[dirtdiver]

Eventually I want to get to the 240v charging although I need more solar panels for that.

Im guessing the car comes with 120v cord?

When I buy my car from the dealer should I try to get the 240v parts at that time too? Or is there a better after market alternative?

What are the 240v parts? the cable and then the socket that needs to be wired to the house?

DD

 

[dannycamps]

The Gen 2 Volt comes with "officially" a 120v EVSE that will plug into any wall outlet and charge at either 8 (18 hours from empty) or 12 amps (12 hours from empty). The quotes are due to the fact that the EVSE supports 240v charging by using a simple plug adapter. At 240v it charges at roughly 16 amps (about 4.5 hours from empty).

 

[bentbiker]

See http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?218442 . The OEM EVSE is capable of using 240V, but it is limited to 12A whether using 120V or 240V.

 

[llninja]

So if you get a gen2 volt (2016 and newer) you can get by with the pigtail in the link above. If you get a used gen1, and you want a 240V, Clipper Creek 20 amp is what most people on this forum like (made in America - not cheap Chinese crap). I happen to have a Bosch SPX because I was in too much of a hurry, too excited about the volt purchase, and didnt' do my homework. I spent north of $800 for mine installed, and that was after the 50% state rebate on the EVSE. Sadly, the IL rebate program was suspended a few years ago.

 

[obermd]

You don't need solar panels to charge your Volt. All homes built in the last 50 years support 240V 50 Amp circuits - building code. The Volt only needs a 240V 20 amp circuit since it will never pull more than 16 amps to charge.

 

[Coppersnowboarder]

A lot of people get confused over the Volt power demand. The Volt draws less amp and few KwH of electricity than dedicated electric vehicles without a hybrid range extending generator. However, I have discovered some older-dated electric outlets that will not mate with the Volt cord. Good thing that safety is built into that smart cord that you stick in the 110-volt outlet.

 

[telveer]

If you are getting a Gen 1 Volt, it comes with a 120V L1 EVSE. Depending on specific year, the EVSE or Car has settings to switch between 8A and 12A. If you are primarily charging overnight, this should be sufficient. If you want to charge at the max possible rate of 3.3kW, you need to get a 240V L2 EVSE like the Clipper Creek LCS20

If you are getting a Gen 2 Volt, the EVSE that comes with the Vehicle can operate at 240V using a simple plug adapter. However, even at 240V, it is still limited to ~3kW or so because the pilot still sends a signal for 12A only. This should be sufficient for most folks. If you want to charge at the max rate of 3.6kW, get an L2 EVSE like the Clipper Creek LCS20

References:

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?218442-2016-Volt-120v-EVSE-is-L1-L2-Conversion-Capable

https://store.clippercreek.com/lcs-20-lcs-20p-16-amp-level-2-ev-charging-station

 

[Neromanceres]

Eventually I want to get to the 240v charging although I need more solar panels for that.

Why would you need more solar for 240V charging vs. 120V? Is your home off grid and you have an instantaneous power limit?

The amount of energy to charge the car using 240V or 120V is for the most part the same. In fact 240V generates fewer losses and uses slightly less energy than 120V. The only difference is speed. 240V will pull more power in the car for a shorter period of time. 120V will pull less power for a longer period of time.

 

[jcramer]

However, I have discovered some older-dated electric outlets that will not mate with the Volt cord. Good thing that safety is built into that smart cord that you stick in the 110-volt outlet.

A 110/120 volt AC outlet will not work with the Gen1 Volt EVSE unless it has a good ground (lower 3rd round contact on the AC plug) as well at the two power connections. My house was built in the 1950s before the 3rd ground connection was commonly used, and when I bought my 2015 Volt, I had to modify the driveway 120 VAC socket so that the ground was there before the EVSE would work and I could charge my Volt.

 

[Loboc]

Well yeah if the original 60-amp fuse box is in use. Nearly all homes in my neighborhood (circa 1951) have been upgraded to 200-amp mains and the house rewired to present code decades ago.

 

[dirtdiver]

Can someone give me a link to the pigtail? I looked in the supplied link and read few pages but the pigtail source was not readily apparent. thanks, DD

I have a gen 2 volt I just bought today.

DD

 

[freshcut]

It should look similar to this. The price is high, and if you're reasonably comfortable with wires and plugs, you can easily make one yourself for a fraction of the cost.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/384390...gbU0prkrwGcAoIBqBFAZ3YbmQFLJQ7_RoCE-MQAvD_BwE

 

[llninja]

It should look similar to this. The price is high, and if you're reasonably comfortable with wires and plugs, you can easily make one yourself for a fraction of the cost.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/384390...gbU0prkrwGcAoIBqBFAZ3YbmQFLJQ7_RoCE-MQAvD_BwE

The OP of this thread makes and sells them

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?218442-Gen2-Volt-EVSE-conversion-to-L2-L1-combo-DONE!

 

[stkfrog]

i bought a chargepoint and self installed. i wanted the wifi and the ability to see how much power i used and what it cost me.