2016 - 2018 Chevy Volt Hidden Level 2 Charger 120/240 Charging!
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- Опубліковано 18 лис 2024
- With a simple external modification, one can turn the stock 2106 - 2018 Chevy Volt EVSE Level 1 Charger into a 240 volt high speed Level 2 Charger!
More information at:
gm-volt.com/for...!
Photos:
imgur.com/a/vFkP5
Credit to user Chris TX at gm-volt.com forum for this find.
WARNING!!!!
BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY MODIFICATION OF THE 2016 CHEVY VOLT STOCK EVSE (CAR CHARGER/POWER SUPPLY) ONE SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER BOTH THE RISKS AND BENEFITS FOR MODIFYING ANY SUCH EQUIPMENT.
I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR CAR OR PROPERTY, VOID WARRANTIES, PERSONAL INJURY, OR LOSS OF LIFE.
© 2016 by vtmaestro. All rights reserved.
Do not use any part of this video without my written permission.
PLEASE NOTE:
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I just did it. I installed a 240 volts, 20 amps outlet in my garage, connected to 2 phase 20 amps circuit breaker. Then I made the adapter 240v to 120 outlet in the same way as described in this video. It's working right now. The OnStar report on my cell shows it as connected to a charging station. The full charge is predicted to take only 5:45 hours as opposed to some 14:30 hours. I confirm that the cable is slightly warm but it's really nothing to worry about. Note that I was an electrician for 10 years in a past life. So, I knew what I was doing.
A huge thank you to Green Mountain DIY Guy for sharing this information. You essentially saved me $400.
Glad to help and congrats on the modification!
A 14-year electrician asking a 10-year electrician in a past life what exactly is a two phase breaker? I only know of single phase and three phase services and one, two, and three pole breakers.
@@stevebalun9554 Hello Steve,
Most houses in USA have 2 "hot" lines, which I call a "phase", and the neutral. The voltage is 120 V between each phase and neutral, and 240 V between 2 phases. The circuit breaker then is a 2 poles which connect to the 2 phases.
@@sergeansay8612 everything you said is correct but that system is called a single phase 240 electrical system. Majority of homes in the US have single phase 240 volt homes. Industrial and commercial buildings, and some large estates have a three-phase 208 system.
@@stevebalun9554 That makes sense, because I remember looking at a diagram showing how these 2 "hot" lines are created at the transformer with only one of the 3 phases. I think they just connect the middle of the secondary to the neutral and both end of the secondary are the "hot". Anyway, it seems that you know exactly what I was talking about. Thanks for the clarification.
I've been using this set-up for three years, and it works great.
Last week I finally connected a 10 gauge cable from a 30A, 240v breaker to a new 15A, 120v single outlet. Using the existing EVSE my 2017 Chevy Volt now charges in 5 hrs instead of 12 hrs. Thanks for your video.
Thanks! Glad hear and congrats on getting it going!
Are you able to walk me thru doing this with a NEMA 14-50 outlet?
That's fucking idiotic
You should use a 2 pole 15 amp breaker, 30 amps is too much and will cause a fire if there were ever a short. The charger only draws 12 amps. Also should use a nema 6-15 outlet to prevent someone from plugging 120 equipment into it.
@@monteclark1115 I use 30A breaker to charge my Tesla with a NEMA 10-30 outlet and adapter at 22mph of charge. When I charge the Volt, I just plug in the fake 120v outlet dongle into the NEMA outlet instead. I got a Model 3 two years later, but I still drive the Volt more often. I like both cars very much.
Used for 7 months. Like this video.
Good use. No abnormality. The most important point is that there must be "ground".
Another way to be safe would be to have a 120v duplex with both jacks of opposite phase and then fabricating a 'Y' dongle using 120v plugs and one in-line jack. Everything is still unmodified and usable in 120v except for the 'Y' adapter that can supply 240v when needed.
Some RV Stores might have this adapter for the less adventurous. Just make sure that it is rated for at least 12 amps of current draw.
FYI - check the voltage and amp ratings on those adapters as they often assume a 125V 15AMP rating due to the 15AMP end.
Awesome video. Did the similar setup for my 2016 FIAT 500e. I played safe and used 10 gauge wire instead of 12. Made my own NEMA 14-50P to NEMA 5-20R adapter. All completed today and my FIAT is charging away with 240V using the original stage 1 charger.
Thats great news! Can you please explain how to wired this? Your adapter is the one I need. How did you connect a 4wire plug and attach it to a 5-20R female side?
To be on the safe side, I would cut the 120 plug off the charger and replace with 240 volt male plug. Then make an adapter for plugging the charger into 120 volt if that were ever necessary. That way it would be idiot proof and not have to worry about wife or kids using the adapter to accidentally plug in 120 volt appliances into 240 volts.
True, but the stock plug has a thermal sensor that provides some protection. I find that to be a nice feature.
Honestly could use bright red thermal removing tape, wrap connections together, and in big sharpie letters, write "danger, do not remove". That might/ should be idiot proof.
Cord is large enough to handle 240 current - noup - 240 voltage. CUrrent is still the 12A like before.
