Home Charging Error - Using Portable Charger

[JalenHurtsBirds]

Been using the Rivian Portable Charger the last year in my garage which never gets unplugged. Currently have had my R1S set to charge at 28amp or 22amp. Once or twice during the charge I will get a charger error notification asking me to try again. After a few minutes it starts charging again. The wall plug is very warm but not burn your hand hot.

I use it to also change our I4 and think I had the same issue once. Maybe I'll try the i4 charger to see if the issue persits on both.

L3 Supercharging works fine however slows down after 50-60% from initial high speed rate.

Do most of you have a charge station like a Chargepoint or Emporia or use the portable for your evs with. Heavy duty Nema

Sponsored

 

[beatle]

You probably have a loose terminal on your receptacle. Unplug, remove the receptacle and tighten the terminals with a torque driver (not just a screwdriver). The receptacle could also be starting to fail if it's a $15-$20 part. This is what they look like when they fail:

 

[JalenHurtsBirds]

We've had it for about a year. I'm going to try the BMW i4 portable charger tonight and see if that changes things to see if it's maybe that the rivian charger. We never unplug it so I don't think it's loose either

How much should an electrician charge to put in a new one and is there a specific nema we should use?

Also, is there specific home charging box you would recommend instead? And how much does it cost to put those in?

We have an nacs adapter as both our CCS

You probably have a loose terminal on your receptacle. Unplug, remove the receptacle and tighten the terminals with a torque driver (not just a screwdriver). The receptacle could also be starting to fail if it's a $15-$20 part. This is what they look like when they fail:

 

[Blackwater]

We've had it for about a year. I'm going to try the BMW i4 portable charger tonight and see if that changes things to see if it's maybe that the rivian charger. We never unplug it so I don't think it's loose either

How much should an electrician charge to put in a new one and is there a specific nema we should use?

Also, is there specific home charging box you would recommend instead? And how much does it cost to put those in?

We have an nacs adapter as both our CCS

Purchase a high end plug like Hubbell and the diameter is larger than the cheap ones
Make sure the wire is at least six gauge and tighten the screws as stated above

 

[bertwilly]

Do you have a HD EV rated outlet? It will say it on the packaging and cost about $50 instead of $12.

 

[CharonPDX]

How much should an electrician charge to put in a new one and is there a specific nema we should use?

Varies *WILDLY* by situation.

At my old house, it was $200. At my current house, $2000. And that's in the same city. If you live somewhere far cheaper or far more expensive, those could halve or triple.

If all they're doing is replacing the outlet with an "EV repeated insertion/removal" outlet, it will be on the cheaper end. If they're going to run new wire from your panel to a location for an EVSE, and that is a long distance? It's going to be on the expensive end.

NEMA 14-50 is the standard socket that plug-in EVSEs use. Make sure they use one rated for repeated insertion/removal - most NEMA 14-50 are *NOT*, they're meant to have an appliance plugged in and stay plugged in for years.

The other option is to go for a hardwired EVSE, to remove the socket as a failure point. Most wall-mount EVSEs can be either hardwired or socket/plug, by just changing out the cord, or even just removing the plug from the end of the cord.

 

[JalenHurtsBirds]

Do you have a HD EV rated outlet? It will say it on the packaging and cost about $50 instead of $12.

I'll have to go check. If I were to upgrade to let's say the Hubble, is it perfectly fine to use a level 2 portable charger consistently vs charge station?

I would probably have to just have someone come in and replace the receptacle but I'm just double-checking if it's not maybe the portable charger issue

 

[bertwilly]

I'll have to go check. If I were to upgrade to let's say the Hubble, is it perfectly fine to use a level 2 portable charger consistently vs charge station?

I would probably have to just have someone come in and replace the receptacle but I'm just double-checking if it's not maybe the portable charger issue

Even if it is the portable charger failing I would have your outlet verified and also make sure your wiring is 6 gauge. These are extremely important and could cost you your house if not installed properly. Just make sure who ever works on it is licensed because if something were to fail your insurance won’t pay out if a licensed contractor didn’t install. Good luck!

 

[2kwik4u]

Definitely sounds like an outlet problem, especially if it's warm to the touch.

