Based off of how we assume the New Scouts will be configured, what is required and what are the approximate costs of getting setup to be able to charge at home?
I have a 200amp panel.
Thanks.
I have a 200amp panel.
Thanks.
Home charging setup costs
- Thread starter DBHowe
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The costs can vary a lot based on where the panel is and where the charger is going to be. I would think with 200 amp service the panel will be fine, that’s what I had and I have a 60amp installed for my charger that charges at 48 amps. My panel is in the garage and my charger is next to it. I’m not an electrician so I paid a few hundred to have it all installed. If you can do it yourself it will be cheaper. If you need an electrician to run from say a basement panel out to your garage then the cost could be a lot higher.
Let’s say Scout comes with a Flexible Fast Charger. That means a portable charger that you can switch the cable to use 120v or 240v outlets. Then your only cost will be adding a dual pole breaker…50A would be
ideal, but lower is ok too. You will also need the 240v outlet. I’m guessing $500 average for this set up.
If your power company requires a smart charger (EVSE) for variable pricing or whatever, you will have to purchase that equipment. People including myself refer to the equipment as a charger, but really it’s an EVSE as the actual charger is in the vehicle. Anyway, back on topic. If you just want a basic to smart wall charger, you will be looking anywhere between $500 and $1200 depending on features and brand.
Bi-directional EVSEs are currently about $1500 avg. , but I expect that price will come down.
I know this stuff can be confusing at first. So, if I’m not making sense, just ask!
ideal, but lower is ok too. You will also need the 240v outlet. I’m guessing $500 average for this set up.
If your power company requires a smart charger (EVSE) for variable pricing or whatever, you will have to purchase that equipment. People including myself refer to the equipment as a charger, but really it’s an EVSE as the actual charger is in the vehicle. Anyway, back on topic. If you just want a basic to smart wall charger, you will be looking anywhere between $500 and $1200 depending on features and brand.
Bi-directional EVSEs are currently about $1500 avg. , but I expect that price will come down.
I know this stuff can be confusing at first. So, if I’m not making sense, just ask!
I would definitely wait until the vehicle is available for purchase before doing any electrical work. All sorts of things will change between now and when you get your vehicle. Most changes will be minor, but there's nothing that says, for example, that the brand-T ceo won't throw one of his infamous fits and decide that nobody but brand-T is allowed to use his superchargers, necessitating a charge port redesign to the CCS1 port at the last minute.
Final costs could be anywhere from free to $3000 or so in today's dollars, but like @Chaz26 says, there are a lot of variables.
If you're itching to get started, you could run a 50 A or 60 A branch circuit and terminate it in a disconnect panel near where you want the charger to be. Code currently requires a lockable (in the open position) disconnect in a readily accessible location if the branch circuit has an ampacity of more than 60 A, but it's not a bad idea to have that even for smaller ampacities, if the cost isn't prohibitive.
A 60 A circuit can feed a 48 A max EVSE (charger), which can provide 11.5 kW nominal power. A 50 A branch circuit can feed a 40 A max EVSE, which can provide 9.6 kW nominal power.
Final costs could be anywhere from free to $3000 or so in today's dollars, but like @Chaz26 says, there are a lot of variables.
If you're itching to get started, you could run a 50 A or 60 A branch circuit and terminate it in a disconnect panel near where you want the charger to be. Code currently requires a lockable (in the open position) disconnect in a readily accessible location if the branch circuit has an ampacity of more than 60 A, but it's not a bad idea to have that even for smaller ampacities, if the cost isn't prohibitive.
A 60 A circuit can feed a 48 A max EVSE (charger), which can provide 11.5 kW nominal power. A 50 A branch circuit can feed a 40 A max EVSE, which can provide 9.6 kW nominal power.
Not to sound like my usual self but I can’t remember the thread but I know there is another thread with a lot of this info because it was really helpful to me. Just can’t recall what title thread it is
These may provide more helpful info. May have missed some when I searched but hope these help
You bet. I need to get better remembering what threads the info came from
A small fortune for me - I've got quotes from $1200-$2000 to run the wires (garage is on the opposite side of the house as the panel), and this is for a circuit appropriate to plug into anybrand charger - so that's not too bad.