And cord doesn't care about voltage.
Yes, 12 amps on each leg with 240v as opposed to just 12 amps on one leg of 120v. So double the amperage. The wire going from the charger to the car is causing resistance (heat) because it's not sized to handle double the output. Totally worth it though!
@@jamesworth4576 I understood what you tried to explain, but the current stays the same with this converter. But at 240V, you will be doubling the power not the current. On a 120V the current also returns thru the other wire ( neutral).
@@TheTaino84 I just made a comment earlier, before reading your post, that questioned what was happening on that neutral leg. So how does the control box or what ever it's called, with the green and yellow indicator lights, handle the second 110 hot leg that is flowing on the neutral prong into the previously neutral/ return contact within the box? A woman posted earlier in this thread, like four years ago earlier, that there would be a switch on that pole within the control box...? Someone else posted that the European (220v) chargers are "the same" as the U.S. ones. I am trying to remember now if I've always used my same U.S. cell phone charger when I am in Thailand just with a plug configuration adapter. That box just handles both 110 and 220 ?
Worked great for me thanks a bunch I am now charging in 5hr vs 16hr regularly.. I am using my Ac 240 outlet to charge... I love my volt ⚡
Thanks for sharing
Australia with 240 volt standard means all Holden Volts charge on 240 volts. Not sure if they are limited to 8 amps however...
I believe the limit was 12 amp at 240 with the modification. I no longer have the vehicle or power supply. Thanks for watching.
The wire gauge and how much it will heat up depends on current, not the voltage, the drop will be the same for the same current. Since the current at 120v is also 12-13 amps, there will be a warming at 120v the same as 240v. In other words, I wouldn't worry about that since the cable is designed to handle the 12+ amps that the charger pulls.
You can also reduce the current in the Bolt interface, limiting it to 8 amps if you are concerned about the load. You would still be presenting a faster charge, about 30% more power than 120v @12A.
You could get a 120/240 adapter as well right? That way you could use the same cable for 120 or 240??
This is a great idea, but before people do it they should check with their utility to see if they offer some kind of rebate program for level 2 chargers. I found out that mine offers a $500 rebate, as long as you buy from their list of approved chargers. The great thing is that they give you $500 regardless of how much the charger costs, so you can use the extra to offset some of the other expenses, such as installing the 240V outlet.
That's a great deal for a rebate! Make a $40 adapter for your stock EVSE, turn it into a $500 rebate...
Awesome video thanks, do you by any chance know where the fuse for " under the hood remote battery terminal " is ? I blew it today by trying to give a jump to another car, now reads 0 volts. Thanks
A 30 amp plug is usually supplied by a 30 amp breaker which needs #10 wire to run cool. If it is a dedicated outlet i would suggest installing it on a 15 amp 2 pole breaker (instead of the 30) to protect the conductors from overheating and to comply with the National Electrical Code. Ill assume the extension cord is #14 which should be rated for 15 amps. 15 amps x 80% is 12 so technically your good as long as it is dedicated to just this receptacle.
The Volt charger will never pull more than 12amps. That's all it's rated for.
This is great video, worth 1,000+ of words trying to explain this to my friend, instead, I can just show him the video :)
no modifications are necessary just hook 230 volts to a 110 volt wall outlet. Take the power leads going to your central AC unit and attach them to a receptacle. You could replace the plug on the charging unit or make an adaptor and use a 220 volt receptacle if you wanted to prevent someone from plugging in some other 110 volt plug into your 220 volt receptacle.
Or.... can't you just buy an adapter and plug the NEMA 5-15 into it?
Your video is well made. You are articulate and it's easy to understand and follow your instructions. Unfortunately, I am a coward when it comes to working on electrical 'stuff'; and when I hear 220V or 240V my fear meter goes off the charts. I have an electrician friend who will likely do it for me. You mentioned that the OEM cord (from the charger to the car) got 'warm' when you were charging at 220V and drawing almost 25 amps through it and you said you'd have to keep an eye on it. What happened with the OEM cord? Did it 'just' get 'warm' and not suffer any damage or change to it's structure? Would that OEM cord survive hundreds and maybe thousands (365 per year) of charge cycles without catching on fire or burning out? Did you have to replace the original cord with a thicker gauge wire? Is it possible and safer to find a way to replace that original cord with a thicker gauge cord which is able to carry the higher voltage and amperage? Please let me know. Thanks.
I too would like to know the results of this concern. Is the charge cord sufficient gauge to operate at 240V 12A?
Hello, I have some detailed questions: When should we add oil to the engine? For example, I added oil 1 year ago and it still shows 90%, should I change the oil in this case? , also, when is it better to charge the battery, should it sit until the end and then charge? If, for example, the battery shows 50%, 60% or something else, then can it be charged? Which is better for battery care? And another question, how many amperes is better to charge the car?
Owners manual specifies oil changes when the OLM (oil life monitor shown on your dash) tells you to change it or every 2 years, whichever comes first.
