100 amp service not enough for 48 amp charging

[Engi_Nerd]

We also only have 100 amp service, gas furnace and water heater, electric dryer, AC, and oven. Got 2 quotes from reputable electricians for installing a 14-50 outlet in the garage. The first told me he'd have to upgrade our service and it would be $5K. The second said we'd be fine and installed said 50 amp line and outlet for ~$750. We charge at 32 amps regularly and haven't had an issue in 18 months of EV ownership.

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[blturner]

You might check out this product which splits the power before it hits your panel and therefore doesn't count against your load calcs. It's a way to add a large 60amp EVSE circuit without upgrading your panel but it is expensive... though likely still cheaper than upgrading to a 200amp service and qualifies for the Evergy rebate. They also make an indoor version which is slightly less.


DCC-9-50A-3R | EV Energy Management System | 50A Breaker, Max 125A – DCC USA (dcc-usa.technology)

That is a cool gadget. Sounded like voodoo till I read the description. If the load gets high, pause the charger.
Not only do others have my problem, there are solutions already developed. Thanks.

 

[blturner]

We also only have 100 amp service, gas furnace and water heater, electric dryer, AC, and oven. Got 2 quotes from reputable electricians for installing a 14-50 outlet in the garage. The first told me he'd have to upgrade our service and it would be $5K. The second said we'd be fine and installed said 50 amp line and outlet for ~$750. We charge at 32 amps regularly and haven't had an issue in 18 months of EV ownership.

There is a part of me that wanted to push back. But I am always reluctant to second guess a professional. You are probably right that I would not have had any problems if he had just put in the 50 amp outlet.

 

[SANZC02]

My 2 cents: average home ownership tenure is around 8 years and you won't recoup your investment. If it's expensive and you can make it work without it being a pain in the butt, let the next owner deal with the upgrade.

There is that but having the work done and a Level 2 EV charger installed can add to the desirability of the house if they decide to sell. They also get the benefit while they live there.

You may want to watch to see if the 30% federal EV charger tax credit gets extended again. If it does the cost of installation is covered by the credit, if the panel upgrade is required it should be included as well.

I have not heard if they will extended it but they did extend it to Dec 2020 and then Dec 2021 so it is a possibility.

edit: I did see this, looks like there is pending legislation to extend it. Might be worth watching to see if it is approved.

 

[sub]

I am in similar situation with 100A service. We are doing home remodels and I am converting appliances to gas as we go to open up panel space.

So you are going to burn more gas in your house to avoid burning as much gas on the road. I wonder if that results in a net decrease or a net increase in gas burning.

 

[Tyleem111]

So you are going to burn more gas in your house to avoid burning as much gas on the road. I wonder if that results in a net decrease or a net increase in gas burning.

My decision sadly wasn’t around net emissions but rather how I could make the 100A service work. And since we were doing renovations and replacing appliances anyway, it was an easy path to achieve less electrical load.

 

[Max]

It looks like it won’t matter what your panel size is. You may want to eat those ice creams fast.

 

[Gator42]

You could get something like the Charepoint HomeFlex or the Juicebox where you can set the charger to only deliver 30A. Install it on a 60A circuit, that way you at least have the option to charge higher if needed. Just make sure it's not at a time that you are not running AC, oven, etc. Nice to at least have the option.

For those reading this part keep in mind ChargePoint doesn’t approve of a plug in installation running on 30A. For plug in they recommend 40A or 50A, hard wire for more or less…

…there’s also that bit about in Canada, only 50A plug in allowed but YMMV…

 

[Riviot]

For those reading this part keep in mind ChargePoint doesn’t approve of a plug in installation running on 30A. For plug in they recommend 40A or 50A, hard wire for more or less…

…there’s also that bit about in Canada, only 50A plug in allowed but YMMV…

That's really strange, any licensed electricians care to add their $.02? (American only, no Loonies please. Inflation)

 

[crashmtb]

My decision sadly wasn’t around net emissions but rather how I could make the 100A service work. And since we were doing renovations and replacing appliances anyway, it was an easy path to achieve less electrical load.

Without really good ventilation(and makeup air if you have a well sealed house), a gas stove can be a bad time.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/gas-stoves-air-pollution-1.6394514

…there’s also that bit about in Canada, only 50A plug in allowed but YMMV…

Not always. Each province has different rules. Maybe they mean 50A maximum for plug in.

 

[Gator42]

Not always. Each province has different rules. Maybe they mean 50A maximum for plug in.

Yes, it does seem like a dubious statement but since they only endorse either 40A or 50A plug-in installations everywhere ex-Canada it sure looks to me like they are endorsing only 50A installs...

 

[zefram47]

I'd venture that's just because their plug-in models likely ship with a NEMA 14-50 plug and they don't want you using an adapter for a 14-30, 6-20, etc plug.

 

[Bigskyinminnie]

I just had my electrician install a plug for my soon to be delivered Rivian. He recommended a 30 amp plug rather than the 50 amp one because my house only has 100 amp service. I think the gist is that if I run the oven, dryer and charge the R1T at the same time as other regular stuff I could pop my main breaker. Upgrading the service/panel to 200 amps is thousands of dollars.
Looks like now I will have to get a different portable charger as the Rivian one only does 50 amp outlets.
I can charge overnight with the 30 amp no problem so that is not much of an issue.
The 30 amp outlet does not qualify for the Evergy install rebate of $500 but I don't qualify anyway because I have net metering for my solar, and I probably don't want to go to the Time of Use plan anyway.

Are there a lot of people with these issues?

Keep in mind the Rivian charger is hardwire only. No options for a NEMA plug in. I bought everything necessary to install a plug in before I received the charger and found out that I wasted my time.

 

[ajdelange]

No, not at all. Just buy the 14-50 pigtail, land its wires appropriately, set the dip switches for a 50A circuit and there it is. People who have asked Rivian if this is OK in the past have been told that it is but that they discourage it.

 

[crashmtb]

Yes, it does seem like a dubious statement but since they only endorse either 40A or 50A plug-in installations everywhere ex-Canada it sure looks to me like they are endorsing only 50A installs...

Probably just a CYA thing.

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