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MEGEAR Skysword Level 1-2 EV Charger, 100-240V 16A 25FT Portable EVSE, NEMA 6-20 Plug with NEMA 5-15 Adapter Electric Vehicle Charging Station?
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In the US we can get a well reviewed level 1/level 2 charger for $200.
Megear Level 1-2 EV Charger(100-240V,16A) Portable EVSE Home Electric Vehicle Charging Station(NEMA6-20 with Adapter for NEMA5-15) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075GJK2S9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_EKWVHZEP5AWNWHM79KA9
If you're not dead-set on a connected charger, you could get something like this one that actually rated/designed to do both 120 and 240 for a lot cheaper. I have basically the same one that I keep in my car.
Just get a cheapo ($200-300) portable level 2 cord that does level 1 or 2 charging. 120v/240v, your choice. These generally level 2 charge at a slower rate.. but still are a nice option. You can level 2 charge at any rv park in a pinch with it.
Look at reviews. Here's the first result on Amazon:
Also, most cars lock the charger in place when you lock the car.
True.
Next question: Is the wire in the outlet 14 gauge or 12 gauge?
If it’s the latter, you would upgrade the circuit to a 6-20, which should be more common EVSE plug.
Edit: example
Megear Level 1-2 EV Charger(100-240V,16A) Portable EVSE Home Electric Vehicle Charging Station(NEMA6-20 with Adapter for NEMA5-15) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075GJK2S9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_G19PAZVSSPGHATBEXNHG
This happened to my 2013 not long after I purchased it. I went through all the fuses as others have described and I tried charging it at another charge station (which happened to be broken as well) so it led me to believe the port was bad. Turns out that I tried another charging station and it took a charge so I bought a new charger on Amazon and it will charge just fine at home now. This is what I bought
I've used this charger for 3 years now andIt's great and a great price. It'll do level 1 when plugged to 120v, and level 2 when plugged to 240v. the cord is nice and long too, and is one of the cheaper options. I've never had it fail or trip a circuit.
or this one which adds level 2 but looks like it comes up a bit short of the 25' you're looking for.
I keep the charger cord that came with mine at home to charge and bought this one to keep in the car. I have been very happy with it. $190 on amazon.
What I really liked is it came with a hanger I use at home with the factory charger, and it has adapters for higher amp outlets. I do not use the bag it came with but rather store it in the charger slot in back.
I've gone through all these routes. The cable tells the car how much power it can draw. Charging a higher-range vehicle off a regular socket is not recommended as it takes days to fully recharge. (Level 1 is 15A on a 20A breaker - this means the charger should be the only thing on that circuit when the car is charging.)
Level 2 charging at full power scared me initially - house is old - 100amp mains. I wired for 6.6 charging and used a 3.3 EVSE (Amazon $199) for a year before going full 6.6 with my stock charger.
I advise building for Level 2 charging. Obviously being your own electrician in this case brings the cost down - and to me it wasn't a difficult installation at all - the wire cost more than all the other parts. And who says this is the only electric car you'll have?
Same happened to me with 2019 M3. Did not work with existing 120V service or new 240V subpanel. Service center was no help. The only part of the mobile connector that worked was the J1772 adapter, which I use with a 3rd party Level 1/2 16 amp charger. Hope you have better result with the SC, please let us know.
Of course! This is the one. Have been using my first one for over a year with no issues. I have since ordered a couple more just to keep one in the car, one in the garage, etc...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075GJK2S9?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
If that doesn’t work it’s called the “Megear Level 1-2 EV Charger”.
There's plenty of EVSEs that will work with just two hots and a ground, which you have the wiring for. And 30 amps at 240v will allow you to run an EVSE up to 24 amps. Your volt will pull a max of 15 amps at 240v (3600w max).
The existing wire is fine. You need a different breaker and receptacle. You would disconnect the hot and neutral wire at both ends, wire on the new receptacle and put in a new two pole breaker that matches the amperage of the receptacle you install. Keep in mind when calculating loads and buying an EVSE that the EVSE must only use 80% or less of the circuit's rated capacity (true for any continuous loads of 3 hours or more - ie why hairdryers can have higher wattage than a space heater). So for example a 30 amp circuit like yours maxes out at 24 amps (so don't buy an EVSE that's rated higher than that).
Personally I would recommend the NEMA 6-20 receptacle and a Duosida EVSE (or clone) from Amazon. $200 or less and does both L1 & L2. Long cord. Lots of folks here have them.
L1 charging consumes about 1.5kW per hour. If I was charging my EV out here in Halifax it would cost 13.5c per hour of charging, I pay 9c per kWh at night.
If you have access to a garage it might have a 240V NEMA 6-20 outlet, not a big enough for a full sized L2 charger but good for a smaller charger like this. At 3.6kW you could regain your commute overnight without needing to charge at your work. My garage came with a 6-20 outlet but I needed a full L2 charger so I had to pay an electrician to install a NEMA 14-50 outlet in my garage.