The Chevy Volt has artificially restricted battery capacity (both max charge and minimum charge) to prolong the battery lifespan, other EVs dont baby the battery as much so as long as you're not leaving it empty or full for months on hand it should be fine, use it as its best convenient for you.
similar answer for the best amperage, the onboard charger, the only charger the battery takes current from since EVSE's only provide the onboard charger with power, maxes out around 3.6kw, which is fine for battery health. DC fast charging is whats hardest on EV batteries and the Volt doesnt support that.
I wonder if both 240 hot lines are switched inside the charge unit. I hope so, because if the 120 v. design didn't switch the neutral you'll have one lead always hot out at the plug (even if it's not plugged into the car.) I modified a 2013 "charger" but it required disassembly to route both power leads through the double-pole contactor. A DIY was on YT somewhere for the earlier ones.. May still be.
That's an insane coil whine.
Can I replace my dryer L630 receptacle or whatever it is called with a standard 110 volt receptacle and plug in my Volt charger into this 110 volt (now 220 volt) receptacle?
probably works because they sold the same charger when selling the Volt in Europe and Australia which both use 240V instead of 110V for household supply.
I think you are correct.
Link to adapter used? Thanks
I have a dedicated watt meter on my setup and it shows a varying 12.3-12.7A upon charging. Been using this setup since may 2016. It's awesome.When you look in the car energy panels or even the OnStar or myChevrolet Apps, it will display charging at 240 and the time-to-completion.
mglmouser - After one year, how's it working now? Any updates for us?
How is the switch wired? Can you provide a wiring diagram? Using a spare 14-30 outlet but would like to add a switch. Thanks!
I tried this and it did not wor,pluged it in got a popping noise and the red light stayed on
my charger just got the red light of death staying solid red won't change
Yeah I had the haloed “Siemens” and it crapped out anyway. I’d think it should be reparable but these days they say “buy a new one”. It made it just past the expiration of the warranty. Quality!
@@tennnis498 update i pluged it in at another house works great
Again I am asking this question, hopefully someone can answer it :Can I replace my dryer L630 receptacle or whatever it is called with a standard 110 volt receptacle and plug in my Volt charger into this 110 volt (now 220 volt) receptacle?
Technically yes...but if someone where to accidentally plug a 110/120 device into it it will damage the device and could cause a fire. That is a problem in countries like the Philippines that use the American style Type B plug for both 120v and 240v devices.
Good answer, Nat Shain should acknowledge your response.
Late response and long response here but I feel I should add the fact that.. since you are considering using a 110 outlet for 220... that the internal components of outlets are designed to handle the voltage they are configured for and in the U.S. with many cheaper 110 outlets sold in big box stores there are failures even when transmitting 110 15amp current. These failures and overheating occur with cheap switches also..especially with cheap dimmer switches. I am not a licensed electrician but I was taught in the 1970s by a master electrician and I have worked with residential and commercial wiring for many years doing remodeling. I would recommend at a minimum using a good quality 220 outlet and good quality self wiring plug and socket ends (the ones with ribbed screw down contact plates for the stripped wire ends)(the ones shown in the image do look like they are good quality ) on the pigtail/adapter wire. The "savings" / "simplicity" in using a 110 outlet hardly seems worth it. The point made earlier in this thread by the woman (can't remember her name) about how 110 and 220 are carried on the 110-black hot and white neutral... 220- black hot..red hot..and white neutral leaves open the question of how and or if the neutral 110 leg is switched for 220 within the control (?control?) box that has the green and yellow indicator lights. Apparently it is switched because it is charging for you at 220 without problems but I don't really understand how the neutral flat plug now carries the red 220 hot once it is in the control box since it was the neutral leg in 110. I'm not doubting it's working fine for everyone but it strikes me as an odd/weak transmission point within that control box and also the cord on the charger that came with my 2017 is not short- 22 feet long- and it is stamped as only 3 conductor 16awg. Does anyone reading this have a factory manufactured 220 charger who could post what the gauge and length of the wire is 🤔 ? Hope this post isn't confusing and I don't mean to doubt that the configuration you've made works.
That it’s totally correct. I been using them for years
Awesome. Was just about to purchase TurboCord Dual, having learned the OEM charger can work also in 240V save a lot of money. Thanks for the very informative video. 12 AWG wires in the charger cables should work with 12 Amps, did you measure the current in different stages of the charging? (Start, after 1 Hr, 2Hr, 3Hr etc..) just to make sure it never goes over 12 Amps?
I only check the current as seen in the video. Has work flawlessly for 6 months!
Those wires are rated to 20 A they should be good to 18 A continuous
Will this work with my 2015 Chevy Volt?
What's the time-to-charge from zero to full with this modification? At 12 amps on 110v, the owner's manual says about 13 hours to charge, correct? Does the 240 significantly cut that time?
I've got a GE 240v 30 amp wall charger in the garage for my 2017 Volt, it will charge the car from almost zero to full in a hair over 4 hours. I've never even taken the included extension cord out of its original packing in the trunk.
My biggest complaint on the new Volt is that Chevy used a 3.6 kW charging circuit. My 2013 C-Max had that charging circuit level and took considerably longer to charge at the same volt/amp levels than my friend's 2013 Honda plug in with the same size battery but a 6kW charger. Why would Chevy "handicap" the car this way?
