jonathan r Posted February 16, 2015 at 07:42 AM Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 at 07:42 AM Is there any advantage in range by switching to a 220 volt charger? Or is the only advantage charging speed? Sorry if this is a dumb question, just got the car 2 weeks ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy Posted February 16, 2015 at 11:23 AM Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 at 11:23 AM The voltages on the US power grid are 120 volts and 240 volts.240 volt charging, in addition to being faster, is more efficient so it will cost less to charge the battery.If you live in an area that gets cold and wish to preheat the cabin using GO times, 240 volts is the way to go. There is not enough power available from a 120 volt charger to successfully heat the cabin. 120 volts times 12 amperes equals 1440 watts.240 volts times 16 amperes equals 3840 watts. Hybridbear 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug0716 Posted February 17, 2015 at 02:01 AM Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 at 02:01 AM I'm in TX and we have had very few cold days this year but I've already noticed a significant difference in go time pre-conditioning temps. In a way you could argue that the preconditioning extends your range in a roundabout way. On my drives to work since it's pre-conditioned I can leave the heater off and just turn on the seat heater and steering wheel heater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbort Posted February 17, 2015 at 04:46 AM Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 at 04:46 AM Depends on your needs. I do just fine with the 110v charger. Then again I don't preheat and I live in a much colder climate than you do, however the 120v can precool for you in the summer no problem. Don't buy the 240v charger to save money on charging, its no minuscule you will never get the cost back in savings. Buy it if you need to go in and out alot during the day and want to recharge quick. Or buy it if preheating is important to you but any savings you had with the 240v will be more than spent preheating. -=>Raja. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryh Posted February 17, 2015 at 10:57 AM Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 at 10:57 AM (edited) I wouldn't say the savings with a 240 V charger are miniscule. They can be quite significant. My electric company provides a $500 rebate to install a 240 V charger. In addition, they offer significantly lower electric rates to charge the car, e.g. as low as $0.04/kWh vs. the normal $0.11/kWh rate. That is more than 60% savings in electric costs. The federal government, in the past, has also provided credit up to $500 for the installation of a 240 V charger. So for a small investment, you can get a very significant savings in electric costs. Edited February 17, 2015 at 10:59 AM by larryh Hybridbear and Doug0716 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbort Posted February 18, 2015 at 01:39 AM Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 at 01:39 AM Hey Larry, Oh, wasn't talking about that. Was talking about the difference between efficiency between the two. Here my electric company would not care if I'm using 120 or 240, the rate is one fixed rate. And I don't know if there are any rebates, sounds like you got it going good for you there :) -=>Raja. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevedebi Posted February 18, 2015 at 04:54 PM Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 at 04:54 PM Here in LA it is possible to get a separate rate, but you have to have an electrician install a separate meter for just the charging station, and I belive it has to be 240v. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybridbear Posted February 18, 2015 at 10:08 PM Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 at 10:08 PM The Federal EVSE rebate is up to $1000.http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1095984_tax-breaks-back-for-electric-car-charging-stations-natural-gas-cars-through-end-of-year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexracer Posted February 18, 2015 at 11:39 PM Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 at 11:39 PM With the state/federal rebates my 240v charger was almost free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy314 Posted February 19, 2015 at 03:16 AM Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 at 03:16 AM For me I paid 20ish% of the cost. City was 50% and federal was 30%. I got the plug model so should I move, it comes with me. L2 charge for me is about 2 hours, but L1 is around 5. There is more noticeable heat in the L1 charger as well (heat = less efficient). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howardbc Posted March 20, 2015 at 05:28 PM Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 at 05:28 PM Okay, I'm sure this is a dumb question, but ... I can plug the OEM charging cord that came with my 2013 FFE into either a 120v or a 220/240v outlet, right? Right now I just plug the charging cord into a plain 120v wall outlet in my garage and it takes around 6 hours, which is fine for me. But I was wondering if I had a 220/240v outlet installed (but not the fast charger), how much faster would my car charge? Also, could a new 220/240v outlet be "piggy-backed" off an existing 240v outlet in my nearby laundry room? Rather than having a new dedicated 220/240v outlet installed? Wouldn't that be okay as long as I didn't run the clothes dryer at the same time as charging my car? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openair Posted March 20, 2015 at 05:43 PM Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 at 05:43 PM No. The OEM cord is level 1, 120v only. If you get a level 2 outlet installed you'll also need to purchase a level 2 charger. It could potentially be piggybacked but that could depend on your specific wiring setup and the electrician who installs the level 2 outlet and or charger would be best to answer this. Some level 2 chargers plug into a 240v outlet. Some are wired directly. howardbc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howardbc Posted March 20, 2015 at 05:48 PM Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 at 05:48 PM Thanks so much, openair. Phew - glad I didn't try it! What is the difference between plugging into a 240v outlet and "wired directly"? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy Posted March 20, 2015 at 05:55 PM Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 at 05:55 PM Wired directly means the wire from the wall goes directly into the charger. There is no plug or socket involved. It is a permanent installation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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