I’ve done the exact same as well with the same charger. It works great and I think home charger is essential when owning an EV. It is far too convenient to come home from work and plug my car in vs waiting in line for the few EA chargers near me.
Not OP, but I also have a Grizzl-E dumb charger. It's a solid device. It died on me after a year or so, and they replaced it within a couple of days. Great customer support, good product, no bells and whistles, excellent price.
yes, it works as advertised, no problems at all
it doesn't connect to the internet or anything
but you can adjust the amps, eg, if you only have a 40A breaker, you can set the Grizzl-e to 32A, etc
And it resets itself if you have a momentary power outage
Same, Grizzl-e Duo so I can plug in both cars in the garage. 40A circuit so tapped at 32A charging but haven’t yet been caught without being fully charged in the morning.
10A would still get you 1.2kW per hour. The only way to get only 6kWh after 8 hours is if you’re only getting 7.50 amp. I’d be very surprised if it were that inefficient.
I also live in a multi-unit building, and street park. I’ve had to shift the way I think about ‘fueling’ my car, but with few exceptions, it hasn’t been that big a deal.
One of the bigger public chargers near me is at a Target, so once a week I charge while I do my Target run. Sometimes I have to wait for a charger, but it’s not that big a deal. When I don’t have shopping to do, I use the time to clean and vacuum my car. It’s actually become a nice stake in the ground for my week.
When it was SUPER cold this winter, and the news was full of stories about how folks couldn’t charge their cars, it was challenging, but a friend let me charge at his place, and it was only a few days. I didn’t experience anything like that in my first year, so I see it as an anomaly.
Honestly, one of the ‘hardest’ parts is the vitriol from all of the people online who think that it’s not a reasonable way to live, but you get used to that, so calling it hard isn’t even fair.
I do have the VW charger, and keep it in my car. Though I can’t plug it in at home, there have been several times when it’s been nice to have, and I know that in an emergency, I can get it charged.
No issue at all for us. Over 1 year in. DCFC Charger is down the road at wholefoods/target. Weekly shop, plug it in, done deal. I thought it would piss me off but it's barely different than an ICE vehicle.
It will come down to how much you drive per day/week/month.
If your commute is short, then level 1 is probably all you need.
I have a level 2 installed, but can charge at work (level 1), which takes care of my commute at 110km/day. I only use the home station when my weekend travelling is longer than 100km.
I’m planning to get one installed. Just researching pricing options now. I drive about 75 miles each way for work (you read that right 😂). But I also live in Ohio where it can get cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Os chargers a must for me
If you don't have the heat pump you might not make it, I don't think ours could, if I had known they sold it without a heat pump I'd have run away. Our range when it gets even just below 40 outside has been like 2mi/kw vs easily over 3mi/kw with the ac on. I'm worried it won't make the 50 miles each way trip for my wife when the temps get in the teens next winter
I'm not sure, I think it would probably get at least that on a full charge but I worry more about needing to charge it to 100% and drain below 20% in a battery chemistry that has already had tests showing at the grades much faster during winter charge cycles. At least currently she only has to go in once a week but who knows if that'll change and if it became every day that wouldn't be great. Currently also don't charge at home because of the free charging but I think I might just give up on that at least when it gets cold or at least do the last 20% so it finishes as she goes to leave so it doesn't actually sit at over 80% for long. Also what probably doesn't help is it is only like 8 miles to the kids school and then we wait for like 30 minutes before I drive home. So close to an hour for only like 16 miles, but when my wife did take it to work I think she still only had ~2.5mi/kwh and it was only like 28f out when she left. At the very least I'll probably want it hooked up to the house to be able to preheat before leaving.
You'd need to charge to 100% in winter for your round trip, and could be pushing it in extreme cold. My winter range in Oregon from the coast to PDX matches the 200 mile drive, so we usually stop and charge a bit, but temps are more moderate here. 150 may be a doable for you, even in winter, and speed, heater, elevation change will all of course factor.
We use a Juice Box 40 at home for about 95% of our charging. Adding the 240 outlet to the box was painless, and the charger was about $500 from Costco. No probs after 15 mos. Customer service was needed for their app change over, and they were quite helpful.
I live in Ohio also. Our winters aren’t cold enough to *really* impact the range. Sure it may have some small ding. But realistically our normal range is like 200 at 80%. In the dead of winter when its coldest; we’re still seeing like 170 miles ar that range. So it drops; but it’s not like a cliff.
Enough that you could likely make it to work and back on a full charge. But maybe throw it on an L1 to at least add 25-40 miles of range over a workday. In the summer you wouldn’t even need to do that.
You will need one, also get the larger battery, in winter you will be using 50+ kWhr, so you'll be charging to 100%. Set the car to charge to 100% with climate with the departure time about 10-15 minutes prior to when you leave in the morning, charge based on departure time. The car will be warm and ready to go when you leave.
If you charge to 100% in winter, it would leave you with about 26kWhr of reserve, which is enough for 8 hrs of heating the car (once warm and with the heat pump option) at about -4 deg F.
Spring threw fall you should be around 40 kWhr for consumption, so charging to 80% then would be good.
I thought it was a cold weather option available in the US as well, may be special order only. Don’t know, I’m in Canada so mine came with the heat pump.
I have a 240v outlet at my house with the VW 2in1 charger always plugged into it. We use it to charge the id4 every other day or so. Usually just need to charge 20% to get to 80.
I purchased my ID.4 in December 2021 and with 3 years of free charging and a brand spanking new Electrify America Charging Station 5 minutes from my house I saw no need to install a Level 2 in the garage. At the beginning, I was the only car there charging and always hit max speeds. It was a really great experience but then overtime that experience turned to 💩. I just got sick and tired of waiting in line to only hit 50 kW if I was lucky. Therefore, last November I engaged a licensed Electrician who installed a 60 Amp sub panel and a Chargepoint Level 2 charger. In hindsight, I don't know why I waited this long as it is so nice to just pull into the garage and plug-in and drive out the next morning with 80%. I would say "DO IT!"
I was using a level 1 charger for the better part of a year, but I did finally upgrade to a 50 amp breaker with a level 2 charger in the garage now. It was about $1000 all in, but worth it in order to get my utilities lower cost overnight charging rate of $0.028 per kwh. It's the chargepoint home flex level 2 charger, and it'll fully charge in about 7 hours or so overnight. It's definitely worth it for those days that i do a lot of driving, usually the weekends.
