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Federal Tax Credit for Electric Vehicle Chargers Renewed

photontorque

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All - as gombater said, thanks for the feedback and heads up on taxes, scheduling etc. Very helpful. Will look into installation this year.
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azbill

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Hi all,
I have a question for those who have an EV or already done the research. Assuming you will get your new Rivian in 2H 2021, It might be best to take advantage of this tax credit now and install the needed charging access. Notwithstanding specific location code, it sounds like the 'ideal' recommendation is to:

1) run a dedicated 240V/60 amp to garage, but hardwire it directly to EVSE instead of outlet [like dryer outlet]
2) purchase the charger now and get it installed in 2020 to take advantage of tax credit - any specific charger model recommendations?

Any chance Rivian may provide in a bundle any of this [speculation, I know] that would make it more advantageous to 'wait it out' and hope for a Rivian discount and a 'new' tax credit?

Curious to know the forum's view....
I bought the new ChargePoint charger this year, they are $700 on Amazon. This unit can be hardwired or used with a plug. It can be programmed for maximum output of 32A, 40A or 48A, depending on the breaker/wiring used (40A, 50A or 60A respectively). Mine is set to 40A, since I plugged it into a 50A existing circuit in my garage. My Bolt pulls a maximum of 32A, so it works fine for that. I will share it with the Rivian, and that will pull the maximum of 40A, even though the vehicle is capable of 48A.

I did not want to have to run new wires and circuit breaker to upgrade to a 60A circuit, as I do not see the need for the extra 8A the vehicle is capable of.
 

GMK83

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Going to pull the trigger on a 48a EVSE to take advantage of the tax credit. Is there a clear winner in terms of brand that people are happy with? I’ve seen ChargePoint, Clipper Creek and Juicebox mentioned frequently. Anywhere to go to get more information on which is best/most reliable etc.? Does it really matter much?
 

OldEVGuy

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Going to pull the trigger on a 48a EVSE to take advantage of the tax credit. Is there a clear winner in terms of brand that people are happy with? I’ve seen ChargePoint, Clipper Creek and Juicebox mentioned frequently. Anywhere to go to get more information on which is best/most reliable etc.? Does it really matter much?
Ironically, I just saw this article posted by Consumer Reports. I didn’t want to have a unit that needed to be hardwired, so I purchased the JuiceBox 40 this summer, to take advantage of the credit. I’m still waiting for my electrician to install the new 50 Amp circuit.

https://www.consumerreports.org/hyb...-home-wall-charger-for-your-electric-vehicle/
 
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azbill

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Going to pull the trigger on a 48a EVSE to take advantage of the tax credit. Is there a clear winner in terms of brand that people are happy with? I’ve seen ChargePoint, Clipper Creek and Juicebox mentioned frequently. Anywhere to go to get more information on which is best/most reliable etc.? Does it really matter much?
Do not forget to consider the cable length, that can be an issue with the location of the charger in the garage, compared to where you park the vehicle. If you do not have an existing 240V circuit in your garage, then it may not matter.
 

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ajdelange

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You can almost always count on Consumer Reports to be wrong about something and in the case of this article the one thing I spotted (who knows what other errors there might be) is that the Telsa HPWC "can be installed on a 48-amp circuit and pumps out 44 miles of range per hour." In fact it can be installed on a 60 amp circuit which is required for it to deliver 48 amperes charging rate which is the maxium the Rivian (or Tesla) trucks can take. Note that an adapter is required to get from Telsas proprietary connector to SAE J1772. Also note that this is 11.5 kW so that if the Rivian turns out to require 450 Wh per mile (as 400 mi range with a 180 kWh battery suggests) it will only be able to charge at 25.6 miles per hour from this or any other 48 amp charger.

