How to Install an Electric Vehicle Charger Receptacle

Electric Vehicles are becoming more and more popular on a daily basis. Maybe you own one yourself or know someone that does. Either way, one of those vehicles are going to need a way to charge their batteries. In this latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin walks us through the process of installing an electric vehicle charging receptacle in a residence.

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#electrician #electrical #electricity

For most EV chargers a Nema 14-50R receptacle will be used. Most of us have probably seen one of these receptacles before in our homes. They are the same ones used for the oven! These receptacles are rated for 50 amps at 250 volts.
The very first step in the process would be to hire a professional electrician to install the receptacle. Now this would not only be for the non-electrician, but also for an electrician lacking the experience of installing this type of circuit. The second step in the process would be to remove power from the panel you will be installing the wiring to, so we aren’t working in a hot panel. Once we have that done, we need to figure our WHERE the new receptacle will be placed so the two-gang box can be installed. If you are installing the receptacle in an existing house, you will most likely be installing an old work box (sometimes called a pop in box). To finish this portion of the installation, simply cut out the substrate to expose the void in the studs the size of the box you just marked, and you are ready to install the wiring!
For this installation, Dustin is using 8/3 NMC. So, it has 3 #8 conductors (2 hots and 1 neutral) along with a #10 bare copper ground. The cable will need to be fished down the wall to the box location. This will result in you having to go DOWN to the location where you cut the hole in the wall and reach inside the wall cavity to grab hold of the cable and pull it out of the hole. Once the cable is out, simply knock out one of the tabs in the box and pull the cable thru it and secure the box to the wall. Make sure you do not over tighten the screws on the wings so those little tabs don’t break off.
Once the box is installed and wire is in place, then carefully remove the outer insulation from the NMC with a sharp razor knife. Don’t put pressure on the cable with the knife, just let the blade score the insulation gently so it can be removed. Next, remove just enough insulation for each conductor to go into the port on the receptacle. Put those stripped conductors into their respective ports on the receptacle itself and then tighten them down (making sure you are not over or under tightening them). Carefully fold the conductors back into the box and secure the receptacle to the box making sure that the bare copper ground wire is NOT contacting any other exposed metal parts of the receptacle or the exposed wires.
The last couple of steps must be repeated (sort of!!) on the other end to get the cable into the panel. Once the wire is into the panel and the connector tightened, the wires simply need to be landed into their respective places. The black & red conductors will be put on the breaker and the white goes to the neutral bar while the ground to the ground bar. Put the panel cover back on and you are ready to reenergize the panel and test the receptacle! Never walk away from an installation without testing what you just installed!!

[mudlick]

While some may find this particular presentation to be somewhat dry, I find it a breath of fresh air compared to the overheated and hyperventilated approach of many youtube tutorials. Solid information delivered in an authoritative and easy to digest manner. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[JRPittman]

Just another tip for those with damp locations … a 50 amp RV receptacle is the same as the NEMA 14-50 and comes in a surface mount weather rated enclosure that allows the cover to be closed with the cord plugged in. The cover also prevents a child from sticking something into the open outlet when the cord is removed.

[teraxiel]

I think it should be noted that when installing these receptacles with NM-B cable (romex) on a 50 amp breaker you actually need to use #6 AWG wire. #8 AWG NM-B cable is only rated for 40 amps. The confusion on this comes from the rating of THHN wire, another common electrical wire. #8 AWG THHN is rated for 50 amps.

[spaghetti]

Thank you Dustin for reminding electricians to take a proper set of voltage readings with a meter. I work in tech support for high amp draw medical devices and it always blows my mind when someone has an equipment problem and I ask what the voltage is to it and I'm told " the electrician said it was good".
WTF is "good" on a meter? I NEED A NUMBER, DUDE! "Good" ain't no number I ever heard of.

[almfreak]

Quick tip to anyone installing a NEMA 14-50 receptacle for EV service equipment! Check the orientation of the ground pin on the plug of the device! Most of them are set up for the ground pin to be at the top, and the cable hangs downward, but occasionally there may be one with a ground pin at the bottom, so make sure you orient the receptacle to match the customer's device. NEMA 14-50 is also the same connection used if a customer has a travel trailer or motorhome with a 50A hookup that they want to keep plugged in at home (though most people will just use a NEMA 5-15 adapter if they only need to keep the batteries topped off).

also, quick tip for marker mistakes! If you leave a mark somewhere and need to erase it, rubbing alcohol or some QD contact cleaner will remove Sharpie. Just make sure to use a paper towel or something and be careful not to streak it all over the place. But seriously, it is easier to just use a pencil in the first place!

Great video! Thanks for sharing!

[williamcarvlin]

Very informative video. I do Own a Tesla Model3 and exclusively use the mobile charger that is included with the car. I use a 14-50 at work (free juice) and a 20 amp 120v at home just to maintain charge. I highly recommend a high quality 14-50 like a Hubbell. you will pay a good bit more but as in my case it is plugged and unplugged daily.A standard 14-50 is usually used for a range that is plugged in once or twice.Look forward to more videos.

[Thejwh]

So i do a lot of these, it’s kind becoming my niche. There are many different configurations and ways of going about doing this. One of the things that’s required in my neck of the woods by inspectors is a load calculation. If the load calc puts the main panel over that 80% mark with the charger figured in then a service upgrade is required. When installing EV chargers we have to show the load calc to pull permits (IF we have to pull permits). It sucks for the customer but can mean extra dough for the business. There are EVEMS (Electric Vehicle Energy Management Systems) products out there that limit the amount of current going to the charger by monitoring the mains then supplementing left over current to the charger. These are great but can be pricey and need to be approved by the local inspector before installing (again that’s IF it has to be inspected). We always do our best to give the most cost efficient and safe options to our customers…emphasis on safe! It’s not always safe to throw a 60 amp breaker in a panel just because you have the space.