But, my 1991 house has a 100amp panel that is maxed out - so a new panel has to happen first. And "while we're in there", my gas water heater is about 10 years past it's 9 year warranty, so we want to switch to a heatpump/electric hybrid to take advantage of the extra electricity we are current gifting back to the grid, so year, basically a small fortune in electrical costs coming up.
Lucky we've still got a couple years before the Scouts show up....
But, my 1991 house has a 100amp panel that is maxed out - so a new panel has to happen first. And "while we're in there", my gas water heater is about 10 years past it's 9 year warranty, so we want to switch to a heatpump/electric hybrid to take advantage of the extra electricity we are current gifting back to the grid, so year, basically a small fortune in electrical costs coming up.
Lucky we've still got a couple years before the Scouts show up....
Around $2k is pretty typical for a level 2 EVSE install (electrical plus the charger combined). It's within the right ballpark. These will be $60k vehicles, if $2k is going to break the bank then you likely can't afford the truck either. My house is from the 1960's and had a 100A service with our EV charger for many years before we upgraded to 200A service because we got rid of the gas furnace and installed a cold climate heat pump. Just because you have 100A service doesn't necessarily mean you need to upgrade your panel. There are load sharing devices available on the market so if I were you I would definitely look into getting one of those first to see if you can install it (local rules vary so what's legal in one place may not be legal where you live). These devices effectively let you share a high load circuit (like a water heater) with your EV charger so that if one is running the other can't. That would save you a panel upgrade.
Definitely get the heat pump and electric water heater! We did that a couple years ago, cut the gas line and haven't looked back! And I live in Canada where it gets proper cold so yeah, cold climate heat pumps work well even in places it goes down to -40. Can confirm.
Appreciate the insight - yeah, $2k isn't the end of the world in the grand scheme of things, and it's relatively small compared to the cost of the new panel - for us, with the solar panels and other house mods our current panel is maxed out, so we'll do the new one, which should also give us options as things continue to change. And the gas furnace is on the list, but first the water heater, than the oven - if and when the furnace dies then likely a heat pump for that too.
Our Tesla Destination Charger on a two-pole 60A breaker in our 200A main panel was $750 installed by a licensed EC.
If you are not DB Howe and you’re still on 100A service, it’s not a bad idea to find out now what it costs to upgrade to 200A, regardless of whether or not you do it. (it’ll happen sooner or later, whether you own the house or someone else does). It’s not a terrible idea in anticipation of installing a charger. You might be able to get money from your state for either/both upgrades, too: it’s worth looking into.
California seems to offer a zillion different credits/rebates for EV chargers and installation, also.
California seems to offer a zillion different credits/rebates for EV chargers and installation, also.
True, and in most municipalities, a panel upgrade is permitted work. We had an EC consolidate us down on some lower tier circuits to 15A and 20A tandems to open up a couple of spare positions when they installed our Tesla charger.If you are not DB Howe and you’re still on 100A service, it’s not a bad idea to find out now what it costs to upgrade to 200A, regardless of whether or not you do it. (it’ll happen sooner or later, whether you own the house or someone else does). It’s not a terrible idea in anticipation of installing a charger. You might be able to get money from your state for either/both upgrades, too: it’s worth looking into.
California seems to offer a zillion different credits/rebates for EV chargers and installation, also.
What did you consolidate out of curiosity and have you been OK with that? Thinking same thing but trying to see where to give and take. Have some rooms now we barely use so cutting back a bit doesn’t seem like it would kill us
I would be especially cautious around kitchen and bathroom circuits, which routinely get tapped for 1500+ watt appliances. Bedrooms are fairly safe. The trick is, especially in older homes, or pre-electricity homes, to decipher how circuits can run into multiple rooms in curious and fantastical ways.
I agree. I have a separate circuit for garage recepts which presumably included my door motors. I rarely run power tools from my garage and I assume if I’m charging I’m not leaving anyway so may be able to make that work
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I honestly don’t know. You know I just moved in. This panel has been mislabeled at least twice prior to my ownership.
Pretty much my entire house panel is 50A breakers. But just to make sure I’ll probably make the Electric Company come and run wires to the side of my house for the charger.
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