About 5.5 hours on 240 with the mod to charge from 0 to full. Pretty much my only pick with the new Volt is the lack of the 6.6 KW charger.
I made an adapter to go from a 14-50 to a 5-15 and I'm gonna try it when I get home from work. I hope I don't fry anything!!
How did it work out?
vtmaestro Sorry I thought I posted this weeks ago. It worked perfectly! It auto regulates to 12 amps so there are no issues at all. It's literally just plug-and-play. My car now charges in about 6 hours! All with very little additional cost. I mounted a 6-15/20 receptacle on my garage wall that gets fed from a cable that plugs into a 14-50. Then I made a one foot adapter that has a male 6-15 on one end and a female 5-15 on the other. That way no one can accidentally plug anything into a 5-15 that has 240V on it because I take that short adapter with me.
I have 208V at work but I don't know if the EVSE can handle it or not. Gotta do some research into that. So for now level 1 at work and level 2 at home!
Did you tried on 208V ?
Dave Lacerte I've been looking for this video/comment string for months now! lol I did try this on 208V at work and it works beautifully on that too. I'm at work now and it's charging on 208V. No matter what voltage you plug it into it's limited to 12A.
Cyrus Yareff A big thank you :D!
Great video Sir! It convinced me to subscribe!
This definitely motivated me to make one myself for my Chevy Volt. However I have a different outlet. The NEMA 14-50 outlet is quite common, even for public charging as well.
Can you please make a related video, or demonstrate to us, on how to make a similar adapter for a NEMA 14-50 outlet, to the stock Chevy Volt charger?
On the 14-50 plug, all you use is 3 of the 4 pins, Ground to ground, Line to Line1 Common to line 2 and do not use the neutral pin on the 14-50 plug.
One problem you might be overlooking is the heat generated by the extra voltage that could melt the cable coming from the charger and going into the car, to risky for me
The opposite is true:
Higher voltages can use thinner wires for the same amperage. Since we are limited to a maximum of 12A either way, it should be cooler. I don’t know why his cable felt notably warmer in the video but perhaps he normally charges at 8A with 120v to avoid melting the outlet. With 220v that is no longer necessary.
Do you know how many amps are really consummed on 120V by the charger ? Written 15 amps, I assume it,s not for a real consumption ...
Don't need to do it yourself you can buy it already made for about $20.00
if adapter to new dryer outlet how do you wire the male NEMA 14-30 to mate to the 6-15?
I am trying to figure this out as well. 14-50 and 14-30 are most common where I am, and also very common for public access EV charging. I hope this gets answered soon.
The "dryer plug" or whatever plug you need to fit your 240v outlet has 3 wires, ground and 2 hots. The 2 hot wires are two opposite AC phases each have 120 V RMS peaks. Bothe peaks occur at the same time and so give 240v. It makes no difference where you connect these as long as it's NOT ground. Just connect the wires (usually black and white) in the cable. The other end is somewhat problematic. Female receptacles that fit the charge plug will only be rated for 120V. The voltage rating is partly because of the application (only 120v usually) and also affects how the internal dimensions are designed. Generally 240v things have greater distances between the terminals than 120v things. When you look for the female end your only option will be for 120v. Get one that says 120v and 30A and you will be ok.
Couple questions please....
1.) What did the parts cost you at Lowes?
2.) How about the warm cord? Is that a problem?
3.) You read 12 amps on each of two wires at the plug. Does that mean that you are putting 24 amps or 12 amps into the EVSE?
1). About $40 in parts from Lowes.
2.). Cord is warm in the but doesn;t seem to be an issue. Maybe around 85 F
3.) 12 Amps total for both legs. Each leg is 12 amps but you do not combine them for for 24 amps.
Thanks.
But what if you want to level 1 charge while away
Not to worry because your level 1 charger still has the 120V plug
Good video, but you're better off buying a reasonably priced level 2 charger with a larger wire so that it doesn't get hot. Why risk burning down your garage and car just to save a couple hundred bucks? Besides that, it pays for itself in no time at all.
This video is almost 2 years old. Newer lower cost chargers are now available.
I got a nema 5-15 to L6-20 adapter online, plugged it in to a 240v 20amp circuit, and it won't charge at level 2 16 amp rate. Only charges at a max 12 amp which is available with just the 5-15 plug alone without the adapter. So I don't see the point
12 amps is the max for the EVSE, but you are getting 12 amps across 240 volts so essentially double the power!
@@GreenMountainDIYGuy thanks for the reply, I did notice that even after installing a legit level 2 clipper creek unit it still shows max 12amp and the expected finish charge time to be based off 12 amps on the energy screen. However when you open the car door on the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel it does show you an expected full charge time to be about 4 hours meaning it's 15-16amps. So even though the energy computer is wrong and probably could use an update, the actual charge time is at level 2.
If anything, the cord should be cooler with 12A, 220v than 12A, 120v.
Agreed!
How long did it take to charge ?
Won’t work on a 2015. ??
Cant seem to find an adapter for my old style dryer outlet. 10-30p to 110 or 120 style.
Thank you will this work on a chevy BOLT?
