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Old Ecotality 30 amp EVSE

510 Views 5 Replies 5 Participants Last post by VW TECHNICIAN, 4 mo ago

dkleinfelter

Discussion Starter · 4 mo ago

Hello - Just bought a 2023 ID.4 Pro S with the SK battery. Back in 2011, through an Ecotality (now Blink) incentive program, we had a 30 amp (WE-30CIRE for the tech savy folks) charger installed for our 2011 Nissan Leaf. I'm charging the ID.4 on the old charger for the first time as I type this. It's slow, but might meet our needs because our daily driving is ~10 miles so we can usually charge overnight once a week.

Questions:
1. I've seen horror stories about melting plug handles, etc. when using an older charger with a newer car that can draw more power. Everything is nice and cold out in the carport right now, so I'm guessing that the ID.4 onboard equipment senses the charger and accomodates it. I.e., it won't draw more than the charger can handle. Anyone have concerns about using the old charger with the ID.4?

2. What do people think about upgrading to a 48 amp charger? I know to have someone check the wire that was installed from service panel to the existing charger, etc. before installing. Just wondering if the increased speed would be worth the $1000+ total cost of charger and installation.

FWIW, the old charger had some wifi connectivity and a useful LED screen for a couple years. Now the screen is blank and I don't think I'm able to link to it via wifi any longer. But it still "clunks" on when I plug in either the Leaf or the ID.4, so as far as I know it's working.

Thanks.

DLK

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LieutenantLefse

· #2 · 4 mo ago

1. So long as it's undamaged I wouldn't have any qualms about using an older charger. One of the main jobs of an EVSE is to communicate to the car how many amps it can safely pull, so long as you wire up your 30amp EVSE to a 30amp or higher circuit, you're fine.

2. I would not bother unless (and until) you identify a particular need for faster charging. For most use cases, charging at 30amps or 48amps takes the same amount of time... overnight.

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VW Dave

· #3 · 4 mo ago

I would argue the minimum circuit rating for that charger is probably 40 Amps, since the choices are 30 or 40. The 80% load rule says you should have a 40A circuit & breaker.

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dkleinfelter

Discussion Starter · #4 · 4 mo ago

VW Dave said:
I would argue the minimum circuit rating for that charger is probably 40 Amps, since the choices are 30 or 40. The 80% load rule says you should have a 40A circuit & breaker.

Thanks. Current charger was professionally installed with 40A circuit and breaker. Plus new line from the house/panel, out to the charger. IF I were to upgrade to 48A charger (which seems unlikely per LieutenantLefse's helpful response), then I know I'll need a new circuit/breaker, and possibly new wire too - which will be problematic because a concrete porch has now been built over the old one!

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cosev

· #5 · 4 mo ago

30A * 240V = 7.2kW
40A * 240V = 11.5kW

Allowing for 5% losses, if you're charging from 20-80% (probably more than most people do on a daily basis) that's around 6 3/4 hours at 30 amps and 4 1/4 hours at 48A. Only you can say if that time savings is worth the considerable expense to upgrade!

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