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Another new Niro PHEV owner

8K views 28 replies 10 participants last post by  lafe005 
#1 ·
Hello,


Just picked up a new Niro PHEV yesterday. The battery was empty, which is what I was expecting. But still disappointed in the dealership. Charged it up last night with the level 1 charger. Just ordered a 32A level 2 charger, but won't get it for a few days. House is a new build with a 240V, 40A circuit in the garage. Wish I had the plug installed closer to the garage auto door though for charging outside of the garage.


Today was my first drive with a charged battery. Drove 22 km's to work and only used 31% of the battery! Very happy with that, I'll be able to drive to work and home and still have some juice left over. Although I was taking it easy this morning.
 
#3 ·
Welcome!

My dealer has an EVSE installed, so we left it plugged in the entire time we were negotiating and completing the paperwork, so it was fully charged by the time I left.

You don't really need a 32 amp EVSE, the car only has a 16 amp charger. But if/when you decide to step up to a BEV you'll have a unit that will work faster with it. :)
 
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#4 ·
Why would I leave the car in the garage? That's where I keep my toys. :) And workshop. Although I do re-organize the garage so we can fit our 2 cars in the garage for winter.


I though the max charge rate for the Niro was 7.6 KWH or something like that. What is the charge rate of the Niro?
 
#7 ·
A 240v 16a L2 cord / plug will charge ~10miles /hr or 100 miles in 10 hrs overnight.

I expect 100 miles is more than most peoples daily commute. What's not used daily will accumulate for that 200 mile weekend trip.

Am I missing something?
 
#9 ·
I ended up cancelling my 32A EV charger, and getting a 16A charger that has a 40' cable. When I had our 240V outlet installed 2 years ago I thought it would be a good idea to have it near the front of the garage, mistake. Wish I had it at the back, by the auto door. But the 40' cable will give me more than enough length so I can park my car in the driveway.

I don't know how long the charger cable should last, but I figure when I get a new car in 5 years time, if I need a new cable or the new car charges at a higher rate I will put a new outlet in then and get a new cable as well.
 
#10 ·
@charlesH
I have the PHEV, so the car will only hold a charge good for 26 miles / 42 Km's. My thought is on weeknights, or weekends where I am in the car 2 or 3 times a day I can top up the battery in 1-2 hours and have full charge to maximize EV driving. My electricity is pretty cheap, so the more I use EV the more I save $.

@atc98092
Correct, good thing I'm not an electrician. Although some times I like to play one.
 
#11 ·
@charlesH
I have the PHEV, so the car will only hold a charge good for 26 miles / 42 Km's. My thought is on weeknights, or weekends where I am in the car 2 or 3 times a day I can top up the battery in 1-2 hours and have full charge to maximize EV driving. My electricity is pretty cheap, so the more I use EV the more I save $.
That's close to the way I use mine. On the days I telework, or weekends, it is plugged in as often as possible. Unless I have a longer trip to make, I seldom use any gas on those days. The days I go to the office I am just outside of my EV range, and I have no way to charge while there.

But I will say that with summer days like now I've seen 34 EV miles from mine, and that was with the A/C running and the seat ventilation on. So unless you have a lot of hills to climb (like I do on my commute), you can beat the 26 mile EPA range (24 with A/C on).
 
#13 ·
Yeah, I wasn't counting the Volt but probably should have. The BMW I wasn't aware, but of course it's not really a PHEV. The REx does nothing to move the car, it only charges the battery.

It seems the overall battery size seems to dictate the charger capacity. Anything with less that around 16 kW batteries have 3.7 kWh or smaller chargers. Cross that size and you get 6.5 kWh or greater. I agree that a 3.6 kWh charger is insufficient for a BEV that is driven extensively, but if I upgraded today to a BEV I wouldn't be in a big hurry to get a new EVSE. Even at 3.6 kWh, I would get more that 50-60 miles overnight easily, which is more than enough for my typical driving. But yes, I would eventually get at least a 40 amp charger. Plus don't forget, there a significant price difference between a 16 amp charger and even a 32 amp. I paid less than $200 for mine (around $165 if I remember correctly), while a 40 amp unit would be about triple (or more). So I can see only getting what you need for now.
 
#14 ·
Plus don't forget, there a significant price difference between a 16 amp charger and even a 32 amp. I paid less than $200 for mine (around $165 if I remember correctly), while a 40 amp unit would be about triple (or more). So I can see only getting what you need for now.
The price differential is not quite that bad. For example, the ClipperCreek 32 amp EVSE is only $186 more than the 16 amp EVSE which is only a 32% increase in price to double your charge speeds if you get a BEV later that can accept the full 32 amp charge. Personally, I'd rather pay the slight premium for the 32 amp versus buying the 16 amp now and later trying to sell it in order to buy the 32 amp. You're buying two chargers at that point rather than just buying one now that will accommodate your future charging needs.
 
#16 ·
My pricing scenario is different. I picked out a 30' 32A charger for $550, but cancelled that order and ordered a 40' 16A charger instead for $400. The 32A charger would have required me to switch parking spots with my wife because of it's shorter length and plug location. Wife didn't like that idea. I could have install a new plug, but that's a lot more money. Something to think about down the road.


I'll use the 40' 16A cable and call it a day. Plus I don't expect these cables to last forever. Well I'm sure the cable part will last a long time, it's the smarts and other electronics inside of it I expect to die.
 
#24 ·
I had to take a few minutes this morning to clear the ice build up around the electrical plug to the car. The charging door wouldn't close otherwise. Do they sell any sort of boot to go over the plug?

I'll be making room in my garage shortly to put the car in there for the winter, but I'll probably charge the car at a public charger once a week. And would like to avoid this hassle, especially if we get freezing rain.

I found the cover below. Has anyone used it, can you speak to it's usefulness? It's the only generic one I found in my quick search.

https://www.amazon.ca/Ecosolaris-Ec...ction&qid=1573152980&s=automotive&sr=1-2&th=1
 
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