[johnllewellyn]

I’ve been in the trade for over 46 years, and still working.
I love watching your videos and your the best out there.
Only one mistake so far, and it’s a crucial one.

Left Hand Rule for Electrical Devices.

[PrisonMike-_-]

14-50's are the bulk of my work here in California along with the tesla wall connectors. they've proven to be a very valuable skill

[aldindelgado]

Thanks! I Do remodeling, my brother inlaw and my nephew run Princeton University wiring with Armour & Sons and I have learning so much with you! That they trust my electric jobs, they are my inspectors!

[Motodad]

Great job. Putting the clamp is something simple, but I never thought of it. Thank you

[JohnThomas-lqqp]

Great vid. I retired too early. Heard of a contractor charging $7, 500 for a NEMA 14-50 50 amp EV Charger receptacle. Took him & a helper only a day to run a little over 100' of 1" conduit.

[brewbuildsit]

There is so much value here for everyone. For my situation, I want to be very educated about what I’m paying my electrician for. Both for my sake so I don’t over pay, but also so I’m informed about what it’s “costing” them to do the work, both in effort, time and materials. These upgrades are crazy expensive, so being fully informed is the least I can do to be sure I’m investing properly.

[gocybertruck]

Great information. I usually test these as well:
Left hot to right hot = 240V
From each hot to ground = 123V
From each hot to neutral = 123V
From neutral to ground = 0V

[grayzerelectric]

We only do hardwired charging stations (nearly 750 last year) due to that GFCI requirement on receptacles.
In reading the installation manuals for nearly all charging stations, they will state to not install them on GFCI-protected circuits as they do have built-in GFCI protection.
Per that 2020 code, receptacles will need to be GFCI protected in a garage or outside where we always install them for charging station applications.
Since all GFCI devices run a self-test cycle, the breaker will pick up when the charging station runs it's self-test cycle and thus cause that nuisance tripping.
If you hardwire a charging station, you don't need a GFCI breaker because the charging station can't be unplugged from a receptacle and leave a non-GFCI protected receptacle in an area where one is required.
Since the charging station has it's own built-in GFCI protection, all codes are met and installations will be within code.
Also, no charging station needs a neutral, so the 14-50 is really not necessary with that neutral wire.
When we did do receptacles, we always suggested a 6-50 to save on wire costs and it seems to be a little more versatile in a garage for other uses like welders and kilns.
One other thing to note is that Telsa will stop sending their cars with the mobile connector (on orders after 4/28/2022) which would be the type of charging station that would plug into a receptacle due to lack of compatibility with current code installations.
It used to be that if you did a 14-50 or 6-50, you could potentially save on installation costs but now that you would have to buy the mobile connector and install GFCI protection, there is no cost savings between a mobile connector installation with a receptacle vs. the hardwired wall connector.
Love to have further discussions about this as I know I'm not the best at speaking in non-electrical language.

[donnisdavis]

thank you plain straight installation, no hype or BS ... have a wonderful evening !

[jonesgang]

Only thing I would have done different is mount the double gang box onto a stud. It is a little more work but much more secure, especially for a receptacle that will get a lot of usage. For a dryer or stove a cut-in box is more than enough due to the amount of usage. But if they are going to plug in and unplug on a regular basis that is going to be a lot of work for that cut-in box to handle over the long haul and will eventually loosen up. I have had the fun of installing a few of these, and you are spot on with the video. But Tesla's are a different animal and it all depends on the charger you get. But they max out at 60A can go all the way down to a 15A supply. Don't recall the Gen 2 or first Gen specs. But the Gen 3 is a lot easier to work with.

[patrickgatons]

I recently did my continuing education to keep my masters license on ev charger circuits.
The instructor cautioned that the 50 amp range outlets are the source of many fires.
They aren't manufactured for continuous duty at 43 amps and melt down. Havent seen it in person yet, but incourage direct wire installations just in case.

[coffeeisgood]

Good explanation on wire and breaker size. I installed a Nema 5 using 12 gauge wire to charge my Leaf which draws 16 amps (I used a 20 A breaker). The wiring passed the mandatory inspection but I still had a fire at the outlet. No cause could be found despite speaking with the electrical inspector, other electricians and Leviton, the maker of the Nema 5. I then pulled out the 12 gauge wire and replaced it with 10 gauge, and replaced the 20 A Nema 5 with another identical one. Had another fire. I then rewired the 10 gauge to a 30 A double pole breaker and installed a Nema 6 (my charger accepts 240 or 120 V). I monitored this closely and realized I was about to have another fire. Pulled the plug before the bad stuff started. I brainstormed and after much research figured out the problem. Because an electric car gobbles enormous chunks of currant for hours on end there is a heat build up that does not normally occur with appliances that are only running for a few minutes, then shut off. To make matters worse the heat had nowhere to go as this is an outdoor receptacle and the bubble cover traps the heat. My solution was to rip off the bubble cover. The heat problem has now been solved and there are no more fires. But I like the Nema 14-50 you are using. It has larger contacts which will absorb and release the heat more easily than my puny Nema 6. Next time I wire for an electric car I will I will install that instead.

[AngelMedina-txdm]

Hey, hope everything is well. Just want to say I really really enjoyed your videos. I've learned so much from watching your videos. Thank you. Very helpful.