buying new house from builder, what option should i pick

The first is probably a recepticle, the second is probably just a box with capped wires in it.

 

It sounds the same to me except for the amperage. Go 50 amperes. You don't need to use 50 amps, but you'll have the capability. By the way, the voltage is actually close to 240. The builder's electrician can wire the 240 volt line to a closed box. You can have your future EVSE either hard wired directly to that box or a receptacle installed in the box that will accept the plug on the EVSE you choose. There are multiple configurations of 240 volt plugs & receptacles. Or, buy an EVSE now, maybe one that has selectable amperages and chose the 20 amp setting for your Prime. That's all the Prime can use.

 

By the way, I'd ask for 60A wires, not 50A. That's 30A for each of two cars. That or two 30A circuits.

 

i would need more information to make a decision.

 

Can't you ask the builder on the difference?
As presented the 30 amp option almost sounds like the entire garage would be 30a/220V instead of the standard 15 or 20 amp 110V. Which someone with a workshop might want for the larger power tools.

 

If it were my choice I would pick the 50AMP option and then potentially have someone come in and splice that up into two boxes, one for tools inside the garage and the rest to wire out to a charging station I would limit to 30AMP. My table saw can be connected to 220 and it is supposed to help it last longer as it is smoother power usage than the conversion done within the unit itself. Unfortunately, I have no 220 outlets in my house and only one 220 circuit which is hard wired to my AC unit and heating system. Most of my appliances are gas so even the drier is only plugged into a standard 15AMP outlet 110V outlet. I just bought a ChargePoint hardwired which I will likely have to pay an arm and a leg to get installed due to the likelihood I will have to upgrade my panel. I am hoping maybe I can use the daughter panel that goes to my solar panels but that may not be possible.

 

Lots of misinformation and bad guesses here. JB, you need to talk with the contractor, or better, the electrician. Decide if you want to wire for just the Prime (20 amp 240 volt circuit) or if you want more capability for a future electric car that can take more power, and if you want another 240v circuit for a future second electric car or for power tools. Tell them what you want and where you want the connection to be. If you want a charging station at this time, buy it and give it to the electrician to wire in for you in the location of your choosing, or tell him exactly what you want for him to buy for you. ESVE Level 2 Charging Station. Amperage? length of cord? SAE J1772 connector to the car. There are some code considerations on placement, but otherwise it's up to you.

While you're at it, take a look at the electrical lay out in the entire house. A quad receptacle costs only a couple of bucks more than a duplex. Where would you like more plugs? Kitchen...all quads. Bedside...quads? (no receptacle in the middle of the bed headboard!) Workbench area in the garage...quads. Laundry or utility room? Plenty of receptacles in the bathroom. What else will make things handy and only cost a few dollars? Where will 3-way switches work well for you? (3-way actually have two switches controlling the same light.)

 

Confirm that the wiring is 110/230v. They need to pull a neutral wire ( 3 wire plus ground) to make that happen, which is a modest extra cost

 

too bad, that's what i charge my pip with, some might say it's not a car.

 

220V 30A is not for refrigerators, just tools (powerful tools, like table saws, welders, big compressors, etc.).

The Prime uses a 220V (really 240V) 20A outlet and it draws 16A. Many EVs and EV chargers use 240V 30A circuits.

So, you're builder is clueless just as they usually are.

 

You can use the 30amp for charging. The level 2 EVSE doesn't have to be hardwired in; they can be bought with the appropriate plug. You could also have the electrician install a 50 amp receptacle(a RV outlet) on the that charger pre-wire if you want.

That is what I would do. Get the the 50 amp line with a RV outlet. A 20 amp EVSE with adapter can be plugged into it. The danger is when an appliance draws more amperage than what the wiring is rated for. If you get a Tesla later, they come with an adapter to plug the portable EVSE they come with into an RV outlet. Another BEV, then get an appropriate plug in EVSE.

 

I'd go for the 240v/50 amp circuit & have an RV outlet installed (14-50R). It’s a 4 wire receptacle (ground, neutral, hot, hot). Most EVSE's can plug into this outlet. The amount of current drawn is determined by the charger in the car. The Prius Prime will only draw 16 amps at most. You could plug a 40 amp charger (like the eMotorwerks JuiceBox 40) or a 32 amp charger (like the ChargePoint) into this, and your Prime will still only draw 16 amps. The advantage is that you could charge another electric vehicle (like the Tesla 3, once it's available) and it would happily accept the 40 amps while charging. The 50 amp breaker and wiring are required to charge continuously at 40 amps.

 

The 50A wiring is a little more expensive because it is thicker and has four wires while the 30A might only have three.
Maybe $5 - $10 difference in cost to the electrician, although distance from the breaker box to the outlet applies.

I would choose the 50A with a 14-50 receptacle. Do not let the builder charge you any more than the 30A.

 

Man, that is determination. Building a house just for your Prime.

 

Really depends on what type of EVSE you plan on installing, I also had the same opportunity with my builder last year and I had them install the 220V for Garage 30 AMP. My EVSE is an older Bosch model which I believe is discontinued and only puts out 16A. But this is plenty for me, it always recharges the Prime in 1 hour 50 mins. If I could do it again I'd add the same outlet on the opposite side of the garage because my partner is also looking at getting a plugin vehicle now.

 

My builder stated the same thing about the 220v, I have my L2 connected to just that and I've had no issues.

 

Someone described recently this forum a lame one...