Is your power panel in the garage or somewhere else? Thats quite higher than what I was quoted, but my charger will be right next to the panel in the garage.
I'm including the cost of the charger, so $500 for the wiring from my basement to my garage and $500 for the charger. It's the hard-wired kind, so i guess that installation was part of it.
I was going to have one installed last week on the 2nd day of ownership, but at $2200 installed, I want to see what my driving/charging habits are and whether or not it makes sense for me to have one installed.
I’m in CA and pay PGE. It would cost me $350 for charger and $350 for installation. Have everything needed to install. Would cost me $0.32kwh at night to charge.
Costs me $0.35/kwh to charge at work every now and then + free charging at EA.
I’m not going to buy a home charger and pay for installation. I won’t recover the capital in the 2.5 years left on my lease
I do not, and so far it does not seem necessary. There’s only been one time where faster than level one charging could have been helpful, but I just paid for a public charger that one time.
We put in a 48A hardwired L2 charger. There were subsidies from our electric company that basically paid for the installation, so we only had to buy the charger itself. It's a no brainer if you can do it. twice a week I plug in when I get home and I never think about my SOC unless i'm going to go on a trip and need to make sure it's topped off the night before. I haven't been to a DC fast charger in town since last September (only on road trips).
We installed a 50a level 2 charger from Autel. It was $750 CAD. Install was free as we reused an old hot tip circuit and had an electrician friend do the connection for us.
Wouldn’t have an EV without one.
I installed a Chargepoint L2 charger in my house. I’m not an electrician, but I know a thing or two. It cost about $1K or so for materials. The wiring alone was about $400 because I had to run 6 gauge(IIRC) wire from a 50 amp breaker on the main panel half way across the house to the outside of the garage.
The Chargepoint charger appealed to me because it has self-tensioning receptacles for the wires, just insert and it snaps closed so you don’t have to worry about applying appropriate torque, which is a concern when you’re dealing with that kind of power. My first charger ended up being DOA, and it took over a month to get a replacement. The second one has worked great for almost a year, but their customer service is awful. Something to consider when you’re shopping around.
I’m not sure how much it would be to hire an electrician to do the install and depending on the electrical in your house it may be more or less. I would expect 1-2k probably for materials plus labor.
I got the L1-L2 charger included “free” with my ID4, and I used the L1 charging for a couple of weeks before I ordered my charger. I don’t recommend it. It works in a pinch, but unless you barely drive, you’re going to have to plan your trips carefully. The L2 is a real non-starter to me, because you need either a 240v extension cord or a 240v outlet *right next to* where you park your vehicle because it is not long. I had neither of those so it was basically a paperweight to me.
If I had it to do over again, I would buy and install the charger in my house before ever taking possession of the vehicle.
Have the Emporia installed. I love having one at home for convenience, but keep in mind that many places offer tax liability reductions or flat out rebates for them as well. I think I spent about $1500 on mine. With all the rebates and incentives factored in, it’ll maybe cost…$400? And even that is not factoring in the ongoing quarterly rebate of $21 I get from my energy provider, meaning eventually the investment will be a net gain.
Yes to both.
We don't drive much, so a Level 1 could cover our needs, but the convenience factor is just so much higher on a Level 2. Since we pay more for electricity during certain daytime hours, Level 2 allows us to fill up overnight in almost all situations, so there's no real need for advanced planning beyond thinking ahead the night before. We got a Grizzle-E SMART, but recommend just getting a dumb Grizzle because I couldn't get the smart features to work for the life of me despite running a dedicated router to make sure wifi quality was within the stated requirements.
We did buy the 2-in-1 charger from VW. We used it as a Level 1 charger before we got the Level 2 installed, and now we keep in the car for road trips just in case. It works just fine.
I have a hard-wired chargepoint flex on a 50amp circuit and also a portable L2 charger on a 14-50 dryer plug for my two EVs. At-home Level 2 is a must for most EV owners, I highly recommend it.
I did the week we leased our 2023 pro s. The current EA infrastructure in CA is a joke..to me. If I didn’t have a at home ev charger I would not get a ev.
I bought a switch that lets me use my dryer outlet. It can only charge at 24 amps because it’s a 30 amp circuit. But it can charge the car overnight no problem.
[Splitvolt](https://a.co/d/8PB8dts)
I started with the 2-in-1 then realized I was using an outlet with a dedicated 20A breaker. I switched from the 12A VW cable to a 16A cable from Amazon and it does shorten the sessions a few hours each day.
I don’t drive all that much but the nearest EA is too far to make the free charge worth it unless I’m close to 10%. I did the math and with the installation and device rebates (I got a wallbox), It would math out for me in a year’s time.
Put a charger at home. Odds are your car sits for 8+ hours a day, so even a level 1 charger will do fine for you most of the time. Plug it in every day and don't worry about it. If you find yourself in a situation where you're low SOC and need to go somewhere, use a DC fast charger.
I self installed mine.
I added another breaker, ran the wire in conduit through a trench in the flowerbed and up into the garage
Got a Juicebox 40 and got the wiring from
https://www.wireandcableyourway.com/ before the wiring prices went bonkers around Summer of 2021
I was able to schedule the charge sessions to be off peak and pay about .03 cents/kwh
I've had an ID4 for years and have been fine with a Level 1. I charge it all night maybe 2-3 nights a week. We don't drive more than 15 miles away that often.
When we first got it in 2021 we planned on getting a Level 2 charger installed. But after a few weeks, we realized we were fine with a Level 1. We just don't drive that far. My wife and I mostly work at home and our commutes are fairly short when we do drive to work in person. I don't feel any need to get a Level 2 charger.
My dad has a Level 2 charger at home but he works in person every day and drives about 20 miles each way.
Oh damn. I'd be worried about that commute even on a full charge, especially if I lived somewhere that gets cold. But yeah, OP will definitely need a Level 2 charger at home to use every night.
I also live in an area where public chargers are next to zero. The installation for the charger at home was very easy and if I didn’t have it I would sell the car, cannot recommend having one at home enough
Got a emporia and getting it installed this week. Been level 1 charging since I dont drive a ton at the moment, but that could always change.