I put a Hubbell NEMA 14-50 outlet in my garage. Ran 6AWG/3 Conductor ROMEX style wire to it, and put it on a 50A breaker. From there I run a 50ft "RV Style" extension cord to the front of the garage where the Rivian portable charge sits in a wall mount bracket. Charge nightly at 7.4kW (~30A), which is the max the portable charger can/will supply. I check everything biweekly with an IR gun to ensure no loose connections or heat buildup. Usually wait 2-3hrs into the charge cycle to ensure it's had high current for enough time to build heat. I've yet to see more than ~10deg rise on any component over ambient temps. Nothing ever feels "warm to the touch".

If you already have a 14-50 outlet in the garage, replacing the receptacle is quite easy, and honestly doesn't take much more effort than replacing a regular 120V outlet. Turn the power off to that circuit, unscrew the old one, screw in the new one, turn power back on.

Personal opinion here......I think most EVSE installations are overkill for most people. Assuming 8hrs of charging at 7.4kW we're talking about 115mi of range overnight. I've at least not found a reason to get anything larger, and I drive 25k miles a year and tow quite often in the summer.

 

[JalenHurtsBirds]

Is there any issue if I just upgrade the current receptacle/ Nema to a EV rated like 9450a and just use the plug-in charger which never gets removed.

I figure it would be a lot cheaper just swapping that out versus getting a new charge station plus installation costs.

Also are these what I would need and are they real?

https://a.co/d/06iV6btL

Grainger was over 100 and these look to be sold by multiple vendors but shipped from Amazon

 

[beatle]

We've had it for about a year. I'm going to try the BMW i4 portable charger tonight and see if that changes things to see if it's maybe that the rivian charger. We never unplug it so I don't think it's loose either

How much should an electrician charge to put in a new one and is there a specific nema we should use?

Also, is there specific home charging box you would recommend instead? And how much does it cost to put those in?

We have an nacs adapter as both our CCS

Mine melted after a little more than 2 years. I probably only unplugged it 3 or 4 times. I used a Tesla gen 1 UMC which let me charge at 40A though.

If you're just replacing the receptacle (14-50R), that shouldn't be very expensive, probably whatever the electrician's minimum charge is. Hubbell and Bryant are popular names because they've always been known as a "heavy duty / commercial / industrial" supplier, but other companies like Leviton now have "EVSE rated" receptacles that should be fine as well.

IMO you can't do better than a Tesla UWC if you're going to scrap the receptacle for a hardwired EVSE. This is what I did. Installation cost varies, but if you're not going far, it shouldn't be that expensive. Running wire (and the wire itself) are what really get you on the price of an install.

 

[JalenHurtsBirds]

Mine melted after a little more than 2 years. I probably only unplugged it 3 or 4 times. I used a Tesla gen 1 UMC which let me charge at 40A though.

If you're just replacing the receptacle (14-50R), that shouldn't be very expensive, probably whatever the electrician's minimum charge is. Hubbell and Bryant are popular names because they've always been known as a "heavy duty / commercial / industrial" supplier, but other companies like Leviton now have "EVSE rated" receptacles that should be fine as well.

IMO you can't do better than a Tesla UWC if you're going to scrap the receptacle for a hardwired EVSE. This is what I did. Installation cost varies, but if you're not going far, it shouldn't be that expensive. Running wire (and the wire itself) are what really get you on the price of an install.

Tesla UWC works for a Rivian and Bmw i4?

I thought they were specific for Tesla and was recommended Grizzle / emporia / chargepoint.

 

[beatle]

Tesla UWC has an integrated J1772 adapter so it works with all cars. If/when you get a car with a NACS port, the adapter stays attached to the EVSE and you plug the NACS wand into the car without it.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Is there any issue if I just upgrade the current receptacle/ Nema to a EV rated like 9450a and just use the plug-in charger which never gets removed

Impossible question. No one can tell condition of your wiring remotely, sight unseen.

 

[JalenHurtsBirds]

If I go hardwired does anyone recommend the chargepoint flex, emperio, Tesla or uwc or grizzl

Sponsored