I always think that Wattzilla should get a mention. Their products are not fancy WRT the bells and whistles but unless you are contemplating installing a half dozen chargers in a multi resident building or commercial location you don't need that stuff - the car takes care of it and they are expensive because they are built like the robust form of the small auxiliary buildings universally found behind farm houses in earlier days.
 

ajdelange

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Do not forget to consider the cable length, that can be an issue with the location of the charger in the garage, compared to where you park the vehicle. If you do not have an existing 240V circuit in your garage, then it may not matter.
I would give long and careful consideration to where one mounts the charger. As close as possible to the charging port of course as this enables one to drape the cable over the charger when not in use and simply lift the connecter from its holster and attach it to the car without having to unwind any cable or, more significantly, neatly rewind it about the cable holder when finished. On occasion where you want to charge outside the garage (or in it if you mounted the EVSE outside) you can, of course given that the cable is long enough) unwind and wind as necessary. Note also that there are J1772 extension cables (dozens of them on Amazon) good up to 40 A.

A consideration here is with respect to the trade between hard wired and plug in units. If you are willing to give up 8 amps (40 A vs 48A) in charging rate (4.26 miles per hour) and choose a plug in unit you can easily move it from location to location within your garage or between your winter and summer residences etc. Of course you must have a 50 A (NEMA 14-50R) receptacle at each potential location. It costs money to get those installed, of course. That is what I think I am going to do.
 
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jimcgov3

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I always think that Wattzilla should get a mention. Their products are not fancy WRT the bells and whistles but unless you are contemplating installing a half dozen chargers in a multi resident building or commercial location you don't need that stuff - the car takes care of it and they are expensive because they are built like the robust form of the small auxiliary buildings universally found behind farm houses in earlier days.

I know I have mentioned it on other threads, but I have the WattZilla Wall Wattz 48 and love it. No additional apps to worry about. The vehicles take care of everything. Plug and play. On a 60A breaker, I am charging my '17 Model S 75 at 30-35 miles per hour on the charger. Which is plenty for overnight charging. The cable is substantial compared to other EVSEs so for those in colder climates, it could be frustrating to wind up...but other than that, I love it.
 

GMK83

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Would the tax credit extend to having to upgrade the service as well? We’d need to upgrade the panel. Will do it regardless but wondering if that can be included.
 

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Would the tax credit extend to having to upgrade the service as well? We’d need to upgrade the panel. Will do it regardless but wondering if that can be included.
I'll give a qualified definitely yes, with the caveat that I am not a tax professional nor offering any specific tax advice.
This assumes that an upgrade is required to facilitate the addition of the circuit(s) required for the EVSE installation. Get something in writing to that effect from your electrician and you should be golden.
 

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An option to keep in mind is that Rivian, likely teaming up with Amazon, will offer EVSE purchase and installation packages. Unfortunately, the option may not be available this year, as we're still nine months away from production. But, it might be included as an option in the configurator, so at least we'd have information on pricing and product choices.
 

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An option to keep in mind is that Rivian, likely teaming up with Amazon, will offer EVSE purchase and installation packages. Unfortunately, the option may not be available this year, as we're still nine months away from production. But, it might be included as an option in the configurator, so at least we'd have information on pricing and product choices.
Yep, I've been waiting to see what Rivian/Amazon offers. I will likely have my electrical done, and think that will probably reach my tax credit limit for my situation, so I'll have that done by EOY.
 

RivFly

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All this can change on Nov 4 for the better or worse.......not to bring politics in.
 

UT Rivian

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Yep, I've been waiting to see what Rivian/Amazon offers. I will likely have my electrical done, and think that will probably reach my tax credit limit for my situation, so I'll have that done by EOY.
As speculated, looks like Rivian will be selling a home charging station as part of the car purchasing process.

From the website:
“At home, you can purchase and install our Rivian wall-mounted charging station, capable of delivering roughly 25 miles of range per hour. We can take care of installation as part of this purchase. Your vehicle also comes standard with a portable charging cable that neatly packs away and plugs into both 120V and 240V outlets, delivering up to 16 miles of range per hour.³”
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