Help me understand a home charging setup

[timesinks]

I understand what that doodad is doing, I just want to know how to buy one myself. What is it called? Where do they sell it? How can I buy one?

It's an interlock device. They are usually used to force you to turn the main breaker off in order to connect a generator or other power source -- preventing you from backfeeding to the grid. Searching for interlocks returns a whole bunch of generator ones but that one in particular looks a lot like "Schneider Electric QOU2DTILA QOU Circuit Breaker Mechanical Interlock".

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[nfrank]

It's an interlock device. They are usually used to force you to turn the main breaker off in order to connect a generator or other power source -- preventing you from backfeeding to the grid. Searching for interlocks returns a whole bunch of generator ones but that one in particular looks a lot like "Schneider Electric QOU2DTILA QOU Circuit Breaker Mechanical Interlock".

Sweet! Thanks. "Interlock" was the magic word I needed to find the thing.

 

[ajdelange]

I understand what that doodad is doing, I just want to know how to buy one myself.

I don't think you do. This is a pretty crude way of sharing charging loads. You can buy, for example, WallBox Quasar+ EVSE that will share the load automatically so that, in the example I gave previously, your negihbor's friend could come to his house and plug in while your neighbor is charging. The new car would be allowed to draw only as much power as would keep the total below the programmed limit for the system. As soon as one car finishes all the power is available to the other and it is allowed to draw it.

If you are determined to have this primitive mechanical method then be sure to check with a knowledgeable electrician to be sure that it is still acceptable in your jurisdiction.

 

[nfrank]

I don't think you do. This is a pretty crude way of sharing charging loads. You can buy, for example, WallBox Quasar+ EVSE that will share the load automatically so that, in the example I gave previously, your negihbor's friend could come to his house and plug in while your neighbor is charging. The new car would be allowed to draw only as much power as would keep the total below the programmed limit for the system. As soon as one car finishes all the power is available to the other and it is allowed to draw it.

If you are determined to have this primitive mechanical method then be sure to check with a knowledgeable electrician to be sure that it is still acceptable in your jurisdiction.

My goal isn’t to share the circuit with two EVs, but an EV charger and an air compressor with zero expectation I’ll need both at the same time.

 

[ajdelange]

My goal isn’t to share the circuit with two EVs, but an EV charger and an air compressor with zero expectation I’ll need both at the same time.

Both those loads take current when they need it i.e. when the BEV SoC gets below a certain level from phantom drain it will start to charge and when the air compressor pressure gets below setting from slow leakage or from your use of air tools its motor will come on. I wouldn't want to have to worryabout plugging/unplugging one or the other or throwing toggles.

One solution is to put them on a branch sized sufficiently to feed them both (running current for the compressor). Say 60 + 30 i.e. a 90 amp circuit. Discuss this with your electrician to see what code will allow. Another is a device called a "Dryer Buddy". Check that out.

 

[PostMinivanDad]

I had ordered a ChargePoint Homeflex, finally returned it and got the no frills EVSE several members mentioned in this post, the Grizzl-E for two reasons:

-Electricians in my area all advised I limit the breaker to my nema 6-50 plug to 40 amps – some because of my panel use, some saying it was code (not all) - no point going with the flex if I will be limited to 32 amps anyway;

-It seems many of the “smart” features on “smart” chargers are redundant, pretty much every PHEV and BEV have most if not all of these functions in their own app.

Here are a few pictures for inspiration if you decide to go with the Grizzl-E or any other generic plug in vs hardwired:

 

[ajdelange]

-Electricians in my area all advised I limit the breaker to my nema 6-50 plug to 40 amps – some because of my panel use, some saying it was code (not all) - no point going with the flex if I will be limited to 32 amps anyway;

Don't know what's in that panel and don't know where you live in Quebec but where I do (Estrie) the relationship between the code and what an electrician does seems to be more dictated by the insurance companies and Hydro than by any municipal authority. When I built I had 14-50R's on 50A breakers installed in several locations well before the notion of an electric car ever entered my head. When I got one I simply plugged in a Gen 2 Tesla EVSE with a plug (no longer sold) configured for a 50A circuit. It thus does 40A, I would be perfectly happy with 32A.

-It seems many of the “smart” features on “smart” chargers are redundant, pretty much every PHEV and BEV have most if not all of these functions in their own app.

In the US I have a couple of Gen 3 HPWC installed which can be shared over WiFi and I may use that feature to limit total draw as those will be on Powerwalls (if Elon coughs up the Powerwalls). Other than that I really don't see the need to have the EVSE charge my logging as another app does that via the car's API. But we don't know about the Rivian API at this point.

 

[PostMinivanDad]

Don't know what's in that panel and don't know where you live in Quebec but where I do (Estrie) the relationship between the code and what an electrician does seems to be more dictated by the insurance companies and Hydro than by any municipal authority. When I built I had 14-50R's on 50A breakers installed in several locations well before the notion of an electric car ever entered my head. When I got one I simply plugged in a Gen 2 Tesla EVSE with a plug (no longer sold) configured for a 50A circuit. It thus does 40A, I would be perfectly happy with 32A.

Thanks for the insight. I don’t have that much load, heat is HP/NG and hot water is NG as well. I won’t pursue the varying electrician advice issue for now: we don’t drive much, 32 amps should be plenty even with the R1S’ higher consumption – its more than enough with the 2 cars we have now. I am glad to see a very experienced EV owner like you say its plenty.

[...]But we don't know about the Rivian API at this point.

True, but it seems unlikely it won’t at least offer charge remote start/stop, throttling and logging.

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