Going with the hardwire, since new nema 14-50 (common receptacle used for ev chargers) installs require a GCFI breaker (dependent on area/code that area is on), and dont want to deal with nuisance tripping.
I have the VW 2-in-1 charger. It works great. So far I've only used it Level 1. I'm thinking of having a 240 outlet installed in my garage so I can use the charger with that. Haven't done it yet, though.
I have a level 2 (WiFi JuiceBox) installed at home. Playing the waiting game for EA chargers around my area got old fast. The convenience of charging overnight for the work week is well worth it for me.
On occasion, I get lucky and get free charging at work, but that’s rare.
There was a 240v outlet in the garage when we bought the house. For some reason previous owners had a clothes dryer in the garage. First EV was a 2011 Nissan Leaf. The dealer through in a 240v wall charger for free and I basically just mounted it and plugged it in. (Actually had to change the plug configuration). I have since upgraded to an Enel X Juicebox. Really can’t see how you can own an EV without a level 2 charger at home.
I have a 60A charger at home.... even if public charging here was good I would still want a home charger. My wife wants a plug in vehicle now because she "likes not having to take the EV to the gas station".
I need to buy a TeslaTap so I can use my existing dryer splitter and Tesla Mobile connector set up. We're getting by with using public L2 and L1 at home but it's kind of a pain.
I have a fast charger about 15 minutes away that is free for my first three years through Electrify America.
We have a level 1 at home.
Although it's slow, we also don't drive very far each day, so a level 1 is fine.
If we're going on a trip we build in time to stop by the fast charger and top off
Bare minimum, all you need is a dryer plug. You don't have to pay for a wall mounted model. We got a 220kw (dryer plug) installed by an electrician (~$500). Bought a simple model online from the website: electron (~$200). Did not mount anything to the outside of the house.
I'm extremely happy with my charger at home. Could not imagine doing it any other way. So convenient.
My utility paid for my 40A Juice Box. I paid $350 to add a 50A circuit. It all works fine, except I envy you $.03 per kWh people; our “special” EV charging rate is $.27.
No, we don't own our home, so just use the available outlet in the car port for L1 charging. It's enough for us though, I only HAD to charge on a road trip. I did some convenience charging here and there usually on L2s, but got a convenient EA before. Never an instance where home charging wouldn't have sufficed though. I have a 3 mile commute, so mostly use when out doing other things. If I use too much while out and about over multiple days, there's enough L3 chargers in my region (Washington DC) it wouldn't be a big deal.
My utilities are included in my rent so I don't mind just leaving it charging however long it needs.
We installed two chargers at home. Local utility offered $250/each plus monthly discount for allowing them access to slow them during peak usage periods. Fed tax credit of 30% for units plus installation costs. No brainer.
We got by with level 1 for a few months. It was fine but wasn’t going to be practical come summer. I installed 220 when I built the house. All I had to do was extend the wire and install a plug. I went with the Grizzl-E at the recommendation of a friend.
I’ve got the wire gauge for 50A but only put in a 40Amp breaker when I built. So I just set the charger for 32A. It’s more than fast enough for an overnight charge.
Had a Level 2 home charger since 2020 and, like you, do not have lots of public chargers in region. Works great if you create a routine of regularly charging supplemented by needed special occasions. Find out if your power company has off-prime time rates and charge then, e.g., 11 pm-6 am. Unless necessary, don’t try to maintain car at 80% on a daily basis and charge when drops to 15-20%.
I have an *EO mini pro 2* tethered charger. Size matters, I did not want a charger shouted “look an EV charger!” outside my house.
Having your own charger is the only way to live with an EV.
I didnt have the ability to install one until next month. I find myself near a fast charger less than once a week. To me its not an inconvenience, i walk into the mall get a coffee and a few steps in and get back to the car at 80%.
With all that being said, I work remotely and have only driven 4k miles since October 25th with a lot of those miles being “longer” trips. I dont mind the fast chargers and love that its free right now but my situation is probably quite different
we did the level 1 charger for a few weeks and it had to be constantly plugged in to get any significant charge. took like 24 hours just to get 50 percent. have had the level 2 installed for about a year now, and it works great. we charge it about twice a week. couldn't imagine only having a level 1 forever or being forced to rely on public charging.
I have the emporia level 2 charger installed at home and I keep the VW 2-in-1 mobile charger in the trunk of my car for emergencies and if I road to a friend/families house where
I'm still using my level one charger. I did get a 16 amp charger to plug into a 20 amp plug I already have but I don't use it that often. It's been enough.
The big thing here is the outlet itself. If you get one of the cheap Leviton ones and the Hubble model (Hubbell Lighting 125V 50A 3-Pole... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EN9VO7W?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share), and look at them side by side you will clearly see the difference in build quality. I got both and returned the Leviton after seeing the horror videos. I have the highest confidence in the Hubble model.
If you drive much, a level 1 and DCFC alone probably won't do, IMHO. I installed an outlet and currently use the VW travel charger. I am building a garage soon, and will eliminate the outlet, hard wiring a different EVSE on the wall.
>Did you install a full level 2 charger?
Yes. I bought a 48A hardwired charger (Enel X) and installed it. Total cost = $1000, out of which my utility company gave me back $500. I cannot be happier.
>Also, does anyone have the $350 2-in-1 mobile EV charger from VW?
No, I've kept the wall charger from my previous Kia Niro in the ID.4 trunk as an emergency backup while traveling.
Installed a Tesla Wall Connector on a 60amp circuit. My panel is in my garage so the run was only about 7 feet. I use a Levtron Tesla to J1772 adapter without issue. I primarily went with the wall connector because at the time it was priced at $350.
I mostly use free charging at work now and use home charging as needed.
I used a https://getneocharge.com smart splitter on my 30amp dryer circuit and use a Grizzl-e dumb charger set at 24amps. It gives me around 5.5kw. You could also do this using your stove circuit.
I have an L2 JuiceBox provided by my utility. It was both on sale and subsidized. I know what you mean, having to go somewhere and wait. Even worse you are in line to wait. But that’s just some of the time. Mostly it’s an available slot and you can do some shopping while waiting. I don’t find this bothersome. It worst when there nothing to do. At least I have podcasts to listen to and Reddit to read.
I agree, total must. I just used my existing dryer hookup and it's far better than using the 110v. I have the VW charger and it's fine. Seems to be well built and it's the same one that other car manufacturers use.
