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Load-sharing home setup

timesinks

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Update!

I landed on the Wallbox Pulsar Plus 48A units. I purchased two of them directly from Wallbox. They were not cheap, but at least I was able to skip sales tax by buying directly. My electrician was booked up for a few weeks, and I delayed scheduling until after my R1T was delivered.

Today was install day, and it couldn't have come too soon. We were getting by the past two weeks with 110v charging overnight, but it was painfully slow, at times adding 1 mile or less per hour. I suspect the heat is playing a role here as the fans were running consistently to manage battery temp. Thankfully we have a very short commute to my daughter's daycare and work from home otherwise, but I am so glad to have a more viable option now.

I did go the load-sharing route with 48 amps of total power available to both units. My house is roughly 3500 sq ft with 200A total service, so I tried to find a balance that could support 2 EVs effectively without overloading the panel and be managed smartly and remotely. We had to move some existing circuits around to make room for a new 60A circuit which feeds a sub-panel with two additional 60A breakers, one for each individual Wallbox. We also ran a CAT6 cable between the two Wallboxes to manage communication for load-sharing.

Installation took around 2.5 hours. This included cutting drywall to run the cables and recess the sub-panel. Wallbox oddly does not include load-sharing instructions in the box, and the instructions on their website are broadly applicable to a wide range of their products. I found this YouTube video incredibly helpful in configuring and wiring the CAT6 between the two units. Basically you set the primary unit's charging speed setting to "8", the secondary to "0", run one wire from slot 1 on the primary to slot 1 on the secondary and another wire from slot 4 on the primary to slot 3 on the secondary. Once the units are powered install the latest software updates, then after restart configure the load sharing through the app on the primary unit.

I plugged in the primary first and watched the truck ramp to 48A in a matter of seconds, adding ~24 miles of range per hour. I then did the same with the secondary and saw the same behavior. I don't have two EVs to test the sharing capabilities fully, but I was happy to see both delivering the peak 48A independently.

Quick review of the Wallboxes: I like them overall, but there are a few concerns. Appearance-wise they are very sleek and small compared to other units like Juicebox, Tesla, or even Rivian. The cable is flexible and plenty long at 25 ft. The charging handle feels solid, although it immediately showed wear from brief and light contact with my garage floor. The installation guide was straightforward and easy to follow aside from the missing load-sharing details. I do wish they used wifi rather than CAT6 for load-sharing communication, something the Tesla units do for nearly half the price, though once installed this isn't really a concern. The app is not bad, allowing for monitoring and adjustment of the amperage for each unit on-the-fly, but I do wish the scheduling feature was more robust. You can set schedules for charging, but it's a binary system: on or off. I'd like to be able to schedule amperage limits for certain times of the day when I know I'll be using higher amperage appliances such as the oven or dryer to prevent overloading.

Overall I'm very happy with this setup and look forward to having two EVs to take full advantage. I would recommend this option to anyone who wants flexibility and load-sharing capability.

IMG_3813.jpeg
Looks great!
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bjcleaver

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Hope I'm not hijacking the thread, but with the R1T hopefully arriving by end of year I need to figure something out. Note: I have no experience with EVs.

Tesla + Rivian on one circuit
We have had a Model Y on order for many months for my wife and that's due to arrive in August.🤞We had an electrician install the Tesla Gen 3 Wall Connector a couple months ago and figured that was it as I wasn't sure about getting the Rivian. But with my current ICE car not behaving nicely (two engine replacements on my 2021 Bronco since February), I think I'm going to get the Rivian if my delivery window holds for 2022.
We have 200a service in the house and are pretty close to being maxed out. The electrician tapped into the main panel at the garage and installed a 50a circuit for the Wall Connector with 6 gauge wire (It can probably be 60a if need be.) The Wall Connector is a sunk cost at this point but if I can keep it and also charge the R1T with something else that would be ideal. I really don't want to have to upgrade to 400a service to have a separate 60a circuit for the R1T. I've read through this thread and a few others but I'm not clear on the power sharing options. I guess I'm close to the @RivianSocial setup in his thread but I have a Gen 3 Tesla charger, not Gen 2.