Why doesn't some company make a simple adapter that you can just plug the charger into and then plug the adapter into your 240V outlet?
There are guys now online who are selling the adapter.
Hello, nice video, do you still have your car and your setup since your post ? I wondering if the charger or the wires are getting hot overtime ?
Thanks. I no longer have the car. Wires from the charger were a little warm when I used it in 240 mode. It worked out well for three years. Have a different electric car now....
@@GreenMountainDIYGuy Thanks I was hoping someone asked this felt a bit ripped off that it only came with a 120v lil did I know ya saved me 500$
Easy to assemble,fun to use
just curious. your 110 adapter was 15 amp but its pushing right around 25amps does it need to be rated for over 30amps or is it okay with the 15 amp also what size wire are you running?
I got my 2017 Bolt in March, 2017. It definitely comes with a level 1 charger, i believe the same one as in this video. Takes about 24-30 hours to charge. My JuiceBox Pro 40 takes about 5 hours at our cabin, but I’m going to try this mod for our home.
Never did say how much faster it charges?
I was wondering that myself. But I did a quick calculation based on the amp reading I saw on the video. If it pulls 12A @240V, that will be approx. 2.7kW (power) for the usable battery 14KWH it will take between 5-6 hours.
How is the temperature of the cord on the car side, when running at 2880W compared to running at 1440W?
What gauge wire does the EVSE have?
It is a little warm from the EVSE to the vehice. Really don't notice it at all in an overcast cloudy day. Gets warmer in the sun. Won't be such a bad thing in the very cold VT winters here. Internal wiring is 16 gauge.
Also, the EVSE has thermal overload protection for the wall plug so I'm not too worried.
(in agreement) 16 Gauge Wire is rated at 13 amps for each current carrying conductor. It's definitely right there on the edge for the charger cable and a 30 AMP circuit size prefered. Many Level 2 chargers prefer to have 125% power availability for the rating of the charger (24 amps on a 30 amp circuit). This modification accommodates that charger sizing requirement for this 30 amp circuit without paying the hundreds of dollars for a new charger.
Great video I bought a 2018 volt a few months ago had no idea it was capable to charge L2!!
Now I'm a complete noob with these codes being thrown out of different plugs. Are these codes from the power outlet and the plug only matches that specific outlet.
How do I find the code for the outlet im using and if its 120 or 240v?
Anyone know if this works on the 1g charger?
wow good job. really cool the wire getting warm or hot is normal. a regular stage 2 gets warm too,your good
Wire doesn't care what voltage is running through it. 12 amps at 110 volt will heat the wire just as much as 12 amps at 220 volts. And at the same power flow 220-volts will heat the same wire 75% less than 110-volts will. P= V*I P=I^2*R
@@melaniecotterell8263 thanks for your input on this thread. I am familiar enough with electrical to install wiring and breakers and panels in homes I remodel and I've worked with three phase a long time ago (a three hot wires flow "weave"..?.. with no neutral if I remember correctly and only a ground... which is connected to neutral within the panel ) installing commercial ice machines but you appear to be more knowledgeable about electrical theory. Would you charge your Volt (second generation) with this configuration or just buy a 220 charger? I am reading " 3 conductor 16awg" stamped on the 22 foot cord that came with my 2017 Volt Premier that I just bought the other day and it seems odd to me that it would be ok to push 220 ( two 110s) thru that. Is it virtually the same doing it this way because the control box (with the green and yellow indicator lights) is the exact same box for both 110 and 220? I think you indicated earlier in this thread a year ago that the neutral/return leg would be switched within the box. ...? reading the incoming second hot feed from 220 and "knowing" to feed it on to the battery? Hope you are still on this site.
Great video! so it's been a while.. still working? we pickup our new volt on tuesday.. I"m looking at charging options and found this.. I like the concept.. but I don't want to damage my new car! Any words of advice for a new volt owner?
I have been using it for a year no problem on the volt 2017
Caffe ine
I did the mod and it worked perfect! Thanks everyone.
The charging unit is really not a charger, it is really only an AC switch. The same two leads going into your volt are used for level one (110 volt) and level two (220 volt) charging.
Thanks. Can someone please reply with a link on amazon for this same adapter? I would imagine there are some available by now.
i3 Tech Reviews I haven’t seen any on Amazon but there are many on Ebay
A 110-volt receptacle will not complain if you replace the neutral wire with another 110 VAC wire. What you plug into it may complain though. Just don't plug anything other than the charging unit into it. Or just use a pigtail and a female plug that you never detach the charger from. Unnecessary adaptors just add unnecessary cost. That crap ain't cheap, but I am.
Good information buddy and thanks for sharing.
Cheers
Unless you are there on guard 24/7, it would be a good idea to also add a laminated warning note permanently attached to the adapter, "EVSE adapter only! Do not use for any other purpose!" Unfortunately, zip ties can be easily clipped off by unknowing individuals with basic limited knowledge of electric circuits. This can be very dangerous if used almost any other way!
Good idea. FYI, I no longer have this EVSE or vehicle!
I have a welding outlet at the moment 50amp 6-50R. Could I make an adapter that would connect to this outlet and the other end a standard plug to charge Volt or would i have to change the outlet?