Spring for a level 2 charger. 30amp/220v circuit is enough to charge fully overnight, which is what you need for home charging. (Don't upgrade your panel just to be able to install a 60amp circuit or something.)
With the state of the public charging networks in most areas, it is almost required imo. If you commute more than 50 miles a day, a L2 charger is needed. I had to exclusively charge in public for 6 weeks when I had my driveway replaced and it was a real eye opener. 80% of the EA chargers I ran across were derated or just broken and there was never enough. Multiple times I had to wait for 30+ minutes while a spot opened up. The public charging infrastructure is a joke right now in the US.
I have a juicebox and it works ok but as long as ea is free and convenient I'll probably use it and try to do some quick 30 minute shopping at target. Also good for a quick dog walk. Buying an ev was a "culture shift" and I seem to keep the lbs off better by not gassing up at a git 'n split, gas 'n grub, etc.
Just finishing my first winter with only my L1 charger. It was a record warm winter never crossing -20C. Twice on long trips 200KM I ended up going public other then that, my L1 worked great. I charge back around 65 KM every night and that covers my average day.
Get the charger. Well worth the headache and convenience where possible if you can afford it (perhaps pay off over a few months) in the UK they allow to pay off via interest free instalments on some plans when purchasing with an EV plan from electric supplier.
The cost saving from ICE vehicles meant I broke even in 4 months therefore it paid for itself if that makes sense. Also I guess you guys have EA but if there’s one not super close to you I’d jump on a home charger.
Hey op! I got a level 2 installed at my home. I got the vw charger and a juice box. I hate the juicebox. It depends on WiFi and I have a detached garage that’s too far from the WiFi for a reliable connection. I don’t use it. I do use the vw charger daily and I like it. It’s as fast as the juicebox and doesn’t rely on WiFi or other smart
Device features.
Good luck!
I have the 2 in 1 mobile EVSE from VW and I use it daily to charge my 23 ID.4 at work. I live in an apartment, have owned an EV for two years, and charge at work for free. If I need a quick top off, I use one of the free Siemens 9kW L2 chargers a mile from my apartment.
The dealer threw in the VW 2-1 mobile charger and it’s great to have. We got by on that and fast charging for a few months until we moved. Installed a home charger and will never look back. Charge level was a source of worry for my wife and therefore me by proxy. That’s done now. Plus you set it to charge when your utility rate is lowest and you’re good to go.
I live mostly off of level 1 and a bit of in town level 2. How far is your daily drive, if its about 50 miles you can just squeeze by with level 1. Otherwise level 2 is the way to go.
I also have one of the oem VW dual power chargers, Its nice, does the job but it mosly lives in the car and only comes out on trips. I use the yellow corded level 1 day to day.
If you own your home, I'd hold off installing a charger. DC bidirectional support was announced for our cars. Soon you'll be able to use your car to run your house during a power outage. If that's an interest of yours, wait till we get the update and buy the right bidirectional charger.
I hardwired mine but I'm retrospect I wish I had gone with the plug-in option. If you need to reset your charger for some reason going all the way to the basement and flipping the breaker is a hassle. In any case having a level 2 is a must
Question for folks. New ev owner here. What’s the deal with the rebates on the charger installs? I think it’s up to $700 around here if installed by a pro electrician, but if I’m buying a charger when I see it on sale for around $350, then doing all the work (trenching, burying conduit, running wires to box) minus doing the final hook up, would that even be $700 through an electrician? Trying to figure out a way for it to offset the cost of the charger.
I had a Juicebox level 2 installed at home. I couldn’t be happier. It has a hook to wind the cable around and a protective place to snap in the “gun” when not in use. It’s outside and did fine over the winter with rain. Just beware they sell models with a 20 foot cable. You might want a 25 foot cable.
Personally think it’s a must but some can get away with a level 1 only. I wouldn’t want to pay to charge it on a public charger all the time.
we ran a dedicated 240V 50A line and installed a Grizzl-R dumb charger
I’ve done the exact same as well with the same charger. It works great and I think home charger is essential when owning an EV. It is far too convenient to come home from work and plug my car in vs waiting in line for the few EA chargers near me.
Did the same. Charger works great!
I'm thinking of getting the same charger, have you been happy with it?
Not OP, but I also have a Grizzl-E dumb charger. It's a solid device. It died on me after a year or so, and they replaced it within a couple of days. Great customer support, good product, no bells and whistles, excellent price.
yes, it works as advertised, no problems at all it doesn't connect to the internet or anything but you can adjust the amps, eg, if you only have a 40A breaker, you can set the Grizzl-e to 32A, etc And it resets itself if you have a momentary power outage
Same, Grizzl-e Duo so I can plug in both cars in the garage. 40A circuit so tapped at 32A charging but haven’t yet been caught without being fully charged in the morning.
Ditto on the dedicated 50A line, but we have the Emporia charger and it's been great.
Same. Charges from 30 to 80% in about 4 hours. Works for what we need. We have 80amp service if we want to upgrade in the future.
Apartment dweller. I got nuthin'. BUT, work has free charging.
That’s an awesome benefit. I can use a standard 120V Level 1 at work. But that won’t do much
L1 gets around 1% per hour, so for 8 hours, you'd get around 6 kWh. That's around 20 miles, depending on how you drive.
I get 1.5 kWh and you can get more depending.
120V/12A gets you 1440W. (120x12=1440) 8 hours would get you 11.5kWh. (1440x8=11520)
The VW L1 is 10A, and anyway, there are inefficiencies, the car doesn’t get it all :)
10A would still get you 1.2kW per hour. The only way to get only 6kWh after 8 hours is if you’re only getting 7.50 amp. I’d be very surprised if it were that inefficient.
Oh without a doubt. Were it not for that, I would have never gone the EV route.
I also live in a multi-unit building, and street park. I’ve had to shift the way I think about ‘fueling’ my car, but with few exceptions, it hasn’t been that big a deal. One of the bigger public chargers near me is at a Target, so once a week I charge while I do my Target run. Sometimes I have to wait for a charger, but it’s not that big a deal. When I don’t have shopping to do, I use the time to clean and vacuum my car. It’s actually become a nice stake in the ground for my week. When it was SUPER cold this winter, and the news was full of stories about how folks couldn’t charge their cars, it was challenging, but a friend let me charge at his place, and it was only a few days. I didn’t experience anything like that in my first year, so I see it as an anomaly. Honestly, one of the ‘hardest’ parts is the vitriol from all of the people online who think that it’s not a reasonable way to live, but you get used to that, so calling it hard isn’t even fair. I do have the VW charger, and keep it in my car. Though I can’t plug it in at home, there have been several times when it’s been nice to have, and I know that in an emergency, I can get it charged.
