[jeffpepper]

Hi, I just bought a 2018 PHEV Clarity. I park it in the driveway, and want to install at 240v Level 2 charger outdoors, near where I park the car. The owner's manual says the charger should be in a weatherproof enclosure, but didn't give any practical guidance about what it should look like. Anyone have any suggestions/pictures for a solution? Thanks.

 

[nymphaeles]

I looked into this a while ago when I was searching for my EVSE to buy. I ended up buying a Juicebox Pro 40. These are links for you to look at while considering your options.

Juicebox outdoor

https://emotorwerks.com/store/accessories/rainproof-outdoor-outlet-for-juicebox
Juicebox "EVSE Ice Bucket Challenge"

ClipperCreek
https://www.clippercreek.com/ev-charging-indoor-vs-outdoor-weather-concerns/

Siemens VersiCharge

 

[tom]

I also bought and installed the Siemens VersiCharge outdoors at my office with no rain cover. I have used it in heavy rain and did not have a problem. But I have yet to experience a hard rain with wind blowing the rain into the charge port of the car. I would be a little nervous of that. Regardless of how waterproof the charging station is, a different question is how waterproof the charging port of the car is.

 

[jeffpepper]

Thanks for the suggestions. I ended up getting these 3 things:

- a 32 amp charger: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071K874MG/
- a 240v outlet outdoors mounted on the house. Contractor calls it a 4x4 exterior box, 14-50R receptacle with 2 gang bubble cover
- a 100a breakered disconnect, which is a large silver breaker box, nearby the outlet. Big ugly thing but required by code

It works fine, but unfortunately the bubble cover on the outlet only had a small hole for the charger cord, and the charger cord that I bought had a big fat plug on the end that was too big for the hole. So we cut out a larger hole in the bubble cover, and that seems to work ok. I keep the charger plugged in all the time, even in rain, and had no problems so far. I really like the fast charging that I get with the 240v, it's around 4 hours to charge instead of 10-12 hours with 120v.

Jeff

 

[ridermania]

so the Clarity comes only with level 1 charging cable? makes little sense as it takes too long to charge...

 

[Cruiter]

The Clarity charging cord that comes with the car is for 110 volts only. When/if you purchase a Level II charger (240 V), it will have it's own cord attached. You will need a contractor to install it in most cities as a permit obtained by the contractor will be required. My insurance company said if I put it in myself (I'm not a licensed electrician) and there was an incident such as a fire, I would not be covered. I purchased my 'Webasto' charger from Home Depot and got estimates for installation. I found an electrician who found a 240v switch in my box I wasn't using anymore (was for an electric cooktop replaced by gas) and was able to put a new breaker in it and run a line from there to a new wall plug for the Level II charger. The labor was just over $300 including the permit so I'm all good now and charging from very low to full in about 2 hours. Insurance company (USAA) and myself are happy now knowing everything is installed correctly. They have a copy of the permit as well as the one now posted on my garage wall next to the charger.

But no car company can furnish the 240v cable as it comes attached to the charger which has safety hardware in it to perform an immediate shutdown if something goes south. I did use the 110v cable that came with the car for a couple of months. It just takes more time. It comes down to a personal 'owner' decision as to which path to take. Both work well.

so the Clarity comes only with level 1 charging cable? makes little sense as it takes too long to charge...