If I keep the Wall Connector...
- Could/should I use a second gen 3 wall connector for the R1T? I've read conflicting things on whether the Gen 3s need separate circuits. The Tesla web site says multiple wall connectors can run on one circuit, but also says in the manual they need separate branch circuits?
- I assume the connector would charge the R1T with an adapter, but how would power sharing work since it's not a Tesla? Does it just charge the Tesla first, and then go to the Rivian next vs. "sharing" power?
- Is there a way to share a single circuit with a Wall Connector and the Rivian charger? Or would I need to split the circuit into two separate but lower amperage circuits? I assume the disadvantage to this is only getting 24a charge capacity per vehicle, even if only one is plugged in.

If it's best to lose the Wall Connector...
- seems like there are a few options like Wallbox, Juicebox, etc. Is 50a enough or do I need to try to get that to be 60a or even more? Do these actually PowerShare between the vehicles?
- my utility company does have $200 rebates available on some Juicebox products, so there's that.

Not really sure which way to go. 400a service would make this all easier but that's not something I can really do right now.
 

RivianSocial

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Hope I'm not hijacking the thread, but with the R1T hopefully arriving by end of year I need to figure something out. Note: I have no experience with EVs.

Tesla + Rivian on one circuit
We have had a Model Y on order for many months for my wife and that's due to arrive in August.🤞We had an electrician install the Tesla Gen 3 Wall Connector a couple months ago and figured that was it as I wasn't sure about getting the Rivian. But with my current ICE car not behaving nicely (two engine replacements on my 2021 Bronco since February), I think I'm going to get the Rivian if my delivery window holds for 2022.
We have 200a service in the house and are pretty close to being maxed out. The electrician tapped into the main panel at the garage and installed a 50a circuit for the Wall Connector with 6 gauge wire (It can probably be 60a if need be.) The Wall Connector is a sunk cost at this point but if I can keep it and also charge the R1T with something else that would be ideal. I really don't want to have to upgrade to 400a service to have a separate 60a circuit for the R1T. I've read through this thread and a few others but I'm not clear on the power sharing options. I guess I'm close to the @RivianSocial setup in his thread but I have a Gen 3 Tesla charger, not Gen 2.

If I keep the Wall Connector...
- Could/should I use a second gen 3 wall connector for the R1T? I've read conflicting things on whether the Gen 3s need separate circuits. The Tesla web site says multiple wall connectors can run on one circuit, but also says in the manual they need separate branch circuits?
- I assume the connector would charge the R1T with an adapter, but how would power sharing work since it's not a Tesla? Does it just charge the Tesla first, and then go to the Rivian next vs. "sharing" power?
- Is there a way to share a single circuit with a Wall Connector and the Rivian charger? Or would I need to split the circuit into two separate but lower amperage circuits? I assume the disadvantage to this is only getting 24a charge capacity per vehicle, even if only one is plugged in.

If it's best to lose the Wall Connector...
- seems like there are a few options like Wallbox, Juicebox, etc. Is 50a enough or do I need to try to get that to be 60a or even more? Do these actually PowerShare between the vehicles?
- my utility company does have $200 rebates available on some Juicebox products, so there's that.

Not really sure which way to go. 400a service would make this all easier but that's not something I can really do right now.
I'm not an electrician but upgrading to a 400a service in your house seems excessive. I've had my Model 3 for 4 years now and just got my Rivian. I've done a couple videos on my set-up if you want to check them out:



https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/forums/charging-discussions-ran-rivian-adventure-network.7/

Power sharing on a Gen 2 works as described in the videos, if both are plugged in the rate of charge will balance between the 2, not to exceed 48 amps. I'm not sure I understand how the power sharing works on a Gen 3, sorry.

The Rivian has a larger pack then the Tesla (roughly twice the size) so if you're putting in any new circuits, I'd recommend going with the max (48a) for both vehicles. It will mean that 's hardwired, as opposed to plugged into the wall.

I know it's not exactly the answer that you're looking for but I hope this helps with another potential option.
 
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astonius

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Hope I'm not hijacking the thread, but with the R1T hopefully arriving by end of year I need to figure something out. Note: I have no experience with EVs.