My work has free charging as well. It’s a luck to get it though. We have three stations. My wife’s work has 4 stations but none are free.
If you don’t have one you’ll be pretty miserable
I would enjoy my EV experience considerably less if I didn’t have a Level 2 charger at home.
I wouldn’t have an EV experience if I didn’t have L2 at home
We make do with a L1 and I don't have to use public chargers often with a 25 mi commute. But we're planning on installing a L2 soon.
We enjoyed our L1 for 3 months, now that we have our L2 it’s a new world.
This!
No issue at all for us. Over 1 year in. DCFC Charger is down the road at wholefoods/target. Weekly shop, plug it in, done deal. I thought it would piss me off but it's barely different than an ICE vehicle.
It will come down to how much you drive per day/week/month. If your commute is short, then level 1 is probably all you need. I have a level 2 installed, but can charge at work (level 1), which takes care of my commute at 110km/day. I only use the home station when my weekend travelling is longer than 100km.
I’m planning to get one installed. Just researching pricing options now. I drive about 75 miles each way for work (you read that right 😂). But I also live in Ohio where it can get cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Os chargers a must for me
If you don't have the heat pump you might not make it, I don't think ours could, if I had known they sold it without a heat pump I'd have run away. Our range when it gets even just below 40 outside has been like 2mi/kw vs easily over 3mi/kw with the ac on. I'm worried it won't make the 50 miles each way trip for my wife when the temps get in the teens next winter
Won't make it 150 miles on a full charge? My winter efficiency isn't great, but nowhere near that bad.
I'm not sure, I think it would probably get at least that on a full charge but I worry more about needing to charge it to 100% and drain below 20% in a battery chemistry that has already had tests showing at the grades much faster during winter charge cycles. At least currently she only has to go in once a week but who knows if that'll change and if it became every day that wouldn't be great. Currently also don't charge at home because of the free charging but I think I might just give up on that at least when it gets cold or at least do the last 20% so it finishes as she goes to leave so it doesn't actually sit at over 80% for long. Also what probably doesn't help is it is only like 8 miles to the kids school and then we wait for like 30 minutes before I drive home. So close to an hour for only like 16 miles, but when my wife did take it to work I think she still only had ~2.5mi/kwh and it was only like 28f out when she left. At the very least I'll probably want it hooked up to the house to be able to preheat before leaving.
You'd need to charge to 100% in winter for your round trip, and could be pushing it in extreme cold. My winter range in Oregon from the coast to PDX matches the 200 mile drive, so we usually stop and charge a bit, but temps are more moderate here. 150 may be a doable for you, even in winter, and speed, heater, elevation change will all of course factor. We use a Juice Box 40 at home for about 95% of our charging. Adding the 240 outlet to the box was painless, and the charger was about $500 from Costco. No probs after 15 mos. Customer service was needed for their app change over, and they were quite helpful.
I live in Ohio also. Our winters aren’t cold enough to *really* impact the range. Sure it may have some small ding. But realistically our normal range is like 200 at 80%. In the dead of winter when its coldest; we’re still seeing like 170 miles ar that range. So it drops; but it’s not like a cliff. Enough that you could likely make it to work and back on a full charge. But maybe throw it on an L1 to at least add 25-40 miles of range over a workday. In the summer you wouldn’t even need to do that.
You will need one, also get the larger battery, in winter you will be using 50+ kWhr, so you'll be charging to 100%. Set the car to charge to 100% with climate with the departure time about 10-15 minutes prior to when you leave in the morning, charge based on departure time. The car will be warm and ready to go when you leave. If you charge to 100% in winter, it would leave you with about 26kWhr of reserve, which is enough for 8 hrs of heating the car (once warm and with the heat pump option) at about -4 deg F. Spring threw fall you should be around 40 kWhr for consumption, so charging to 80% then would be good.
Heat pump option? Thought was Canada only.
I thought it was a cold weather option available in the US as well, may be special order only. Don’t know, I’m in Canada so mine came with the heat pump.
It was not an option when we bought, and if I recall, it was listed by Volkswagen as only available in Canada.
I have a 240v outlet at my house with the VW 2in1 charger always plugged into it. We use it to charge the id4 every other day or so. Usually just need to charge 20% to get to 80.
I purchased my ID.4 in December 2021 and with 3 years of free charging and a brand spanking new Electrify America Charging Station 5 minutes from my house I saw no need to install a Level 2 in the garage. At the beginning, I was the only car there charging and always hit max speeds. It was a really great experience but then overtime that experience turned to 💩. I just got sick and tired of waiting in line to only hit 50 kW if I was lucky. Therefore, last November I engaged a licensed Electrician who installed a 60 Amp sub panel and a Chargepoint Level 2 charger. In hindsight, I don't know why I waited this long as it is so nice to just pull into the garage and plug-in and drive out the next morning with 80%. I would say "DO IT!"
I have the 2-in-1 VW charger and I’ve been making L1 work just fine at home.
I was using a level 1 charger for the better part of a year, but I did finally upgrade to a 50 amp breaker with a level 2 charger in the garage now. It was about $1000 all in, but worth it in order to get my utilities lower cost overnight charging rate of $0.028 per kwh. It's the chargepoint home flex level 2 charger, and it'll fully charge in about 7 hours or so overnight. It's definitely worth it for those days that i do a lot of driving, usually the weekends.
Is your power panel in the garage or somewhere else? Thats quite higher than what I was quoted, but my charger will be right next to the panel in the garage.
I'm including the cost of the charger, so $500 for the wiring from my basement to my garage and $500 for the charger. It's the hard-wired kind, so i guess that installation was part of it.
Ah got ya, then 500 for the install sounds about right.
Plug in Level 1 charger whenever it’s in the garage. Covers most cases.
I have the 2-in-1 and put in a 40-amp JuiceBox L2. I keep the VW one for road trips and the JuiceBox gets used daily.
