Do you have a Wallbox charger at home, or why not?

[Verde]

I believe that slow charging is the best to keep your battery in good condition.
Due to this, I (still) use the supplied 230VAC charger to charge my i3 overnight. It is more than fast enough.

The only problem I have is that the charger lays on the floor, in the rain, during charging.
To combat this I am contemplating to develop a solution using the original charger as a 'permanent' wallbox.

My question to you is, do you charge your i3 at home?
If so, do you have a 'wallbox' installed?
Did you install this wallbox to charge faster, or simply due to the inconvenience mentioned before?

I would love to hear your opinion on this matter!

 

[eNate]

I installed a level 2 EVSE only after my wife began driving an EV. I rarely use it for the i3.

The stock 12 amp unit was just shy of adequate for my typical 40 mile day, so for my first 3 months I'd find myself at a DC charger once per week.

I upgraded to a dual-voltage 16 amp unit that lives in my frunk, and I charge almost exclusively at work, plugging in to 120 volts. This gets me 30% over 8 hours, which surpasses my daily needs.

 

[Arm]

I have a 30AMP, 240V charger and have it for 8 years now. I will not charge the car with the slow charger that came with the car...it's for an emergency only and find the speed just too slow. To be honest, I leave it at home and have never ever used it.

People worry WAY too much about battery life and charging at L2 rates. Once you use a 7.2kW charger at home, you'll never use the L1 again. The BMS in these cars does a fine job managing battery health and charging the vehicle to 100% helps balance the battery chemistry. There are far more anecdotal stories of high mileage i3 owners who never worried about charging than the one's who do.

 

[alohart]

The BMS in these cars does a fine job managing battery health and charging the vehicle to 100% helps balance the battery chemistry.

It's not necessary to charge to 100% for cell charge level balancing to occur. During my 7 years of i3 ownership, I've typically charged to a displayed 80% - 90% yet the minimum and maximum cell voltage difference at a 100% charge level is only 0.004 V indicating excellent cell charge level balance.

 

[eNate]

...Once you use a 7.2kW charger at home, you'll never use the L1 again. ...

I have a bank of 32 amp L2 at work and a 40 amp unit unit at home and rarely use either, preferring to plug in to good old 120. I don't want to be at 100%, and I don't want to bother with having to unplug my fully-charged car mid-shift to move it for the next EV to pull in.

I'm not alone. Often the 6 dedicated 120 volt EV spots are taken.

Blanket generalizations don't work for charging, just let they don't works for EVs in general (the i3 is "too old," "too small," "too slow," "too range limited."

Everybody needs to find what works for them.

 

[Arm]

...Once you use a 7.2kW charger at home, you'll never use the L1 again. ...

I have a bank of 32 amp L2 at work and a 40 amp unit unit at home and rarely use either, preferring to plug in to good old 120. I don't want to be at 100%, and I don't want to bother with having to unplug my fully-charged car mid-shift to move it for the next EV to pull in.

I'm not alone. Often the 6 dedicated 120 volt EV spots are taken.

Blanket generalizations don't work for charging, just let they don't works for EVs in general (the i3 is "too old," "too small," "too slow," "too range limited."

Everybody needs to find what works for them.

That's true. That's why I plug in and forget about it. I never have to worry about levels or charging.

 

[stumbledotcom]

No. I live in a large condo complex with an underground garage. The space we use for the i3 is three levels down. When I got my first 2014, I looked at several charging solutions. The cheapest estimate was $8,500 to reuse existing conduit and upgrade a nearby 120v outlet to provide something between L1 and L2 speed. The quote for installing larger conduit, heavier-gauge wire, and true L2 was $12k. Fortunately the public charging infrastructure here in SF is decent and getting better. Last year, EVgo installed two L3 stations on the public side of our garage that serves the ground-level supermarket. Now I just drive about 50' and usually charge after-hours so I don't have to compete with others trying to plug in.

 

[eNate]

This kills me that the condo board (or whatever the governing body is -- I don't know condos!) couldn't see the potential in this and run not just one, but a group of circuits, spread the installation out over a number of parking spaces, charge a slight monthly premium to recover those installation costs over time, as use the availability of EV charging (even if 20A L1) as a selling point when recruiting new owners.

 

[stumbledotcom]

I agree about the improved resale value. But I'm also married to the board president so I know our situation is more complex than pulling wire and figuring out a billing scheme for power usage. The three-story underground structure is built with post-tension concrete. Drilling for larger conduit requires x-raying the slabs. Sprinkler system would have to be upgraded. And we don't have any shared common spaces; all are deeded to individual units so they can't just be reapportioned to EV drivers.

 

[kweiske]

I have a 220 outlet in my carport with a weatherproof cover and the BMW Turbocord charger. Instead of the 220v adapter, I bought a short extension cord with a NEMA 6-20 plug and a 5-15 receptacle. The charger hangs off the cord off the floor. It's under a carport with shelter from the rain.

I ran cabling to my carport a couple of years ago, alas, I only had 10 gauge cable pulled. As a result, the biggest circuit I could support was a 20 amp circuit. I miss out on charging at 32 amps, but 16 has been just fine so far. If I'm in a pinch, there's a DC charger a half-mile away.