Tesla + Rivian on one circuit
We have had a Model Y on order for many months for my wife and that's due to arrive in August.🤞We had an electrician install the Tesla Gen 3 Wall Connector a couple months ago and figured that was it as I wasn't sure about getting the Rivian. But with my current ICE car not behaving nicely (two engine replacements on my 2021 Bronco since February), I think I'm going to get the Rivian if my delivery window holds for 2022.
We have 200a service in the house and are pretty close to being maxed out. The electrician tapped into the main panel at the garage and installed a 50a circuit for the Wall Connector with 6 gauge wire (It can probably be 60a if need be.) The Wall Connector is a sunk cost at this point but if I can keep it and also charge the R1T with something else that would be ideal. I really don't want to have to upgrade to 400a service to have a separate 60a circuit for the R1T. I've read through this thread and a few others but I'm not clear on the power sharing options. I guess I'm close to the @RivianSocial setup in his thread but I have a Gen 3 Tesla charger, not Gen 2.

If I keep the Wall Connector...
- Could/should I use a second gen 3 wall connector for the R1T? I've read conflicting things on whether the Gen 3s need separate circuits. The Tesla web site says multiple wall connectors can run on one circuit, but also says in the manual they need separate branch circuits?
- I assume the connector would charge the R1T with an adapter, but how would power sharing work since it's not a Tesla? Does it just charge the Tesla first, and then go to the Rivian next vs. "sharing" power?
- Is there a way to share a single circuit with a Wall Connector and the Rivian charger? Or would I need to split the circuit into two separate but lower amperage circuits? I assume the disadvantage to this is only getting 24a charge capacity per vehicle, even if only one is plugged in.

If it's best to lose the Wall Connector...
- seems like there are a few options like Wallbox, Juicebox, etc. Is 50a enough or do I need to try to get that to be 60a or even more? Do these actually PowerShare between the vehicles?
- my utility company does have $200 rebates available on some Juicebox products, so there's that.

Not really sure which way to go. 400a service would make this all easier but that's not something I can really do right now.
In your specific instance I would get an additional Tesla gen 3 wall connector and an additional circuit. If you want to be strictly to code you're going to need a dedicated breaker per connector, though some say it will technically work on a single breaker. If you can fit an additional breaker in your existing panel that will work. You don't need a sub-panel to load-share, I just needed one because I couldn't fit another double-pole breaker in my current panel (well, turns out I could, but that's a sore subject). Gen 3 wall connectors can load-share over a wifi connection, so no need for the ethernet cable. You can also get a Lectron or TeslaTap mini adapter for your Rivian. I can't speak to the load-sharing behavior of the Tesla wall connectors specifically, but I believe with the Wallboxes it will smartly distribute the power based on what the vehicles are requesting while never exceeding the maximum set value (in my case 48A). The cool thing about Wallbox is you can adjust each box's max amperage on the fly from the app, either via bluetooth or wifi. You can also schedule charge times at the EVSE level (rather than on the vehicle). This was a big selling point for me personally, and currently Tesla does not offer app-based control with this level of customization. As for max output, you don't have to run 60A breakers, but if your wiring supports it I'd recommend it to maximize the potential charge. On your 50A circuit you can expect ~20 miles of range back in the Rivian per hour. A 60A circuit would bump that to ~24.
 

bjcleaver

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In your specific instance I would get an additional Tesla gen 3 wall connector and an additional circuit. If you want to be strictly to code you're going to need a dedicated breaker per connector, though some say it will technically work on a single breaker. If you can fit an additional breaker in your existing panel that will work. You don't need a sub-panel to load-share, I just needed one because I couldn't fit another double-pole breaker in my current panel (well, turns out I could, but that's a sore subject). Gen 3 wall connectors can load-share over a wifi connection, so no need for the ethernet cable. You can also get a Lectron or TeslaTap mini adapter for your Rivian. I can't speak to the load-sharing behavior of the Tesla wall connectors specifically, but I believe with the Wallboxes it will smartly distribute the power based on what the vehicles are requesting while never exceeding the maximum set value (in my case 48A). The cool thing about Wallbox is you can adjust each box's max amperage on the fly from the app, either via bluetooth or wifi. You can also schedule charge times at the EVSE level (rather than on the vehicle). This was a big selling point for me personally, and currently Tesla does not offer app-based control with this level of customization. As for max output, you don't have to run 60A breakers, but if your wiring supports it I'd recommend it to maximize the potential charge. On your 50A circuit you can expect ~20 miles of range back in the Rivian per hour. A 60A circuit would bump that to ~24.
I can up the 50A circuit to 60A, I just don't think I can add a second 60A circuit if that's what you are saying? I mean, I guess I could add a second circuit but the electrician was wary about how much power the EVs could draw along with everything else in the house (appliances, hot tub, A/C units, heat tape in winter, etc.)
 