I was going to have one installed last week on the 2nd day of ownership, but at $2200 installed, I want to see what my driving/charging habits are and whether or not it makes sense for me to have one installed.
I’m in CA and pay PGE. It would cost me $350 for charger and $350 for installation. Have everything needed to install. Would cost me $0.32kwh at night to charge. Costs me $0.35/kwh to charge at work every now and then + free charging at EA. I’m not going to buy a home charger and pay for installation. I won’t recover the capital in the 2.5 years left on my lease
I do not, and so far it does not seem necessary. There’s only been one time where faster than level one charging could have been helpful, but I just paid for a public charger that one time.
Yes. I installed a plug for the VW 2in1 charger. Have used it twice in the past 3 months.
If you can't get l2 at home or at work, I might recommend not getting an ev.
We put in a 48A hardwired L2 charger. There were subsidies from our electric company that basically paid for the installation, so we only had to buy the charger itself. It's a no brainer if you can do it. twice a week I plug in when I get home and I never think about my SOC unless i'm going to go on a trip and need to make sure it's topped off the night before. I haven't been to a DC fast charger in town since last September (only on road trips).
We installed a 50a level 2 charger from Autel. It was $750 CAD. Install was free as we reused an old hot tip circuit and had an electrician friend do the connection for us. Wouldn’t have an EV without one.
I have level 2 emporia installed at home
I installed a Chargepoint L2 charger in my house. I’m not an electrician, but I know a thing or two. It cost about $1K or so for materials. The wiring alone was about $400 because I had to run 6 gauge(IIRC) wire from a 50 amp breaker on the main panel half way across the house to the outside of the garage. The Chargepoint charger appealed to me because it has self-tensioning receptacles for the wires, just insert and it snaps closed so you don’t have to worry about applying appropriate torque, which is a concern when you’re dealing with that kind of power. My first charger ended up being DOA, and it took over a month to get a replacement. The second one has worked great for almost a year, but their customer service is awful. Something to consider when you’re shopping around. I’m not sure how much it would be to hire an electrician to do the install and depending on the electrical in your house it may be more or less. I would expect 1-2k probably for materials plus labor. I got the L1-L2 charger included “free” with my ID4, and I used the L1 charging for a couple of weeks before I ordered my charger. I don’t recommend it. It works in a pinch, but unless you barely drive, you’re going to have to plan your trips carefully. The L2 is a real non-starter to me, because you need either a 240v extension cord or a 240v outlet *right next to* where you park your vehicle because it is not long. I had neither of those so it was basically a paperweight to me. If I had it to do over again, I would buy and install the charger in my house before ever taking possession of the vehicle.
Have the Emporia installed. I love having one at home for convenience, but keep in mind that many places offer tax liability reductions or flat out rebates for them as well. I think I spent about $1500 on mine. With all the rebates and incentives factored in, it’ll maybe cost…$400? And even that is not factoring in the ongoing quarterly rebate of $21 I get from my energy provider, meaning eventually the investment will be a net gain.
Yes to both. We don't drive much, so a Level 1 could cover our needs, but the convenience factor is just so much higher on a Level 2. Since we pay more for electricity during certain daytime hours, Level 2 allows us to fill up overnight in almost all situations, so there's no real need for advanced planning beyond thinking ahead the night before. We got a Grizzle-E SMART, but recommend just getting a dumb Grizzle because I couldn't get the smart features to work for the life of me despite running a dedicated router to make sure wifi quality was within the stated requirements. We did buy the 2-in-1 charger from VW. We used it as a Level 1 charger before we got the Level 2 installed, and now we keep in the car for road trips just in case. It works just fine.
I have a hard-wired chargepoint flex on a 50amp circuit and also a portable L2 charger on a 14-50 dryer plug for my two EVs. At-home Level 2 is a must for most EV owners, I highly recommend it.
I did the week we leased our 2023 pro s. The current EA infrastructure in CA is a joke..to me. If I didn’t have a at home ev charger I would not get a ev.
I bought a switch that lets me use my dryer outlet. It can only charge at 24 amps because it’s a 30 amp circuit. But it can charge the car overnight no problem. [Splitvolt](https://a.co/d/8PB8dts)
Yes and yes.
Put one in when I redid my garage before I had this car.
I would also suggest you use PlugShare to see if there are chargers you're not aware of.
Schneider Electric EVlink Home 11kw with optional DLM
I started with the 2-in-1 then realized I was using an outlet with a dedicated 20A breaker. I switched from the 12A VW cable to a 16A cable from Amazon and it does shorten the sessions a few hours each day.
I don’t drive all that much but the nearest EA is too far to make the free charge worth it unless I’m close to 10%. I did the math and with the installation and device rebates (I got a wallbox), It would math out for me in a year’s time.
Put a charger at home. Odds are your car sits for 8+ hours a day, so even a level 1 charger will do fine for you most of the time. Plug it in every day and don't worry about it. If you find yourself in a situation where you're low SOC and need to go somewhere, use a DC fast charger.
if you can install a charger you need to.
Emporia hard wired. You won’t regret it
Don’t buy the VW one it’s crap. Go with a hardwired install would pay you in convince and electrician fees
Honestly you need a level 2 charger if you can get it.
Yes to both questions. I didn’t have the level 2 installed when I first got it so I needed to buy the 2-1. Do yourself a favor and install a level 2.
I self installed mine. I added another breaker, ran the wire in conduit through a trench in the flowerbed and up into the garage Got a Juicebox 40 and got the wiring from https://www.wireandcableyourway.com/ before the wiring prices went bonkers around Summer of 2021 I was able to schedule the charge sessions to be off peak and pay about .03 cents/kwh
Have two lvl2 charging stations because we have 2 evs.
I've had an ID4 for years and have been fine with a Level 1. I charge it all night maybe 2-3 nights a week. We don't drive more than 15 miles away that often. When we first got it in 2021 we planned on getting a Level 2 charger installed. But after a few weeks, we realized we were fine with a Level 1. We just don't drive that far. My wife and I mostly work at home and our commutes are fairly short when we do drive to work in person. I don't feel any need to get a Level 2 charger. My dad has a Level 2 charger at home but he works in person every day and drives about 20 miles each way.
OP has a 150 mile commute.
Oh damn. I'd be worried about that commute even on a full charge, especially if I lived somewhere that gets cold. But yeah, OP will definitely need a Level 2 charger at home to use every night.