Third china amazon chargers. I've have this for almost two years and have no issues with it. But you might be able to get a better deal on ebay with used ones.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075GJK2S9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
you could get these . there level 2 chargers that will charge at 11 amps on thr 15amp breaker and then you can remove the adapter and use the 220v plug if you go to a different location that had access to it . just search Amazon for ev level 2 chargers Megear/Zencar Level 1-2 EV Charger(100-240V,16A) Portable EVSE Home Electric Vehicle Charging Station Compatible with Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Fiat, Ford Fusion (NEMA6-20 with Adapter for NEMA5-15) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075GJK2S9/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_tHGWEbGKC9ZXE
Here's an example of an EVSE that isn't listed. This one's straight from China.
This one came with my (used) eGolf and it works just great! Easy to take with you as well.
I'm sure you could take it to an electrician and have them repair the cable.
Otherwise https://www.amazon.com/Zencar-Portable-Electric-Charging-Compatible/dp/B075GJK2S9/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=chevy%2Bvolt%2Blevel%2B1%2Bcharger&qid=1568658560&s=automotive&sr=1-3&th=1 looks pretty solid and can do 120V and 240V charging.
I saw this the other day if you really need to save the money, I dunno if I would trust my expensive car to a $200 charger but ��♂️
Zencar Level 2 EV Charger(100-240V,16A,25ft+3ft) Portable EVSE Home Electric Vehicle Charging Station Compatible with Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Fiat, Ford Fusion (NEMA6-20 with Adapter for NEMA5-15) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075GJK2S9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VkHSCbMA4P9TR
I have an aftermarket charging cable because Carvana originally told me the car would arrive without one. It arrived with the original charging cord tucked in the side compartment in the rear, and you're right that one doesn't have a cap. Mine was absolutely filthy so I'm sure the previous owner was charging outside.
This is the one I purchased:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075GJK2S9?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details
It's been working great for the last 2 months I've had it. I like the cord keeper kit with wall cap for safe keeping too. You can buy that kit separately if that's what you'd like.
It's a bit complicated lol Last year, my electric company offered an incentive for EV owners to install a metered charger ... Up to $2500 to achieve that goal. My house only had 100 amp service, and being everything electric, I needed to upgrade to 200 amp. Knowing a second EV and possibly a new shop being built on the farm I relocated my main to the side of the house where I park and had a second 14-50 amp outlet installed for future use. I then purchased a $200 portable L2 15amp (3.3kW) charger for the Volt, and I use the 40a openEVSE for my Bolt. Setup pictured here https://imgur.com/LiOv8Xu
The portable charger is here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075GJK2S9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_GL9tBb7B45K1B I made a 14-50 adapter out of an old 10ga extension cord, an RV replacement plug, and a female nema 6-20 replacement cord end.
In the end, I spent around $2,000 extra on the electrical work, portable EVSE, and materials to make the adapter. I can elaborate further if you wish. Just lemme know :) (Edit: removed Amazon title from pasted link)
After my 2013 charger died, I went with a refurbished version of this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075GJK2S9/
Works very well 2-1/2 years in. No complaints.
been using this for 2 years with no problems
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075GJK2S9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Let me be clear that I'm confident in my Duosida EVSE. There's no guarantee that anyone buying a unit with the same appearance would get a good unit. Especially because the Duosida website itself, when you click on that unit, now takes you to an Amazon listing for an entirely different unit which does not appear to have the same UL-listed cable assembly they used to come with.
So, I would say I'd be more confident in the unit if someone can get their hands on the exact same unit I got, with the J1772 connector that looks just like the one I received and is (currently) shown on the Duosida website, and bearing the UL mark. It's no guarantee, but much of the risk (and cost) in an EVSE is in the cord and connector assembly, and the rest of the unit is pretty basic stuff that Chinese factories have gotten good at and have less incentive to skip. So relatively more confidence in the specific unit I got, but not really much more confidence in Duosida units generally than the others that are known to ship garbage.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075GJK2S9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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$199 and if i move i can still use it with higher voltages
Electric cars generally don't just plug in, they use a charger or if you prefer a wall adapter. They come in 2 levels for J1772 and 1 level for Tesla.
For Tesla, you go to Tesla's shop and buy it, it's https://shop.tesla.com/product/wall-connector and it's USD$500 to buy. You get an electrician to install.
With J1772 you need to decide which one you need, Level 1 is slower than Level 2. They do come in portable version or wall versions. For the portable, you can buy something like https://www.amazon.com/Megear-100-240V-Portable-Electric-Charging/dp/B075GJK2S9
But for a wall charger, something like the JuiceBox https://evcharging.enelx.com/ca/en/products/juicebox is more popular. And the Wifi lets you control if it's "on" or not.
I actually have the Tesla chargers.
Congrats! I've got an SE (same paint - it's a good look!), and I feel the same about charging. I used zip ties to "permanently" set up the cable that came with it in my garage, and have the car set to reduce charging to 8 amps. Slower charging is better for the long-term health of lithium ion batteries, and while it's not actually likely to be an issue, there's been no reason to do anything else. Overnight has been plenty. I often don't even charge it when I get home (again, lithium ion battery quirk - about 50% is their most stable charge).
