Most common 240V outlet?
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Probably Nema 14-50.
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I had a 14-30 installed in my garage. I was able to use existing conduits, saving tons of money.
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My neighbor is an electrician and he told me he'd install the circuit for free. I'll talk to him about which one I should get given that I will only pull 16 amps. He told me his company (which he owns) is installing 2 or 3 240 volt circuits a week in to garages right now.
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Might also need a nema 6-20 
It's what I use....self installed.
It's what I use....self installed.
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20 amp at a minimum. I like some load overhead. Keeps everything nice and cool.
Some will bring up the ambiguously phony term "future-proof" and suggest much higher amperages. If you think you're full EV inclined in the future, maybe go that way.
But really it comes down to how much you drive. Our daily mileage requires about 2.5 to 3 hours of charging @ 13.75 amps (standard draw on a 2014). I could have a 60 amp service and those numbers won't change for at least 4 years. I can't remember the last time we ran the battery out in a single day.
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Whoops, editing error. I corrected the original - 2 or 3 240V circuits a week.
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Mmmm hmmm, we knew what you meant.
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My daily commute is 48 miles round trip so I don't need the faster charges during the week. Weekends are a different story - go out in the morning, come back to the house to charge my Volt and then go out in the evening. It's 10 miles or so minimum go get anywhere from where I live so the faster 240V recharge time relative to the 120V recharge time is important for me in this scenario. I just can't see paying the extra $325 to reduce the charge time from 5.5 to 4.5 hours.
My other thought is my wife and I do travel by car and it would be nice to be able to plug in wherever RVs can plug in, thus the question of the outlet/plug I need from ChrisTX.
Since the incremental cost of a 50 amp circuit is just the parts it makes sense to me to go that route vs. the 20 or 30 amp circuit. Besides, who knows, if someone releases a convertible EV my wife might want one as well and then I'll need to charge two cars.
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These conversations are best had with your electrician. Maybe you really want 2 receptacles.. Besides, who knows, if someone releases a convertible EV my wife might want one as well and then I'll need to charge two cars.
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Agreed. For now I only need the one and I do agree that "future proofing" is really a vague term. Who knows, my next car may need a L3 charger, in which case I would need a whole new panel.
Although L3 charging would be nice. I can't really see how that is going to become a viable residential option in the near future since most L3 capable cars already have significantly long enough range for the average commute and running around and can charge with L2 in a few hours, typically overnight when the car won't be used anyway.
As a side on the L3 option, it's been my understanding that you need more than 240 coming into your residence, so aside from a panel, you'd likely need a bigger line from your power company, again making L3 more of a challenge.
But back to the original question, a 30 or 50 amp plug would likely be the most "common", especially since it can be required for certain shop equipment that might be an attractive option for a future buyer. Most welders, larger lathes, drill presses, etc require 240 and typically use either a 14-30 or 14-50 receptacle not to mention your typical electric dryer as well.
As a side on the L3 option, it's been my understanding that you need more than 240 coming into your residence, so aside from a panel, you'd likely need a bigger line from your power company, again making L3 more of a challenge.
But back to the original question, a 30 or 50 amp plug would likely be the most "common", especially since it can be required for certain shop equipment that might be an attractive option for a future buyer. Most welders, larger lathes, drill presses, etc require 240 and typically use either a 14-30 or 14-50 receptacle not to mention your typical electric dryer as well.
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I hadn't even thought about the garage hobbyist should my wife and I sell the house. That would make it more attractive to some people. Likewise a full 50 amp garage circuit would have the same allure to certain groups of potential buyers.
L3 typically requires 3-phase power, which excludes 99.9999% of homes in N America. Though there is a guy on the Tesla forum that did it and installed a personal CHAdeMO setup. It probably cost more than a Bolt EV to do it...
I would (and did) simply install a NEMA 14-50. This is the defacto standard for larger RVs. It will handle up to 10kW of charging. Note that the Bolt EV has a 7.2 kW charger, so can already take advantage of a good percentage of that capacity. All Teslas can charge at 10kW minimum, and often more depending on year and options.
The important thing is doing the big wiring once. When it is in place, swapping a receptacle or hard-wiring the EVSE, and importantly installing breakers to match, is not a big deal.
I would (and did) simply install a NEMA 14-50. This is the defacto standard for larger RVs. It will handle up to 10kW of charging. Note that the Bolt EV has a 7.2 kW charger, so can already take advantage of a good percentage of that capacity. All Teslas can charge at 10kW minimum, and often more depending on year and options.
The important thing is doing the big wiring once. When it is in place, swapping a receptacle or hard-wiring the EVSE, and importantly installing breakers to match, is not a big deal.
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Install one and get some adapters for the others: www.evseadapters.com
That's what I do when I visit family and friends with dryer outlets in their garage and the Flying J Truck Stop ShorePower station at the top of the Grapevine!
That's what I do when I visit family and friends with dryer outlets in their garage and the Flying J Truck Stop ShorePower station at the top of the Grapevine!
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If you are going to "future proof" your garage...install a sub panel
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