Greg Ripko Yes, that would work as long as you have a generation 2 Volt or Bolt. The power supply will only draw 12 amps off the 6-50R even through that outlet can provide much more power. Good luck, but do at your own risk.
What kind of extension cord it’s that?
Ok, but aren't the cables to a 240v system thicker? Therefore allowing for faster transmission?
That's my confusion too but apparently knowledgeable people on this thread are describing the low draw (?Amp draw?) required by the second generation Volt's charging system negates the need for thicker wire. I get it that 220 is only two 110 hot feeds but in residential electric codes 220 always requires thicker wire.. but that's based on the expected large draw of 220v appliances. I'd assume that factory made level2 220 charge cords would all have thicker cords but that would be for vehicles that have higher Amp internal chargers ...?....
I^2 x R = POWER, wires heat up from current flow not voltage. Higher voltage requires less current to provide the same power. No need to use thicker wires with higher voltage. 220 volt household circuits are reallty only two 110-volt wires anyway.
Melanie, are the thicker gauge wires required by U.S. building codes for 220 volt circuits based simply on the the larger draw usually required for 220 appliances and not just the voltage difference... as you stated it's just two 110 hot feeds but thicker wire is always mandated in the codes.
Cool. Guess I am confused. With the L630 connector, there are two "hots" and a ground? And no neutral? My L530 for my Honda generator an inverter AC-in is 120v. It will carry more amps (30a) instead of a typical household 15 or 20 amp circuit. It is a three wire black-white-ground wired with 8/3. I found that 12/3 won't handle start-up surge of an air conditioner. 10/3 will work...8/3 is best.
Correct. The L630 carries two 120 volt legs and a ground. There is no neutral with this plug. When I first wired a few years ago I was confuse as there was no neutral. Found out that a lot of 240 receptacles don't typically use the neutral wire.
The L630 runs to a sub-panel in the basement that terminates to a double pole 30 amp breaker. Wiring is 10 gauge from the sub panel to the L630 receptacle in the garage (to which the EVSE and adapter plugs into). The Chevy Volt EVSE/charger auto senses voltage and knows if you are connected to either 120 or 240. Now that the charger is only drawing 12 amp, my 10 gauage wire is oversized and will very much act in the same manner that you described when going from 10/3 to 8/3.
SWEET! And now...I know! Honestly, I didn't know that. Nice set up!
Great video. I've been using this mod for 3 months and it works beautifully. Installed an exterior 240v outlet on the side of my house at the driveway. Since there's no neutral, as vtmaestro points out, I installed a GFCI breaker in the main panel to service this dedicated exterior 240v outlet.
I think you also have to change the "8 amp charging" setting to a "12 amp setting" in the system on the display.
That setting on the Chevy Volt (8 amp to 12 amp) is used only when using the stock EVSE is in 120 volt mode. When using a 240 volt EVSE, the 8 amp to 12 amp setting has no effect.
vtmaestro so if I were charging at 120v in 12amp, does it necessary means a full charge can be reached alittle faster? as long my receptacle, wires and the breaker is rated above 12 amp?
Yes, you will charge faster using 12 amp in that mode. If charging at 12 amps (120 volt), you should at least have a 15 amp breaker and receptalce for house wiring. Again, the settings between 8 and 12 amp only works on the 120 volt side. If you are using the EVSE at 240 volts (or any other EVSE at 240) then the 8 and 12 amps settings have no effect.
vtmaestro copy that, ty
I just purchased a used 2016 Volt. How do I change the charge amps from 8 to 12??? Is this done on the volt or the charger??? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Just bought my volt today. DO you have a wiring diagram to show us noobs how to make one of these plug adapters?
Asking for a wiring diagram disqualifies you from this project, sorry
Definitely want to try this. Question though. Couldn't you just wire a 20 amp standard outlet directly in the receptacle box and skip the adapter cable all together? Thanks for the help.
If you mean "standard," as in 120 volt, then no. The adapter is meant to bring 240 power to the EVSE (charger). You need to have a 240 power line.
By "standard" I mean the type of outlet that will fit the plug from the Level 1 charger. Like the end of the cord that you're plugging the charger into, couldn't you just hardwire a 220 outlet with that same type of receptacle?
PERSONALLY, I WOULDN'T DO IT. Your modified "220 receptacle" would look just like any other regular receptacle. Too many possibilities of plugging in a normal 120 device into it and that would certainly spell a disaster. Put a dedicated 220/240 outlet in and make an adapter. That would be the safest approach. Of course, doing any of this is at your own risk...
I get ya. Thanks for the advice. Looking forward to giving this a shot.
Good luck! Let me know how it goes!
Great video, thank you for posting.
What app is he talking about
Anybody done this successfully on a 2018 charger? Any issues so far?
TIA
I have done this to my 2018 LT and no issues.
Im about to do this mod, but since i'm running it to my garage and it'll be at roof level, my plan was to simply run the 2 phases into a 5-15 and skip the adapter. No one can reach up there without a ladder so i dont see any chance of accidental plugin, i'll probably put it inside a locked box as well to be even more careful.
