Quote:
Originally Posted by EnigmaMann
Well after 15 weeks of waiting my 2019
I3S arrived. I need guidance in selecting a Level 2 Charger that will
minimize the charging time for a 120 AH battery. I am sure the Amp rating, wire size and other factors affect the charging time and which unit
to purchase.
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I went through the same decision process 4+ years ago when I got my first EV (i3). At that time, the L2 (240V) charger candidates were:
- BMW's (30 AMP, huge box)
- Bosch EL-51254 (30 AMP, indoor/outdoor, 25' cord)
- Siemens VC30GRYU (30 AMP, indoor/outdoor, 20-25' cord)
- GE WattStation (30 AMP, indoor only, 18-25' cord)
- Leviton EVB40-PST (40 AMP, indoor/outdoor, 25' cord)
I'm sure the model #s and prices have changed since then, but the following decision criteria remain the same:
- Wiring - will you need new cables or can you tap into a 220V drying plug in your house (30 min DIY)?
- The latter was quicker and cheaper for me, so I bought the Siemens charger that came with 14-50 plug that went into the receptacle previously used by the electric dryer (was upgraded to gas dryer a few years prior). Washer/drier room was sharing a wall with the garage, so I just punched a hole through it, and hung the L2 charger over it.
- If you need new wiring and conduits, you might need to get a permit (town dependent) and hire an electrician. This can quickly become a 4-figure project.
- Amp rating - the only right answer is get enough Amps to fully take advantage of the i3's 7.2 KWh charging capacity. For 7.2KWh you want at least 240/7.2 = 33Amp EVSE.
- Most L2 chargers are rated at 30Amps, which is close enough.
- 40Amps EVSE is even better.
- There are cheaper (16Amp) L2 chargers out there, but if they can't hit 30Amps, your charge time will be unnecessarily extended. Don't make that mistake.
- Logistics - indoor vs. outdoor, and length of cable.
- Pre-park the car where you expect to charge it once you own it, and make those decisions based on your house + driveway constraints.
- Indoor only are cheaper, so are the ones with shorter cables. Buy what you need.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EnigmaMann
I tired the Level 1 charger BMW provides with the vehicle and it works out to 4 miles for every hour of charging... way too slow. An overnight charge of 10 hours will only net me 40 miles of distance.
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L1 (120V) as you discovered, is way to slow and reserved for emergencies only.
L2 (240V) EVSE charger costs ~$500, and speeds up charging from empty to full down to ~5 hours. Virtually everyone ends up getting one of these.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EnigmaMann
I assume I could install a 240V outlet at both my home and office garages and simply carry the Level 2 cable/small box with me and charge at both
locations.
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You will NOT be carrying L2 EVSE with you much - it's big, clunky, and not that much fun to setup.
Buy and hang it in your garage. That will supply 90+% of the electricity you end up using.
For the few times when you need to recharge on the road (work), there is an increasing number of public L2 chargers out there (EVgo, etc). Unless you absolutely can't make it to work and back on one charge, I would not worry about charging at work.
If you can't make it to work and back on one charge, get a Tesla.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daleyplanit
Is the JuiceBox Pro 40 more than a standard i3 needs?
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JuiceBox 40 is a 40 Amp indoor/outdoor L2 EVSE. It will work just fine.
It can support upto 10kW of charging flow, which is a little more than i3 can handle. However, 40 Amps is what Tesla's can handle on L2, so if you ever upgrade from an i3, your EVSE will be ready.
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