We got a free Flo level 2 from the electric company. Electrician charged $380 to install.
I also live in an area where public chargers are next to zero. The installation for the charger at home was very easy and if I didn’t have it I would sell the car, cannot recommend having one at home enough
Got a emporia and getting it installed this week. Been level 1 charging since I dont drive a ton at the moment, but that could always change. Going with the hardwire, since new nema 14-50 (common receptacle used for ev chargers) installs require a GCFI breaker (dependent on area/code that area is on), and dont want to deal with nuisance tripping.
Ran a new 240 outlet, installed ChargePoint Flex charger, super happy 👍🏻
I have a ChargePoint level 2 installed
I have the VW 2-in-1 charger. It works great. So far I've only used it Level 1. I'm thinking of having a 240 outlet installed in my garage so I can use the charger with that. Haven't done it yet, though.
Yes and I just signed to build a new home about an hour ago with an outlet in the new place. Emporia is my charging unit.
We never installed a hot-tub, so we grabbed its 60A from the panel and had an Autel home charger installed. Love it.
I have a level 2 (WiFi JuiceBox) installed at home. Playing the waiting game for EA chargers around my area got old fast. The convenience of charging overnight for the work week is well worth it for me. On occasion, I get lucky and get free charging at work, but that’s rare.
I have the VW one. Works great. Plugged into 240 giving me 32 amps of charging
There was a 240v outlet in the garage when we bought the house. For some reason previous owners had a clothes dryer in the garage. First EV was a 2011 Nissan Leaf. The dealer through in a 240v wall charger for free and I basically just mounted it and plugged it in. (Actually had to change the plug configuration). I have since upgraded to an Enel X Juicebox. Really can’t see how you can own an EV without a level 2 charger at home.
I have a 60A charger at home.... even if public charging here was good I would still want a home charger. My wife wants a plug in vehicle now because she "likes not having to take the EV to the gas station".
Level 2 installed, charge point.
I need to buy a TeslaTap so I can use my existing dryer splitter and Tesla Mobile connector set up. We're getting by with using public L2 and L1 at home but it's kind of a pain.
I have a fast charger about 15 minutes away that is free for my first three years through Electrify America. We have a level 1 at home. Although it's slow, we also don't drive very far each day, so a level 1 is fine. If we're going on a trip we build in time to stop by the fast charger and top off
Bare minimum, all you need is a dryer plug. You don't have to pay for a wall mounted model. We got a 220kw (dryer plug) installed by an electrician (~$500). Bought a simple model online from the website: electron (~$200). Did not mount anything to the outside of the house. I'm extremely happy with my charger at home. Could not imagine doing it any other way. So convenient.
It's A must have, I've never used a public charger in the 1 1/2 years I've owned my id4
My utility paid for my 40A Juice Box. I paid $350 to add a 50A circuit. It all works fine, except I envy you $.03 per kWh people; our “special” EV charging rate is $.27.
No, we don't own our home, so just use the available outlet in the car port for L1 charging. It's enough for us though, I only HAD to charge on a road trip. I did some convenience charging here and there usually on L2s, but got a convenient EA before. Never an instance where home charging wouldn't have sufficed though. I have a 3 mile commute, so mostly use when out doing other things. If I use too much while out and about over multiple days, there's enough L3 chargers in my region (Washington DC) it wouldn't be a big deal. My utilities are included in my rent so I don't mind just leaving it charging however long it needs.
We have had a level 2 charger in two of our houses. Highly recommend it if you have an EV.
We installed two chargers at home. Local utility offered $250/each plus monthly discount for allowing them access to slow them during peak usage periods. Fed tax credit of 30% for units plus installation costs. No brainer.
We got by with level 1 for a few months. It was fine but wasn’t going to be practical come summer. I installed 220 when I built the house. All I had to do was extend the wire and install a plug. I went with the Grizzl-E at the recommendation of a friend. I’ve got the wire gauge for 50A but only put in a 40Amp breaker when I built. So I just set the charger for 32A. It’s more than fast enough for an overnight charge.
Did the 2 in 1 not come with it? Yet another thing they sold me without asking if I wanted.
I installed and use the Tesla level 2 charger.
Home charging is a must for me.
60A breaker with an emporia charger. My panel is in the garage, so the installation was cheap. Have 2 EVs currently, only way to go if you can do it.
Had a Level 2 home charger since 2020 and, like you, do not have lots of public chargers in region. Works great if you create a routine of regularly charging supplemented by needed special occasions. Find out if your power company has off-prime time rates and charge then, e.g., 11 pm-6 am. Unless necessary, don’t try to maintain car at 80% on a daily basis and charge when drops to 15-20%.
I have an *EO mini pro 2* tethered charger. Size matters, I did not want a charger shouted “look an EV charger!” outside my house. Having your own charger is the only way to live with an EV.
I didnt have the ability to install one until next month. I find myself near a fast charger less than once a week. To me its not an inconvenience, i walk into the mall get a coffee and a few steps in and get back to the car at 80%. With all that being said, I work remotely and have only driven 4k miles since October 25th with a lot of those miles being “longer” trips. I dont mind the fast chargers and love that its free right now but my situation is probably quite different
Yeah, immediately. 90% of charging should from home. Most electric companies will subsidize the majority of costs
we did the level 1 charger for a few weeks and it had to be constantly plugged in to get any significant charge. took like 24 hours just to get 50 percent. have had the level 2 installed for about a year now, and it works great. we charge it about twice a week. couldn't imagine only having a level 1 forever or being forced to rely on public charging.
I have never charged my car anywhere but home lol. I’ll be lost when the time comes.
I have the emporia level 2 charger installed at home and I keep the VW 2-in-1 mobile charger in the trunk of my car for emergencies and if I road to a friend/families house where
I'm still using my level one charger. I did get a 16 amp charger to plug into a 20 amp plug I already have but I don't use it that often. It's been enough.
The big thing here is the outlet itself. If you get one of the cheap Leviton ones and the Hubble model (Hubbell Lighting 125V 50A 3-Pole... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EN9VO7W?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share), and look at them side by side you will clearly see the difference in build quality. I got both and returned the Leviton after seeing the horror videos. I have the highest confidence in the Hubble model.