Good luck. I would add that any extra safety precaution is a goid idea (locked box, etc).
That wont pass an inspection if you ever sell the property.
kcotte59 yep, that would work too!
What was is your time to charge improvement?
DIAYOR (do it at your own risk) I love it.
I bought all of the parts locally from Lowe's and it was about $40. You can probably do the whole project for $25 if you purchase parts from Amazon. Of course, I already had 240 in my garage. Took about 25 minutes to do make the pigtail for the charger to adapt to 240. Does that answer you question?
I'm pretty sure that he asked did the charging time improve (how long it takes to charge with 240v versus 120v)
+Santeri Miettinen ok. I understand now. Thanks!
If the battery is completely dead, 13 hours to charge on 120v. About 5.5 hours to charge on 240 with the new adapter on the stock charger.
Thank you. Sorry that my original question looked so strange.
Why the 30 amp receptacle when the draw is 12 amps?I can purchase a 3 wire twist-loc 20 amp plug/receptacle.
James Jedamski The 30 ampsetup is is existing infrastructure I wired in when I had a Nissan Leaf.
12A on each 110V leg = 24A at 220V?
Thanks for sharing. It'd be great if there was a video on how to make the cable, or a link to buy one. I don't trust myself.
Thanks. Try searcfing RV wiring, there are plenty of videos out there.
110 volts = 110 volt wire (black) and a neutral wire (white)
220 volts = 110 volt wire (black) and another 110 volt wire (not white)
The voltage from each wire to ground is 110 to 120 volts.
The voltage from wire to wire is 220 to 240 volts.
Be sure to connect the ground wire (green or bare copper) to the ground prong on the receptacle.
Hey, does anyone know if it is safe to leave the portable charger plugged in without a car.
Yes, it draws next to zero power when not plugged into the vehicle.
I have a 10-30r outlet. So do I just wire the 2 hots to each pole of the 110/15? and then the ground to the ground? I was going to just buy a dryer cord with the 10-30r already installed. But they don't really label the wires and they're all black. So how do I know which one is which? Do you have a photo how you wired the 110/15? Also I was going to get a 20amp outlet to wire this to, do you think it's overkill since the Volt will never pull more than 12amp?
Mike Colburn correct, wire the two hots to each pole and ground to ground. Be sure to get the best 115/120 receptacle you can find. I went with a 20 amp receptacle as I believe they are better built. Sorry, I don’t have a picture, but pretty standard wiring. Feels like you are wiring 220/240 receptacle but in actuality are working on a smaller standard 115/120 plug.
vtmaestro I have since discovered that the 10-30r is 2 hots and a neutral, no ground. Apparently there is a way to ground through the neutral to your dryer. But I'm not going to a dryer. I was thinking to ground the 15-20 to an existing 15-5 that sits right next to where I want to put the new outlet. Is that acceptable? I would just put a 2 gang box in place of my existing one and wire everything inside that
I do not see why you cannot use the white wire to go to ground and keep the two hots? If you are coming off a sub panel, then the neutral and ground should be isolated so there would need to be some charges in the sub-panel there. If you are coming off the main panel, then the neutral and ground are most likely bonded.
I cannot say what is acceptable or not. If you do not have knowledge of what to do, then please consult and use a licensed electrician. As indicated in my video, I take no responsibility for doing this right or wrong. Every setup is different. Want to be helpful but there are serious risks when working with electricity.
The 125v 12 amp plug in over time will melt. That is what mine did. It's not rated to handle the 220V.
Good analysis
Always check the temperature of your plugs after charging for 30 min. Warm is OK, Hot like coffee is not. Don't mess around, Just replace the outlet with a commercial grade outlet
It melts because the amps not volts high amp draw causes the wire to heat up
Whoa, now I am further confused..is your response "good analysis" in jest or serious 😳?... the weak links, whether they are the plugs or the 110 outlets some people want to use just aren't built or rated for 220 volt feed regardless of what the vehicle is receiving in amps..?..no ?
any issue creating a longer adapter than 18"? I wanna just unplug my dryer and plug this in, but the dryer is too far away
I wouldn't do it. Take some time extend the dryer plug to where the car is.
thanks for the response. whats the cable you used to make the adapter?
I believe I used SJOOW 300-Volt,12-2,12 gauge wire.
Hi, I'm currently trying this out. Electricity is all wired in and I made the adapter, everything seems ok when I check with an multimeter. I plugged in the EVSE and green light came on as usual and I plugged in the car and green light flashes and seemed to work just fine (12 amp draw from the amp meter). About 2 minutes in, the EVSE turned to red and the car stopped charging. When I plugged in the EVSE in regular 120V, everything seems to charge fine. Any clues why this may happen?
Note, the car was also almost full charge when I tried it, could this be why it stopped charging? I'll try again later with less charge. thanks.
Make sure you are doing the modification on a volt/bolt mode year 2016 and above. The red light means a fault/charging error.
Since the car resumed charging after you went back to 120 volt. There is definitely a wiring/adapter issue. Look closely at the adapter to make sure you have the 2 hots wired correctly. Good Luck.
