So we're buying a house and should be in it next month. I'm going to need an electrician to do a few other things already, so I also want to install a 240V charging port in the garage. But I'm confused about all the different receptacles and plugs, NEMA this and NEMA that. It looks like there is no standard. I see NEMA 6-20 and 6-50 and 14-50 and others, too. Do any of those have an advantage over others, or does it just depend on which charger I buy? Also looking to future-protect the investment as much as reasonably possible, even if that means a little more expense up front. So is there really any one receptacle type that would be the most advantageous to install in terms of compatibility with other chargers or 240V devices, and/or potential charging time (for the future), knowing the Prime can't use more than 16A anyway but wanting to make sure that the circuit is capable of, say, 30-40A for the future?
Future-proof: NEMA 14-50 receptacle. This is the standard for all of the bigger, more serious chargers for 32-50A electric car EVSEs. Prime or Plug-in Hybrid only: NEMA 6-20 receptacle with a Duosida L2 charger. This is a 16A charger that will fulfill the needs of a Prime 100%, but will charge other electric cars a little slower than they can take. (Most are 32A+)
Thanks. I'm sort of a dummy about electrician-type stuff. Is there a safe, reliable adapter (or short cord) from (say) 14-50 to 6-20 so a relatively cheap (but sufficient for Prime) 16A L2 EVSE can plug into a 14-50 receptacle?
Juicebox Pro40 (Costco has them!) That plate on the right side of the handle was prewired for 30 amps, but I wanted to future proof the house So I asked an electrician that’s doing work in our new community if he could install my charger, and upgrade it to 50amps. $200 later and about 45 minutes later (he just finished a few minutes ago) and I’m a happy camper. I don’t know anything about electricity either, but I did see a dryer type plug he installed before he mounted the charger.
I agree with the 14-50 receptacle, but unless you have the 6-20 evse already, I would just get a 32a or 40a evse. It'll cost you $255 for the 16a evse plus adapter. A 32a evse from Amazon starts at $360 and is ready for the future. If you're a Costco member, there's one for $390 with a better warranty through Costco but you'll need a 6-50 receptacle.
Just get whatever matches whatever EVSE you get. Receptacles can easily be switched out and are usually only about $10.
Yes they are but not wiring in my case, get a 50 amp breaker and the correct wiring to match. I have installed a JuiceBox on a 50 amp circuit at about the same cost as a 40 amp circuit. Future proof!
Agree with future proofing. My JB40 runs on a 40A 220v circuit and 14-50 receptacle, even though it only uses 16 amps. I physically remove it when we go on vacation so nobody gets an idea to steal it, even though it has the locking bracket. This is all underneath our back porch.
THIS. As long as your electrician installs a dual-50 amp 4-wire service, the plug just needs to match what you have NOW. It is best to NOT use adapters.
BUT - wire it higher than you need as well. Wire for 50 amps, but use a 20A 6-20P receptacle if you desire. Then it's an easy receptacle swap when the time comes.
