Charging an electric vehicle at home
Fig 1. Two 240V outlet installed in my garage today!
The world of charging an electric vehicle is totally different from gas-fueling an gasoline-powered vehicle. Similar to gas stations there are growing number of electric charger stations, such as Tesla Superchargers and EVgo. The biggest difference is that your can charge your electric vehicle at home. An easy ways is to use regular 110V outlet in your garage, which is called level 1 charging. Unfortunately level 1 charging was sufficient when battery size of EVs was small, but it became outdated. Using 240V outlet which is also common in US houses especially for washing driers, can provide two times faster charging (level 2, Fig.1) than level 1. For our 62kWh battery EV (2019 LEAF Plus) level 2 takes 8-11 hrs while level 1 takes a whole day for full charges. DC charging (level 3) is the fastest way (one hour for full charges in our car through CHAdeMO connector), which requires a slightly big equipment and larger breaker, so that level 3 charging is only available at DC charging stations (EVgo, ChargePoint, etc). Since Nissan LEAF comes with a portable charger ($500 worth), charging at home is cheaper than charging at charge stations, and there is rebate for supporting clean fuel (for example from PGE), installing 240V is worth of doing to reduce running cost and charging time. You need to change your lifestyle for pouring power to your vehicle; fueling anytime anywhere in 5 min stop at gas station to charging overnight at home. Switching electricity rate plan from flat rate to time-of-use plan that offers cheaper rate during off peak (night) also facilitates EV life 1.
Installing 240V outlet in my garage
Next step is finding an electrician. That was more difficult task than I expected. I learned most of information of this process from HomeDepot Pro Referral and Laws and other infor on owner-builder vs licensed contractor, explained in City of Millbrae.
Needs to consider choosing good electrician
IF you hire unlicenced, undocumented workers or handymen you are assuming any costs associated with these types of workers. You have very limited resources to go after these types of workers should they walk off the job, get injured, do not pay their sub- contractors or material suppliers. Contractors State License Code requires work over $1000 to be performed by a licensed contractor. Check if the electrician is CA State lisenced contractor. Anyone performing home improvement work valued at $500 or more must be licensed by the Contractors State License Board. “Hiring a California Licensed Contractor means you do not personally perform any of the construction work, the permit is not taken out in your name, you are not personally responsible for the construction and you are not an Owner-Builder. Instead, you become a “Customer” and California law provides you the benefit of protection from poor workmanship, failure to finish the job and financial risk due to worker injury. Benefit/Risk: Highest Benefits and the least amount of Risk”
Building permit and busness licence from City
In my city any electrical works for house needs building permit from City. The requirement may differe from city to city. To get building permit from City, the licensed work needs to have busness license in the City (ask the office person in Building Diviion for making sure those licesnses are not expired). Here is a summary of a long story of choosing electrician.
| check point | electrician A | electrician B | electrician C | electrician D | electrician E | Todd Nelson |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How did I find the electrician? | google map in my city | HomeDepot ProReferral | HomeDepot ProReferral | HomeDepot ProReferral | yelp.com | yelp.com |
| California Licensed Contractor? | licensed | licensed | licensed | licensed | licensed | licensed |
| building permit | $150 | myself 2 | no need for small job 3 | myself | myself | myself |
| site inspection | on time | on time | n/a | skipped | availabe two weeks later | on time 4 |
| city business licence | I did not ask. | needs to be applied (two weeks later) 5 | I did not ask. | licenced | I did not ask. | licenced |
| estimate | $280 for one receptacle | $280 for one receptacle | I did not ask. | $550 for one receptacle, $1100 for two | not yest inspected | $570 for two receptacles |
| installation | no show and rescheduled with wrong time 6 | I did not ask. | I did not ask. | I did not ask. | I did not ask. | On time |
Installation procedure
Fig 2. Nissan Leaf portable charger connector (NEM14-50). 
Fig 3. The first 240V outlet.
I applied city building permit with Todd Nelson for the installation work, which costs $80.60. The city office confimed that Todd has busness license in my city, which is not expired. On Dec 29, 2019 Todd came to my house on time! He told me that those days new house should have an electric box for installing an outlet in a garage behind a main panel outside the garage. Nissan Leaf portable charger needs NEM14-50 (Fig. 2) with 50A recommended by Nissan manual. Yes our house has the electric box and it is easy to install an receptacle (Fig. 3). For the second 240V receptable he found there is a big pipe is running on the right side of the first recepticle, so that he decided to install the second one underneath of the first one, which should be fine for the second portable charger in the future (Fig. 1). The charger is working well now! Thank you Todd.
Since busness licence in my city is not issued, the permit application was not accepted at City office.↩
When I heard this comment, I stop asking this electrician.↩
At the first appointment Todd texted notice of late arrival just before the appoitment time. Then I made an appointment on two weeks later. He called two days later and made appointment of inspection on the evening, and he was waiting for my return for inspection.↩
I tried to arrange business permit application at the office with him, but he needs an office person to do who is on vacation for two weeks…↩
The electrician took long vacation, but he made an appointment during his vacation. I called his office and the office rescheduled 2pm on that day, but I told the office person I needed to leave by 3pm. The electrician did not show up on 2pm, so that I called the office again and the office person told me it would take 2 hrs. I complained this was unprofessional.↩