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astonius

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I can up the 50A circuit to 60A, I just don't think I can add a second 60A circuit if that's what you are saying? I mean, I guess I could add a second circuit but the electrician was wary about how much power the EVs could draw along with everything else in the house (appliances, hot tub, A/C units, heat tape in winter, etc.)
The second 60A circuit would not be summed in a load-sharing configuration. It simply would allow either connector to pull a maximum of 48A without ever exceeding the maximum you set between them. This could be 48A and 0A, 24A and 24A, or any combination in-between that doesn't exceed 48A total (or whatever maximum total you set in the configuration).
 

bjcleaver

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The second 60A circuit would not be summed in a load-sharing configuration. It simply would allow either connector to pull a maximum of 48A without ever exceeding the maximum you set between them. This could be 48A and 0A, 24A and 24A, or any combination in-between that doesn't exceed 48A total (or whatever maximum total you set in the configuration).
Ah, that makes sense. To make that work I need chargers that can load share - so two Tesla gen 3s or two Wallboxes or what have you. But not a Tesla Gen 3 and a Rivian charger.
I have the Tesla Gen 3 installed but assume I could try to sell it. The Wallboxes are interesting from what I’ve read and what you describe.
 

Rousie13

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Ah, that makes sense. To make that work I need chargers that can load share - so two Tesla gen 3s or two Wallboxes or what have you. But not a Tesla Gen 3 and a Rivian charger.
I have the Tesla Gen 3 installed but assume I could try to sell it. The Wallboxes are interesting from what I’ve read and what you describe.
We have two 40A Wallbox units on one 50A circuit. We have 6 gauge wire, so I could technically also bump up to a 60A breaker. However this would only get me an increase during actual PowerSharing where I could then get 24A out of each unit instead of 20A. The 40A units on a 50A circuit have been more than adequate for our driving/EV setup. We currently have a pair of Volvo XC40 Recharges. The PowerSharing on the Wallbox units is flawless and I have been very happy with the company and their responses on any issues I’ve had.
 

RivianSocial

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FYI....... I found a video of Tom Moloughney reviewing the Wallbox 48a and he mentions chargers that are load sharing compatible at 16:40 in the video.

 

bjcleaver

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I just got my "Your configuration is ready to confirm" email, so the R1T might be close to delivery and I'll need to figure out my charging situation much sooner than anticipated. We just got my wife's Tesla Y yesterday and that's charging on a Gen 3 Wall Connector. As I mentioned above, I have a 50a circuit for the Wall Connector that I can probably bump up to 60a. I have Rivian Wall Charger in my configuration (not sure if dropping that from the order will mess up delivery timing.)

If I use both the Tesla Wall Connector and the Rivian Wall Charger on the same 50A circuit, I'd have to limit the output on each connector to 20A each or something like that in order to not overload the circuit?

Or I just use the Tesla WC and get an adapter for the Rivian and use that to charge both vehicles (taking turns charging)?

Or ditch both chargers, get two Wallboxes and power share on the one circuit?
 
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astonius

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I just got my "Your configuration is ready to confirm" email, so the R1T might be close to delivery and I'll need to figure out my charging situation much sooner than anticipated. We just got my wife's Tesla Y yesterday and that's charging on a Gen 3 Wall Connector. As I mentioned above, I have a 50a circuit for the Wall Connector that I can probably bump up to 60a. I have Rivian Wall Charger in my configuration (not sure if dropping that from the order will mess up delivery timing.)

If I use both the Tesla Wall Connector and the Rivian Wall Charger on the same 50A circuit, I'd have to limit the output on each connector to 20A each or something like that in order to not overload the circuit?

Or I just use the Tesla WC and get an adapter for the Rivian and use that to charge both vehicles (taking turns charging)?

Or ditch both chargers, get two Wallboxes and power share on the one circuit?
You could get another Gen 3 wall connector and set them up in a load sharing config. Then just adapt it for the Rivian. That would be your cheapest route for charging both at the same time and getting the most out of your single circuit.
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