@@GreenMountainDIYGuy I have a 2018 Volt. I quickly checked the pins with a multimeter but I'll double check again (should read 120 between hot and ground and 240 between the 2 hots right?). Thanks
Correct. Make sure everything is tight in you connections.
A faulty ground will give a red light.
@@hjeffwallace thanks, will look at it.
Nice I think I’m going to get a 2018 volt in the next week or 2 is your charger still working good w the mods? sorry if this has been asked already
I did this conversion on my 2017 Volt a year ago. Still working flawlessly.
I notice I have a dryer outlet in the garage 240 but breaker is a 50amp will i have issues?
mojito5606 - No you will not. Your Volt will not draw any more than it needs.
You may not but a breaker is sized to protect a certain gauge of wire .... in this case you will have a cord not rated for 50 Amps ..... will this matter ? More then likely not , but that’s why there are diff size breakers
How about another up to date update? Thanks much!
I'll try this weekend!
Hey, I have a 2012 Volt with 37k miles but I do have the newer charger as in your video. Would there be any problems with doing this on my 2012?
Bill L Great Question and unfortunately I do not have definitive answer. I imagine whether or not the charger is 12/240, shouldn’t really make a difference in your 2012 volt. You could never do this with. 2012 volt EVSE:charger.
Thanks! I actually just picked mine up used and when I opened the trunk I saw it was a new charger and not the old crappy grey plastic thing that they originally came with.
Is there any videos on how to wire the adapter/extension, or better yet a step by step video on how to make it?
Hey bud. How’s everything working still? Are you still using the same setup 2 years later? Tks
All is good. Will only have the Volt for another six month, already eyeing new EV's...
well i have the 2014 with a voltec charger what do you think? is it doable?
Victory John no, don’t do it.
I have a volt with same charger you can modify but you need to un solder the neutral jumper and need a 14-3 cord to put back mine works great
This is not a good Idea for safety reasons. This charger did safety testing at 120 Volts. Fires waiting to happen
I think Melanie is right, it's not a charger it's a switch but still the switch and the plug are rated/tested for 110v not 220v . The switch box with the green and yellow indicator lights may be identical for both 110v and 220v cord sets..I don't know.. but the plug that comes with the first and second generation Volts is 110 configuration so 110 rated/tested as his melted or damaged plug would indicate. 🤔
Any news on the cord getting warm?? Was it an issue, or were you able to resolve the issue?
No issues. Notice the cord got a little warm when direct sunlight in the warmer months. Watched it closely this winter and no issue. Setup is still rock solid!
+vtmaestro , awesome!! I will be purchasing a 2016-2017 Volt charger, and do the same modifications. I have a 2012, and have been wanting a 240 V charger.
It may be cheaper for you to pick up a low cost Level II charger rather than buy a New Volt Charger do the modification. Would be interesting to see if the new Volt charger with the modified adapter would work on the older Volt. Of course, that is done at your own risk..
Yeah, I've actually seen a few Duosida chargers for under $300. I've also seen a few OEM 2016-2017 Volt chargers for around $200, as well. If I could get the OEM charger for around the same price, I would prefer the OEM charger, simply because of confidence in quality.
I made one of these for my house and it worked great but I'm making another one that will work with a dryer outlet in case I'm at someone's house and that's an option to charge. I bought the 5-15 receptacle and dryer cord but what am I supposed to do with the extra ground or neutral wire on the cord since the 5-15 only has 3 connectors?
@kcotte59 thanks for the explanation. I was at home depot yesterday trying to figure out how to connect a 14-50P with 4 wires to a 5-20R.
Is there any reference material on how to conect the 2 hots on the 14-50 to the 5-20R female side?
Thank you in advance
Well, having made it this far in this thread I was hoping/expecting a response here from Melanie.... she's been posting good descriptive responses about the hot feed legs and neutral return.
can this be done for the first gen volt?
No, don't do it, you will fry your EVSE (charger).
I did this adapter soon after I bought my 2017 Volt in July '16, and it's worked great for over a year ... till yesterday. EVSE green light is on, but red light blinks denoting "Charge cord default detected." Any idea what's going on? Thanks!
rand49er mine does the same thing. Did you ever figure out what's going on?
I believe this is related to a fault in your cord. My 240 volt mod continues to work well, but the cord has a fault(break) that I've isolated to immediately behind the connector to the car. A little wiggle gets things going.
How much time does this reduce in charging?
At least half the time now to charge...
You just made the charger European ;-)
50Hz is blasphemy!
50Hz IS European.
It is not a charger, it is an overpriced AC switch. Wires coming out have same AC voltage as wires going in. Charger (converts AC into DC) is in the vehicle.
Not sure if you can answer this , can it work with the 208 volts that I got at work ?May take more amps but can it work?
Do you know if it's working ?
Sorry, I do not know the answer to this question.
I will have the answer in about 3 weeks, I will try it at work with my new volt, crossing my fingers
Yes this is working,this charger seem to give you 12 amp no matter what voltage.
It can't increase the amperage without increasing the gauge of the wiring inside to handle the additional power.
What was cost for materials?
Michael Boyce about $40