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Browse conversations about charging, adapters, road trips, troubleshooting, and everyday EV life.

Recent Questions

24 discussions · 467 answers
14votes
Just moved and the garage only has a regular wall outlet
No 240V. No panel space to easily add one, and no budget for it for at least a year while we settle into the house. Just the standard wall outlet on the gara...
rvalente_58rvalente_58
13
answers
13votes
Non-Tesla owner -- is the Tesla-to-J-plug adapter worth carrying?
See Tesla destination chargers at every hotel I stay at for work. They're always empty because I'm usually the only EV in the lot and it's not a Tesla. Meanw...
mgauthier_mgauthier_
21
answers
18votes
Installed vs plug-in at home -- which did you actually go with?
Torn between hardwired and the plug-in kind. Electrician quoted almost the same -- $1,600 for hardwired, $1,700 for the plug-in because he wants to install a...
sgarbersgarber
20
answers
13votes
What does EV charging actually look like for apartment dwellers who can't install anything permanent?
Trying to get a realistic picture of what charging actually looks like for people in apartments, since most guides seem to assume you can install something. ...
hollis_thollis_t
21
answers
10votes
What's actually in your portable EV charger setup, and has it held up over time?
Been relying on a portable charger as basically my only charging setup for a while now and trying to get a sense of what everyone else's actual experience ha...
derek_whitcombderek_whitcomb
16
answers
11votes
Spent a week at a KOA and ended up charging off the campsite pedestal every night
Didn't plan this trip around EV charging at all -- just happened to book a KOA because it was cheap and close to the kids' activities. Pedestal at our site h...
sbergstromsbergstrom
29
answers
13votes
Does anyone actually sell a 'dumb' hard-wired Level 2 charger anymore, or is everything WiFi-connected now?
I'm about to get a Level 2 charger installed and honestly I don't want any of the app/WiFi features -- I just want something that reliably delivers power wit...
kurt_lanningkurt_lanning
15
answers
10votes
Took the Tesla camping for the first time and wasn't sure which plug to bring
First EV road trip that wasn't just Supercharger-to-Supercharger -- we're doing an actual campground loop this summer. Realized I have no idea what I actuall...
megan_r7megan_r7
18
answers
8votes
Six months in -- here's how long charging actually takes at my house
Every calculator online was technically right and practically useless. Here's what I actually see: - Overnight on 240V at home: full from ~30%, no exceptions...
tomasz_ktomasz_k
22
answers
14votes
About to install a new L2 charger — go with J1772 now or just do NACS since everyone's switching?
Finally getting a hardwired Level 2 charger put in and now I'm stuck on the connector question. Current car is J1772 but it feels like NACS is becoming the s...
tall_miketall_mike
20
answers
15votes
Landlord said yes to the outlet -- now I don't know which one to ask for
Miracle: he said yes. After a year of asking. Now the electrician is showing up Saturday and he asked me what plug I want and I completely froze. I drive a B...
gregm_67gregm_67
16
answers
14votes
Is it actually safe (and practical) to charge an EV from a dryer outlet?
Trying to get a straight answer on whether charging off a dryer outlet is something people actually do safely, or if it's one of those things that technicall...
bpark_21bpark_21
21
answers
7votes
Is it actually realistic to own an EV long-term without a home charger?
Trying to figure out if going without home charging is something people actually make work long-term, or if it always ends up being a temporary phase before ...
mdonnelly_mdonnelly_
23
answers
15votes
What actually goes into picking an EV charger for home -- what do people wish they'd known first?
About to pick a charger for home and realizing there's way more to it than I expected -- amperage, whether it needs to be hardwired, smart features, cable le...
rgallowayrgalloway
17
answers
12votes
Charger install is 200 feet from my panel because the garage is detached, and now I'm worried about voltage drop killing the charging speed
Electrician says running the wire out to my detached garage 200 feet away is doable but he wants to size the wire up significantly to deal with voltage drop ...
caseyo_19caseyo_19
15
answers
11votes
What's actually the best portable EV charger people have used?
Trying to get a real sense of what portable charger is actually worth buying, since there are a ton of options that all look similar on paper. For people who...
jonnyw_83jonnyw_83
20
answers
10votes
Building's fire inspector just told our HOA no EV chargers allowed in the underground garage, full stop, no exceptions
Our HOA has been trying to get charger approval for over a year, finally got a fire marshal out to look at the underground garage and he flat out said no cha...
kellyann_rkellyann_r
21
answers
9votes
For non-Tesla owners, what's your actual experience with J1772 portable chargers?
Non-Tesla owner here trying to get a straight answer on J1772 portable chargers before buying one -- what's the actual real-world charging speed people are s...
wadecrosswadecross
18
answers
13votes
Realized our old RV's 30-amp plug could probably charge the car too
We've got a camper parked next to the garage with its own TT-30 pedestal that just sits unused most of the year. Finally wondered if I could run the car off ...
rhenley_64rhenley_64
21
answers
10votes
What does charging an EV at home actually look like day to day, for people who've been doing it a while?
For people who've been charging at home for a while now, what does it actually look like day to day at this point -- do you still think about it or has it ba...
mwestfallmwestfall
23
answers
15votes
What's the real deal with charging off a NEMA 14-50 outlet -- safe, fast enough, worth it?
Keep seeing NEMA 14-50 mentioned as basically the standard way to charge off a 240V outlet, but trying to actually understand what it means in practice -- ho...
greg_whitakergreg_whitaker
21
answers
17votes
Is a 25 ft charging cable actually long enough for most garage/driveway setups?
Noticed a lot of chargers cap out around 25 ft and trying to figure out if that's actually long enough for most setups, or if that's a common pain point. For...
rkovalrkoval
19
answers
12votes
What's actually in your bag for a trip with no home charger anywhere along the way
Driving from the Midwest to see family for two weeks, staying at a mix of hotels and a cabin with no charging listed anywhere on the usual apps. Already have...
scottmackscottmack
18
answers
13votes
Does anyone actually use an extension cord with their NACS charger, or is that a bad idea?
Wondering if people actually use extension cords with NACS chargers in practice or if that's one of those things everyone says not to do but does anyway. If ...
cody_ratliffcody_ratliff
19
answers