I understand if I make a cable mod to use the included level 1 charger to allow it to draw from 240v instead of 120v it will draw 12 amps at 240v instead of 16 amps. Is this with any level 2 charger or just the included one?
If the new Prime uses the same or a similar EVSE as my 2017 Prime had, it is not fully level 2. But with an adapter that lets you run it at 240 volts, it'll double your charging speed. A 16A L2 cable will improve upon that by a third. If you're like I was and often have places you need to go after work, it may be worth it to have the fastest charging speed possible in order to keep the engine off.
If it's using 240 volts, it's AC Level 2. Also seen a charge rate of ~2kW as a cut off between 1 and 2. https://greentransportation.info/ev-charging/range-confidence/chap4-charging/4-charging-levels.html Other EVSE's , the "charger", can allow higher draws of electricity. The limiting factor is in the actual charger installed on the car though. You could plug the Prius Prime with its 3.5kW charger into a 240V 80amp EVSE, but the car won't draw anymore than 15 amps to give the charge time Toyota lists.
'worth it' is personal. if you find yourself needing to go while the car is still charging, it is well worth it. if you charge overnight most of the time, maybe not.
You can put together an adapter cable that will plug into a 220 outlet. I'm assuming your on 110 VAC there in Ontario, Canada? This adapter cable will only allow your car to charge a bit faster. Charging is regulated by your onboard computer. I've put together a 220 adapter cable that plugs into my dryer outlet. It's marked, tagged, painted and put away after each use. The danger is if someone plugs a 110 VAC appliance into it - or it get wet. No GFIC, so someone can easily get electrocuted. I'm exaggerating a bit, but it can happen. That's why that cut-off brick on your OEM charging cable is less than 12 inches from the power plug. Hope this clears things up....
Great bumper stickers! Do you have a better picture? You can probably use the OEM charger on a 240-V outlet with a plug adapter. Nevertheless, Level 1 charging should be just fine. I don't need Level 2 charging for my Gen 4. In any case, always use the charge scheduler, as leaving the car charged is bad for the battery.
Great aswers from members in this thread , I noticed that you live in Ontario so please consider that your EV range will drop in winter ,this could mean charging more than once a day thus a level 2 charge could be the answer . ...or run your car in HV mode to complete your journey.Remember , you must run that 2 litre engine once in a while to burn some gas .In a cold snap, or horrible winter conditions, you will burn some gas for defrosting and heating when the heatpump struggles to keep you warm. In my case ,daily EV range in spring, summer ,and autumn L1 is OK . In winter , with winter tires, HV mode using the ICE is better than purchasing a L2 EVSE. I drove 13 000 KM last year and consumed 1.4 L/100KM so 3 full tank of gas for one year , including winter.
The best possibility of driving after work is if your work has open 110vac outlets, then you can leave with a full charge. L2 still takes 3+ hours so it’s not all that useful to run an errand directly after work, especially considering you would have to stop home before driving to the errand
the main reason I ask is I have a 240v outlet to install in my driveway and I’ve been debating with having a permanent plug that I just leave at home and keeping the level 1 charger in the car to use when out. Right now I’ve been packing it away every time I go somewhere.
Great bumper stickers! Did you use paint-protection film under them to protect the paint? Having a second EVSE wouldn't hurt. Good ones are not cheap though. The OEM one is very expensive. Battery charging cable | part # G9060-47130 | Toyota auto parts
Ones a magnet probably should have film. The others are never coming off. I’ve been looking at ones in the $200-$300 range (Canadian) on amazon.
It's nice to have something that you don't have to put away all the time. If you've got $200 -$300 burning a hole in your pocket - go for it. I would check "offer-up, ebay, facebook marketplace"; someones may be cleaning out their garage and want it gone for less than $100. I've also seen them on sale and clearance @ Napa auto parts. Just make sure it a J1772 plug for the car end.
If you’re like me and live in an area with actual 4 season weather you will find that you will wear out EVSEs anyway. especially if you travel a lot and charge on the go. I lucked out and replaced my old EVSE with a $69 Ford dual voltage L1 If you are getting 220 vac at home make sure the wiring is future proofed if you plan on being there a long time. Then get whatever EVSE works for you, an EVSE never pays for itself but not having to deal with upgrades down the road might be worth over sizing for a future car or if your like me get a cheap dual voltage (or rebuild one) I have my old EVSE that kept burning out the “hot pin”. Sadly I can’t find repair parts for it. My hope is that I get the old OEM rebuilt before the new one burns up.
I bought a 50 amp 240 breaker and outlet. Hoping that part is future proof. I originally was going to get the charge point level 2 charger that Toyota sells but decided it was overkill for my Prius. With ford and GM adopting the Tesla charger connector maybe there will be some sales.
https://suncountryhighway.ca/store/SCH25P-EV-Charger-p43196245 This is what i bought- thru costco in 2021- to feed a RAV4 Prime. And yes, in the interest of future proofing, put in a bigger breaker and wire than I currently need. It reduces my 12 hr charge time down to about 4. I’ve drained the battery running 88 km of errands on a Saturday morning… and by midafternoon can head out again on electric power only. I consider it money well spent. Makes owning a plug in EV worthwhile. Otherwise it would be too inconvenient. As always, YMMV.
Hopefully, you got a Hubbell or a Bryant 50A receptacle. The Levitron and other cheap ones at Home Depot are not made for continuous high amperage. They are fine for dryers and other intermittent loads, but will eventually get hot and melt under heavy use. If you look into the openings where the plug prongs go, you'll see that the metal sockets in the cheap ones is only half width. Here's an engineer's explanation without the engineering jargon:
