Moving and losing my home charger (ARGH) - questions on an exterior charger for work

[bluegrassvroom]

(ok - i tried searching for similar posts - SURELY this has been covered, but i didn't find it - )

moving - temporarily going to a condo complex while we look for something permanent. I charge 100% at the house now. The parking deck at the condo really has no charging options (20+ year old american building)

Here's my question - I have a business - where i can install a charger - but it'll be outside where people can eff with it, they can charge their car, it'll you know - get wet, etc

I can run a 240v (or of course a 120) to that wall. i can run it to the inside of the wall, i can run it to the outside of the wall. But what do i do next - what chargers are good for use outside - how do you prevent people from stealing them, how do you make sure no one else will use it? Or heck - do i install one i CAN have customers pay to use? i'm all about making money. I get there early enough i don't have to worry about the general public using it

am i thinking wrong? Is my world of an outlet with a charger plugged into it over? do i need to run conduit to a pole/mobile stand and buy a ridiculously expensive commercial grade charger? Or do i just put an external 240v in a weatherproof box and pull my small residential quality charger out when i need it, and take it inside when i don't?

i will NOT do more than 240v. level 2 is all i care to do.

Is the Porsche charger ok outside? Is a cheapie Wallbox ok outside? ARRGGHHH my world has come to an end

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[WalterG]

I installed a clipper creek outside in a costal area in the Boston area in 2020 and it’s been rock solid. It’s under an overhang so has some protection but it’s been great in a difficult environment. Nothing fancy - no internet connection or app - just turns on when plugged into the car. Clipper creek was acquired by Enphase so I don’t know how that’s affected the clipper creek series. And they are expensive.
With the link. https://enphase.com/store/ev-chargers/ev-chargers-business/hcs-60-ev-charger

 

[Tooney]

Install a NEMA 14-50R 220v receptacle outside and charge with a portable EVSE like the J+ booster 2. When it is not in use, portable EVSE can be stored in the car or inside your building.
EVSE is reviewed by Tom Moloughney, state of charge YouTube channel.

 

[CaliPorsche]

I am out of the loop now so this may be out if date …. But both ChargePoint and wallbox had L2 EvSE units where you can set pins to require a confirmation on their app to start the charge process. You should research those brands.

 

[W1NGE]

(ok - i tried searching for similar posts - SURELY this has been covered, but i didn't find it - )

moving - temporarily going to a condo complex while we look for something permanent. I charge 100% at the house now. The parking deck at the condo really has no charging options (20+ year old american building)

Here's my question - I have a business - where i can install a charger - but it'll be outside where people can eff with it, they can charge their car, it'll you know - get wet, etc

I can run a 240v (or of course a 120) to that wall. i can run it to the inside of the wall, i can run it to the outside of the wall. But what do i do next - what chargers are good for use outside - how do you prevent people from stealing them, how do you make sure no one else will use it? Or heck - do i install one i CAN have customers pay to use? i'm all about making money. I get there early enough i don't have to worry about the general public using it

am i thinking wrong? Is my world of an outlet with a charger plugged into it over? do i need to run conduit to a pole/mobile stand and buy a ridiculously expensive commercial grade charger? Or do i just put an external 240v in a weatherproof box and pull my small residential quality charger out when i need it, and take it inside when i don't?

i will NOT do more than 240v. level 2 is all i care to do.

Is the Porsche charger ok outside? Is a cheapie Wallbox ok outside? ARRGGHHH my world has come to an end

Check the IP rating of any EVSE for outside use.

From memory the Porsche units are IP54 which makes them ok for outside.

My neighbour has his PMCC outside with no protection for over 3 years.

I keep my PMCC inside in the Porsche Dock.

 

[Horizontally Opposed]

I have a ChargePoint installed on the outside wall of my summer house. Weather has never caused a problem. And I have used it in a pouring rain storm!

 

[Flying ace]

Note all consumer-based EVSEs will not allow you to perform separate billing. They're mostly designed to be used by solely the owner. If you're going to use a consumer unit, you'll need a mounting solution if it's not on a wall, there are pedestals out there for mounting. https://a.co/d/7bezxab

However, you're saying that you control the mounting solution and the billing related to the condo/commercial location (you own this condo building?)

I'm friends with a local condo owner (100 units) who is on his HOA board and have gone through with installing a shared EVSE.

Typically if you want to separately meter and bill, and have it self managing after install, you'll need a commercial unit, the most popular is a Chargepoint commerical unit with built in pedestal: https://www.chargepoint.com/busines...iIPqPE6a40mFP182clUv3sp155IdoR-HY4ssWhwsv6ssv

These units are about $8k, but Chargepoint provides no-code management and will troubleshoot software issues.

 

[Jonathan S.]

I've been charging recently at a ski resort (closed for the season) with a newly installed (since last spring) bank of Tesla Destination Chargers, which appear to be identical to my own Tesla Universal Wall Connector. If they can survive a winter there, speaks well to their outdoor durability!

Charging for non-Tesla EVs is initiated either by scanning the QR code (which somehow never works for me) or enter the last four digits of the units serial number (which always works for me).
But upon visiting the Tesla website, such a commercial setup requires a minimum of six units, whoops.
And restricting it to just certain vehicle is only for Teslas, double whoops.

But how about install that unit (or any other of your choosing) and just have a conveniently located on/off switch inside your business for that new 240v line?
(Or if the panel is conveniently located, just flip the breaker?)