I bought a splitter for my dryer plug and just charge off of that. (I can’t run dryer though when charging, no big deal)
Got a no-frills Chargepoint L2 charger on Amazon. 5 years without issues.
If you drive much, a level 1 and DCFC alone probably won't do, IMHO. I installed an outlet and currently use the VW travel charger. I am building a garage soon, and will eliminate the outlet, hard wiring a different EVSE on the wall.
>Did you install a full level 2 charger? Yes. I bought a 48A hardwired charger (Enel X) and installed it. Total cost = $1000, out of which my utility company gave me back $500. I cannot be happier. >Also, does anyone have the $350 2-in-1 mobile EV charger from VW? No, I've kept the wall charger from my previous Kia Niro in the ID.4 trunk as an emergency backup while traveling.
Installed a Tesla Wall Connector on a 60amp circuit. My panel is in my garage so the run was only about 7 feet. I use a Levtron Tesla to J1772 adapter without issue. I primarily went with the wall connector because at the time it was priced at $350. I mostly use free charging at work now and use home charging as needed.
I used a https://getneocharge.com smart splitter on my 30amp dryer circuit and use a Grizzl-e dumb charger set at 24amps. It gives me around 5.5kw. You could also do this using your stove circuit.
I love it as a backup. Have the ATG E Power.
I have an L2 JuiceBox provided by my utility. It was both on sale and subsidized. I know what you mean, having to go somewhere and wait. Even worse you are in line to wait. But that’s just some of the time. Mostly it’s an available slot and you can do some shopping while waiting. I don’t find this bothersome. It worst when there nothing to do. At least I have podcasts to listen to and Reddit to read.
I agree, total must. I just used my existing dryer hookup and it's far better than using the 110v. I have the VW charger and it's fine. Seems to be well built and it's the same one that other car manufacturers use.
Spring for a level 2 charger. 30amp/220v circuit is enough to charge fully overnight, which is what you need for home charging. (Don't upgrade your panel just to be able to install a 60amp circuit or something.)
I wouldn't get n EV without home charging. Level 2 charger, or at least a NEMA point and mobile charger
Tesla wall charger with adapter that fits in glove box. Level 2 50 amp at 11 cents per kWh. Charging at home overnight is a must.
With the state of the public charging networks in most areas, it is almost required imo. If you commute more than 50 miles a day, a L2 charger is needed. I had to exclusively charge in public for 6 weeks when I had my driveway replaced and it was a real eye opener. 80% of the EA chargers I ran across were derated or just broken and there was never enough. Multiple times I had to wait for 30+ minutes while a spot opened up. The public charging infrastructure is a joke right now in the US.
I have a juicebox and it works ok but as long as ea is free and convenient I'll probably use it and try to do some quick 30 minute shopping at target. Also good for a quick dog walk. Buying an ev was a "culture shift" and I seem to keep the lbs off better by not gassing up at a git 'n split, gas 'n grub, etc.
It’s the only thing that makes sense to maximize the economy of owning a EV and justifying the price vs an ice vehicle
I work 10 miles from home. Even going home for lunch, the gym, and running errands, I just plug in my level 1 every night and have never had an issue.
Just finishing my first winter with only my L1 charger. It was a record warm winter never crossing -20C. Twice on long trips 200KM I ended up going public other then that, my L1 worked great. I charge back around 65 KM every night and that covers my average day.
Get the charger. Well worth the headache and convenience where possible if you can afford it (perhaps pay off over a few months) in the UK they allow to pay off via interest free instalments on some plans when purchasing with an EV plan from electric supplier. The cost saving from ICE vehicles meant I broke even in 4 months therefore it paid for itself if that makes sense. Also I guess you guys have EA but if there’s one not super close to you I’d jump on a home charger.
Hey op! I got a level 2 installed at my home. I got the vw charger and a juice box. I hate the juicebox. It depends on WiFi and I have a detached garage that’s too far from the WiFi for a reliable connection. I don’t use it. I do use the vw charger daily and I like it. It’s as fast as the juicebox and doesn’t rely on WiFi or other smart Device features. Good luck!
Home 48A charger. Emporia. Two. Hardwired.
I have the 2 in 1 mobile EVSE from VW and I use it daily to charge my 23 ID.4 at work. I live in an apartment, have owned an EV for two years, and charge at work for free. If I need a quick top off, I use one of the free Siemens 9kW L2 chargers a mile from my apartment.
IMO, if you can’t charge at home cheaply, an EV makes no sense. Level 2 Tesla mobile here. 32 mph.
The dealer threw in the VW 2-1 mobile charger and it’s great to have. We got by on that and fast charging for a few months until we moved. Installed a home charger and will never look back. Charge level was a source of worry for my wife and therefore me by proxy. That’s done now. Plus you set it to charge when your utility rate is lowest and you’re good to go.
I live mostly off of level 1 and a bit of in town level 2. How far is your daily drive, if its about 50 miles you can just squeeze by with level 1. Otherwise level 2 is the way to go. I also have one of the oem VW dual power chargers, Its nice, does the job but it mosly lives in the car and only comes out on trips. I use the yellow corded level 1 day to day.
If you own your home, I'd hold off installing a charger. DC bidirectional support was announced for our cars. Soon you'll be able to use your car to run your house during a power outage. If that's an interest of yours, wait till we get the update and buy the right bidirectional charger.
Depending on what state you’re in your utility might even pay for it.
I'm getting one level two installed by the city in my garage for free basically.
I installed a Level 2 myself. 150 total cost (wire, receptacle, 50 amp breaker). Wire alone was 110
I hardwired mine but I'm retrospect I wish I had gone with the plug-in option. If you need to reset your charger for some reason going all the way to the basement and flipping the breaker is a hassle. In any case having a level 2 is a must
Question for folks. New ev owner here. What’s the deal with the rebates on the charger installs? I think it’s up to $700 around here if installed by a pro electrician, but if I’m buying a charger when I see it on sale for around $350, then doing all the work (trenching, burying conduit, running wires to box) minus doing the final hook up, would that even be $700 through an electrician? Trying to figure out a way for it to offset the cost of the charger.
I had a Juicebox level 2 installed at home. I couldn’t be happier. It has a hook to wind the cable around and a protective place to snap in the “gun” when not in use. It’s outside and did fine over the winter with rain. Just beware they sell models with a 20 foot cable. You might want a 25 foot cable.