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Advice on the best universal wall charger

stynes

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+1 to JuiceBox. The 48 is required, as some pointed out, to get the most power possible to the Rivian. It requires a 60 amp circuit and to my understanding of code, must be hard wired. The 40 requires a 50 amp circuit and only delivers 20% less juice. So it takes 12 hours to charge, not 10 or whatever. Honestly, not a huge difference, imo. The 40 can be plugged into a 220v wall outlet which for some people offers a lot of additional flexibility. One last note, JB, if you're looking to possibly add a second EVSE at some point, will intelligently "load balance" the charging essentially only having 1 JB charge at a time. That's pretty sweet, imo, and not something I've seen other brands offer.
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jjswan33

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I have two Nema 14-50 chargers that have worked well for me:

Basic (portable) - Morec 40 amp Nema 14-50 - I paid $339 but looks like $299 now on Amazon. When I bought my EV6 which didn't include a charger I needed one immediately and I could get it in 2 days. Works well but now I have this as a backup.

I now use a Chargepoint Home Flex with the same Nema 14-50 outlet. Charges the car the same but is a more permanent install and includes the chargepoint app.
 

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Hardwired vs plug-in? I believe hardwired will pull more power but also locks me into Rivian charger and means I can't take it with me when I move.

What the general thinking on this?
No reason you can't take a hardwired unit with you when you move.
Using the Chargepoint Flex as an example, you take the cover off, flip 3 lever style clamps to release the wires (make sure the breaker is off), then remove the 2 lag bolts holding it to the wall. Done.
Other units will likely not have the lever style clamps and will require using a screwdriver to release the wires.
 

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Hardwired vs plug-in? I believe hardwired will pull more power but also locks me into Rivian charger and means I can't take it with me when I move.

What the general thinking on this?
I'm going to hard-wired. Faster charging, more reliable, and safer. If you plan when doing the initial install you can have a double-gang box in the wall and either revert to a NEMA 14-50 or just cap off the wires and put a wall plate on the box if you ever remove the EVSE.
 

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Tom Moulougney does great reviews of various home chargers. I went with this ChargePoint Homeflex based on this review and it plays well with the Rivian appā€¦.flexible cord in cold weather and durability among other considerationsā€¦
(Also I didnā€™t have to pay any upfront cost for it as Xcel energy lets me lease for $13 a month).
I second ChargePoint Homeflex. I would have gotten this if I wasnā€™t getting the Rivian charger.
 

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I'm going to hard-wired. Faster charging, more reliable, and safer. If you plan when doing the initial install you can have a double-gang box in the wall and either revert to a NEMA 14-50 or just cap off the wires and put a wall plate on the box if you ever remove the EVSE.
For someone who isn't exactly handy around the house such as me, this may be too challenging to try. I have been debating between hardwire vs. plug in ever since I placed a R1S order and am currently leaning towards plug in. That's mainly because I think if the charger ever fail, I can just order another and plug it in when it arrives. No need to call and wait for an electrician.

GR
 

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I picked up a Wallbox Pulsar Plus for my Polestar and in preparation for the R1T.

It happens to also support load sharing like the Juicebox can do, which was why I went this way specifically since I'll pick up another Wallbox when the R1T shows up so I don't have to juggle cords.
+1 on the Wallbox Pulsar Plus with 48A. I recently installed it in preparation for the R1S. Getting 20% extra vs 40A should come in handy if charging from a low SOC later at night (say after 9 pm if you have lower energy rates then) and want to leave early the next day.
 

ironpig

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I have a Tesla charger but I'm adding a Chargepoint HomeFlex - Hard Wired. I also have an adapter for my Tesla charger. Will have 2 EVs soon and want to make sure I have 2 chargers always available at the highest rate I can get.

We have a lot of power coming in to our property and I still need to get my head around it all. I'm hoping one day in the near future I can set up Level 3 charging here but the cost is too prohibitive at the moment.

This is the main panel which feeds a bunch of other sub panels and I have only a rudimentary understating of how it all works. My goal for this year is to learn a lot more about my this system and how we can maximize our electrical efficiency.

Rivian R1T R1S Advice on the best universal wall charger IMG_3075_panel
 

No.92

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Tom Moulougney does great reviews of various home chargers. I went with this ChargePoint Homeflex based on this review and it plays well with the Rivian appā€¦.flexible cord in cold weather and durability among other considerationsā€¦
(Also I didnā€™t have to pay any upfront cost for it as Xcel energy lets me lease for $13 a month).
Why lease it when a new Rivian Wall Charger is like $600 or something like that? Does that $13 include installation?
 

Lsthrz

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Although we have lived for years with our Model S and no wall connector/charger without issue - just have had the cable plugged into 14-50, I have just picked up two Tesla wall connectors. One for the Model S which will be a Model X (soon?) and the other for the R1T - with an adapter. Weā€™ll see how it all works but I like the idea that they can work together and, pricey or not, I think Tesla has the experience in charging.
 

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Surprised no one mentioned Clipper Creek. They are the brand Rivian is using at their own service centers. I got a 50A unit for my house to charge my wifeā€™s XC40 Recharge and couldnā€™t be happier. It just works and is made domestically.

this beast coupled with a 1772 to Tesla adapter should cover you. Itā€™s an 80A unit so make sure to double check install requirements.

https://store.clippercreek.com/level2/level2-40-to-80/cs-100-80-amp-ev-charging-station
 

opnwide

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Why lease it when a new Rivian Wall Charger is like $600 or something like that? Does that $13 include installation?
Yes Xcel offers an immediate $500 rebate paid to the electrician installer with their program and an additional $50 off your bill annually for signing up for charging at a certain time (which can be overridden). 9pm-6am I chose. To give you a breakdown of my situation, I needed an upgraded/new subpanel, 100A breaker installed in my full main panel, so my sub could support a 60A breaker. Copper capable of a continuous 48amp load was run under my house in unfinished basement (60ft run) to my finished garage and hard wired the ChargePoint (48A on 60A breaker)ā€”total cost $1300 minus immediate $500 rebate to electrician and my out of pocket check was $800 (and also I got a~$240 tax credit for 2021 offā€”net $560 out of pocket). So for me, $13 a month made sense.
 

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It looks like the Juicebox 48a units will not be available for a couple of months or more.

Does the Chargepoint or other have 48-50a and still allow for load sharing?

Seems as though hardwire is safest, but any preference on plug NEMA 15-40 vs 6-50?

Any other suggestions are welcomed for this noob. Please and thanks.
 

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It looks like the Juicebox 48a units will not be available for a couple of months or more.

Does the Chargepoint or other have 48-50a and still allow for load sharing?

Seems as though hardwire is safest, but any preference on plug NEMA 15-40 vs 6-50?

Any other suggestions are welcomed for this noob. Please and thanks.
The Wallbox can do 48A and load sharing. I'm not super familiar with it, but looks like Tom Moloughney has a review.
 

ranieri

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$2200 for the Clipper Creek charger?! Is it worth the money? I'm willing to pay for the best, and I want to future-proof, but I don't want to throw away money. Can someone make sense of the quality and performance differences between the Clipper Creek and other models discussed here, in layman's terms?
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