I did buy a level 2 charger for trips, though. Here's the EVSE, and an adapter to Tesla (not superchargers, though). I'm also working on a collection of adapters to various plug types. This way, when I travel I can just throw the cable bag in the back with all the adapters in it, and have level 2 charging anywhere I have access to any type of outlet.
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So, googling that charger model, it does seem to take both 120/240 input, but I see a couple of different variations on the charger, some with plug adapters, some with out. e.g. this one will work with both as it comes with an adapter option:
https://www.amazon.com/Megear-100-240V-Portable-Electric-Charging/dp/B075GJK2S9/ref=rtpb_2?pd_rd_w=LFHe9&pf_rd_p=be844577-fee7-4bbc-8dda-083e56cc6f0d&pf_rd_r=NJ66KE8MQTD5M24PEN9D&pd_rd_r=f60ca298-a4bb-409a-bb7b-73885c5772e6&pd_rd_wg=iBANd&pd_rd_i=B075GJK2S9&psc=1
It looks like, if it has the NEMA6-20 plug, could just get a NEMA6-20 to 5-15 adapter for a little over 20 bucks and you should be good to go:
https://www.amazon.com/5-15P-6-20R-Heavy-Electric-Adapter/dp/B08CXKHVVP/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=nema+6-20+adapter&qid=1617288103&sr=8-5
Just be sure to look at the charger before buying it and make sure it's actually rated for 120/240 input. Oh and most home outlets are only rated at 120v/15A, so the most you can charge at is 12A on those. If you have a 20A rated circuit, you can charge at 16A (long duration use is limited to 80% of the max circuit amperage).
Having 240 is the way to go. We got lucky in that we had an old dryer outlet near by, so we now use that to charge our i3. We can only charge at 24A, since it's a 30A outlet, but it's fast enough for us (32A on a 40A outlet is max).
No, there aren't any snow tires for 20" rims. You don't really want staggered rims for the snows either (our Rex as the 5.5" wide rear rims and the 5" wide front). You can put snows on the 5.5" wide rims, but it's not ideal. There are some good deals on rims from other owners who sell them off, otherwise they're a bit expensive, with only one real aftermarket rim out there, the Rial. If you do get snows, look for the Continental Viking 7 tires, those are the ones to get right now. Snows for the i3 are made by Bridgestone, Nokian and Continental currently.
Interesting, or should I say frustrating, on the car values vs trade in values. There is definitely a supply/demand aspect to all of this as well.
Oh, and we've had the i3 off road a little bit. It doesn't have much clearance, but it sure is maneuverable :D
I opened mine and couldn't see anything obvious. So I bought two chargers. A level one and a level two chargers. Like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075GJK2S9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_5YJDZ8FA330H9MYXN6BB
I bought the zencar (now it's called megear I guess) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075GJK2S9
Only 200 bucks, and has worked perfectly all year. I have it permanently mounted outdoors - it's under a roof but no walls so it gets full sun/any blowing rain/snow/etc. My only complaint is that the J1772 plug is a bit tight.
I was going to hack-convert my gen 2 OEM charger to 220, but then it stopped working. Something wore out in the plug or something.
The 6-20 outlet won't provide enough juice for a level 2 charger, at least not a good/safe one. The 20 means 20 amps, and that's only 5 more than a normal outlet which is 15 amps.
There are some chargers out there for 6-20 outlets like this one (link), however, respectable companies like ClipperCreek recommend against any charger sold on Amazon that is not ETL certified for safety.
Most level 2 chargers start at about 30-32 amps, or use a different plug type than what you have. These are a couple of the popular ones:
Juicebox (40A, 32A also available) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UB9R4KO/
ClipperCreek HCS-40P (30A and options down to 20A available) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013VNIAEU
One other option... ClipperCreek offers 20A chargers. It won't charge the Leaf at a full 6.6Kw that it's capable of, but it'll still be quicker. If your electrician has a SAFE and code compliant way to extend that 6-20 connection and then use a plug type that ClipperCreek supports here (or using the hardwired option), then one of these might work for you:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=lcs-20p&i=automotive&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
There have been occasional reports of some people getting dealers to replace tie EVSE under the bumper to bumper warranty. But not sure I've heard of anyone successfully getting it replaced under the Voltec warranty.
There isn't a whole lot to go wrong in those EVSEs. The popping/buzzing is probably a failed/stuck relay (it has 2). An easy repair if you have the ability to repair electronics (and that is indeed the problem).
If you can't get it repaired, you can get new EVSEs pretty cheap these days.
Just a few links from Amazon:
Any of these will work. You'll notice a lot of the cheap ones all look the same, its because they are all made by the same manufacturer despite the "brand name".
Any Level 2 EV charger, but it's something like this
https://www.amazon.com/Zencar-100-240V-Portable-Electric-Compatible/dp/B075GJK2S9/ref=sr_1_4
and then the accompanying Surge protector so the charger doesn't kill my dryer while neither is working
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MYO1CAA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And the splitter to allow it all so i don't have to crawl behind the dryer to plug things in and out.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CVSJ6S9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I really should get some amazing affiliate links :) But alas, I don't have 'em.
Here is the setup
Wall -- Splitter -- Surge protector -- dryer
Wall -- Splitter -- Charger
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