for electric conduit. If I let the electricians do this, then it's their job to fix anything else they might break - like damaging the exiting 120v lines, or the septic line. If I dig the trench, then that's my problem. My soil is clay with big rocks so I know it won't be easy, so I'm not sure if it's worth the $1800 savings.
Anything else I should be considering?