 

[daveo4EV]

there are also chargers that can be locked down with a PIN - or you can hard

(ok - i tried searching for similar posts - SURELY this has been covered, but i didn't find it - )

moving - temporarily going to a condo complex while we look for something permanent. I charge 100% at the house now. The parking deck at the condo really has no charging options (20+ year old american building)

Here's my question - I have a business - where i can install a charger - but it'll be outside where people can eff with it, they can charge their car, it'll you know - get wet, etc

I can run a 240v (or of course a 120) to that wall. i can run it to the inside of the wall, i can run it to the outside of the wall. But what do i do next - what chargers are good for use outside - how do you prevent people from stealing them, how do you make sure no one else will use it? Or heck - do i install one i CAN have customers pay to use? i'm all about making money. I get there early enough i don't have to worry about the general public using it

am i thinking wrong? Is my world of an outlet with a charger plugged into it over? do i need to run conduit to a pole/mobile stand and buy a ridiculously expensive commercial grade charger? Or do i just put an external 240v in a weatherproof box and pull my small residential quality charger out when i need it, and take it inside when i don't?

i will NOT do more than 240v. level 2 is all i care to do.

Is the Porsche charger ok outside? Is a cheapie Wallbox ok outside? ARRGGHHH my world has come to an end

properly installed most Wall Mounted EVSE's can handle outdoor use no problem. Excellent choices are as follows (not a complete list):

• Tesla Universal Wall Charger
• Porsche Wall Charger
• ChargePoint Flex
• Enphase/ClipperCreek
• Autel
• Emphoria
• Wallbox
• others…

 

[bluegrassvroom]

Typically if you want to separately meter and bill, and have it self managing after install, you'll need a commercial unit, the most popular is a Chargepoint commerical unit with built in pedestal: https://www.chargepoint.com/busines...iIPqPE6a40mFP182clUv3sp155IdoR-HY4ssWhwsv6ssv

These units are about $8k, but Chargepoint provides no-code management and will troubleshoot software issues.

crapola - thanks. This is kind of what i was looking for. just not at $8k.

i want to have a pay-as-you-charge level 2 charger outside my business for customers, that i can also use free.

Seen a lot of other good answers here - some simple like - install a switch or flip the breaker when i'm not using it (duh) - obvious but i didn't think of it. I'm also glad that many 'normal' chargers can just be mounted outside.

so it comes down to (i think) - do i want to spend SEVERAL thousand more to make a few bucks, or just do something that benefits me.

i guess in my head (scary place) there might have been a $1500 solution that allows me to easily charge others to use the charger

 

[f1eng]

I have an Andersen charge box which is weather proof has an app that meters each use and can it be switched off and locked remotely from its app.

It was the Porsche UK recommendation when I installed it soon after I ordered (but a year before delivery) of my Taycan. I have used it to charge loads of cars too.

The only way you could get paid use would be checking the usage in the app and invoicing though, there is no built in way to charge a credit card, for example.

 

[Flying ace]

crapola - thanks. This is kind of what i was looking for. just not at $8k.

i want to have a pay-as-you-charge level 2 charger outside my business for customers, that i can also use free.

Seen a lot of other good answers here - some simple like - install a switch or flip the breaker when i'm not using it (duh) - obvious but i didn't think of it. I'm also glad that many 'normal' chargers can just be mounted outside.

so it comes down to (i think) - do i want to spend SEVERAL thousand more to make a few bucks, or just do something that benefits me.

i guess in my head (scary place) there might have been a $1500 solution that allows me to easily charge others to use the charger

Hard to say, you probably know usage better then anyone here. I would compute this as a long-term return and see if it pencils out.

 

[CaliPorsche]

I was chair of a condo HOA a few years ago that had an underground parking lot.

We wanted/needed L2 chargers but could not run separate metered supply, and the owners without EVs would not approve a ‘free” charge as you would imagine.

The solution we installed was cheap and super effective.

The wallbox pulsar plus is rated for outdoor use and allowed the use of a third party app to initiate a charge and bill to a payment method set up in the app by the user (there are a few available cannot find the name of the one we used but will update if I find it).

there is a small fee for the app, you as administrator need to establish charge rate per kWh etc.

this was back in 2021 or so and there may be better solutions now ….. but this worked very well.

 

[bluegrassvroom]

I was chair of a condo HOA a few years ago that had an underground parking lot.

We wanted/needed L2 chargers but could not run separate metered supply, and the owners without EVs would not approve a ‘free” charge as you would imagine.

The solution we installed was cheap and super effective.

The wallbox pulsar plus is rated for outdoor use and allowed the use of a third party app to initiate a charge and bill to a payment method set up in the app by the user (there are a few available cannot find the name of the one we used but will update if I find it).

there is a small fee for the app, you as administrator need to establish charge rate per kWh etc.

this was back in 2021 or so and there may be better solutions now ….. but this worked very well.

perfect, thansk - sound slike EVMatch - literally just got of fthe phone with them

works on wallboxes and 2 other brands that make a little more substantial chargers i think one $1300 and one $1600

i was hoping for a solution like this - "just" $1500 more than installing my piddly home charger at work - with a benefit of allowing others to charge if i want..

thanks for the info

 

[CaliPorsche]

perfect, thansk - sound slike EVMatch - literally just got of fthe phone with them

works on wallboxes and 2 other brands that make a little more substantial chargers i think one $1300 and one $1600

i was hoping for a solution like this - "just" $1500 more than installing my piddly home charger at work - with a benefit of allowing others to charge if i want..

thanks for the info

$499 on Amazon - these are outdoor rated

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