I don't see a need for a wall box, although nowadays they're a good selling point for your house.

A wallbox is relatively theft-proof, which is nice. I used to leave my Prius charger coiled up in my carport and expected it to be gone one night. It never was. Regardless, I store the TurboCord in my trunk when I'm done.

 

[wjsi327]

I believe that slow charging is the best to keep your battery in good condition.
Due to this, I (still) use the supplied 230VAC charger to charge my i3 overnight. It is more than fast enough.

The only problem I have is that the charger lays on the floor, in the rain, during charging.
To combat this I am contemplating to develop a solution using the original charger as a 'permanent' wallbox.

My question to you is, do you charge your i3 at home?
If so, do you have a 'wallbox' installed?
Did you install this wallbox to charge faster, or simply due to the inconvenience mentioned before?

I would love to hear your opinion on this matter!

I've been an i3 owner for over six years (2018 Rex followed by a 2021 regular) and have always used a 20 amp 120 volt circuit for charging at home overnight. The few times that the battery was below 40% it took about 12 hours, but usually it took fewer hours for a full charge. I'm retired and just drive locally most days. On overnight trips away from home I use public high speed chargers.

My car is in my garage overnight so weather is not a concern, but I do have the charging cable and controller mounted on the garage wall, but not in a box.

 

[BL5]

Since we’re a mixed EV household (Tesla Model X, VW ID.4 and 2017 REx). Yes our garage is actually used for cars. We opted for Tesla HPWC’s and Tesla Taps. Generally only 1 or 2 EVs needs juice at the same time.

I sure like the new Tesla Universal HPWC, although removing and replacing the GEN2 HPWC / re permitting is a hassle.

 

[TheAirman]

I use a Clipper Creek (now Enphase) Level 2 in the garage I installed myself. Made in America. No troublesome wi-fi or internet connected. Simple, heavy duty and works every time.

 

[RhodyDave]

No. I live in a large condo complex with an underground garage. The space we use for the i3 is three levels down. When I got my first 2014, I looked at several charging solutions. The cheapest estimate was $8,500 to reuse existing conduit and upgrade a nearby 120v outlet to provide something between L1 and L2 speed. The quote for installing larger conduit, heavier-gauge wire, and true L2 was $12k. Fortunately the public charging infrastructure here in SF is decent and getting better. Last year, EVgo installed two L3 stations on the public side of our garage that serves the ground-level supermarket. Now I just drive about 50' and usually charge after-hours so I don't have to compete with others trying to plug in.

 

[RhodyDave]

Having lived in several condos, one problem with them is the #$$@$!!! lawyers who write the condo docs. I've seen some ways of apportioning the expenses that would curl your hair! I've been Treasurer and had to develop complex spreadsheets just to figure out who owed what portion of the common electric bill. I get the regulatory issues with the fire codes in multi-family buildings, some of which are about fire safety, but those are also too-often written by lawyers and industry lobbyists making sure their products are required in new construction. I also get the safety issues about not weakening the structure by drilling holes in structural columns, etc., but some of the complexity is also due to the bureaucracy at the city buildings department, state legislature, etc. Single family is much easier, even if you always use licensed trades people and pull a permit. Just sayin'

 

[iCJ]

No wall box for me.

Basic evse 110v Level 1 on a 20amp breaker with car set to "low" charge. Gets the job done and preconditions the car in the morning for hot and cold days. Brutal cold I will set off at 98% but the cabin is toasty and pack is warm and not throttled

I would like to get a level 2 wall box but I have an detached garage which the cost of digging through the yard and running the wire, cost of the install, and cost of the box, just isn't worth it for me.

 

[Ollie]

I think the big issue is people don't understand that what your hanging on your wall is NOT a charger. Your actually charger is on board your vehicle. This is a great explanation: and further info here.

 

[robthebold]

I think the big issue is people don't understand that what your hanging on your wall is NOT a charger. Your actually charger is on board your vehicle. This is a great explanation: and further info here.

Given that everyone calls the power supplies that phones and tablets plug into "chargers," I doubt there's any chance in reforming the public's vocabulary on this issue

 

[eNate]

Given that everyone calls the power supplies that phones and tablets plug into "chargers," I doubt there's any chance in reforming the public's vocabulary on this issue

Agreed, in the grand scheme it makes zero difference because when there is a commonly accepted reference, and somebody writes or says "charger," those who know know they're referring to an EVSE. There's a common understanding, just like when somebody writes "your" but means to write "you're." But hey, we all have our Cliff Clavin moments.

What floored me was when I was reading through an Electrify America document and THEY referred to their DCFC chargers (which are actual chargers) as EVSEs! I did not know that !

 

[m6rk]

At home I'm using only 220AC portable charger, occasionally. I've mounted a BMW 7.2kW charger at work's garage. I am sharing this charger with a Zoe.
Usually I do about 80km per day & only charge my i3s at work. After 5.5 yrs & 116.000 kms the battery health seems to be quite good.