Electric Vehicle Charger in a Detached Garage

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k7brown90

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Gallatin, TN
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Electrician
I have someone another contractor tell me that if an electric car charger was installed in a detached garage of a single family dwelling that I was required to install one per bay. I have not found anything in the NEC requiring this but considering the cost of these devices I wanted to check and see if anyone else has knowledge of this in the 2017 NEC
 
Not in the NEC or California EC. The International Residential Code, which is the model for most local dwelling building codes, is in the process of adding a requirement for either a branch circuit for the charger or a 1" conduit back to the panel. The proposal is out, but it's not yet officially published, let alone adopted.
 
rnatalie said:
Not in the NEC or California EC. The International Residential Code, which is the model for most local dwelling building codes, is in the process of adding a requirement for either a branch circuit for the charger or a 1" conduit back to the panel. The proposal is out, but it's not yet officially published, let alone adopted.
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Is that per garage or per bay?
 
It's one circuit (or conduit) per dwelling unit. So a three-car garage on a single-family requires one. If you have a duplex with a common garage, you need two.
 
retirede said:
I think there is a requirement for a 120V convenience receptacle for each bay. Maybe that confused him?
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So, the requirement is a receptacle per bay, correct?
The only inspector for a local small community wrote a test for homeowners that want to do their own wiring must pass before being granted a permit (NEC 2014). The question was, “How many circuits must a three bay garage have?”. Multiple choice, and his correct choice was “Three, one per bay.”

I wanted to say, “Two; one for convenience receptacles and one for lighting and anything else. The receptacles for the bays could be fed from one circuit.”
But, I didn’t. I thought I could be wrong, but deep down....... As the only inspector I wanted to make sure we were always on friendly terms. 2019 was the last time I was in his building. I made a point of stopping in the day after Halloween to ask a banal question, carrying a bag of fun sized candy bars . Told him it was leftover and asked if it was ok to leave it there as I was diabetic. Major kiss a**. but I figured it can’t hurt.
 
There's nothing that requires each bay to have its own circuit. One receptacle is required per bay (under the 2020 code), but they can all be on the same circuit and there's no restriction on other outlets, so it can be shared with the lighting and even outlets other than in the garage.
 
rnatalie said:
There's nothing that requires each bay to have its own circuit. One receptacle is required per bay (under the 2020 code), but they can all be on the same circuit and there's no restriction on other outlets, so it can be shared with the lighting and even outlets other than in the garage.
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Starting in 2017 NEC there is 210.11(C)(4) requiring there needs to be at least one 20 amp branch circuit supplying receptacle outlets in the garage, and it can not serve other outlets, with exception of readily accessible outdoor receptacles.

One receptacle per bay is required in 210.52, but only one of the receptacles in the garage is required to be on the one required 20 amp circuit. Many people probably put all the receptacles on that one circuit most of the time though.
 
The inspectors test question is correct, once 210.52(G)(1) requires a 'EV charger outlet" 625.40 kicks in and requires them to be dedicated:
2017 NEC said:
625.40 Electric Vehicle Branch Circuit. Each outlet installed
for the purpose of charging electric vehicles shall be supplied
by an individual branch circuit. Each circuit shall have no other
outlets
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.
 
tortuga said:
The inspectors test question is correct, once 210.52(G)(1) requires a 'EV charger outlet" 625.40 kicks in and requires them to be dedicated:
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But 210.52(G)(1) doesn't say the receptacle is for an EVSE. The requirement could be for other reasons (e.g. block heaters in cold climates). So 625.40 does not automatically apply.

Cheers, Wayne
 
wwhitney said:
But 210.52(G)(1) doesn't say the receptacle is for an EVSE. The requirement could be for other reasons (e.g. block heaters in cold climates). So 625.40 does not automatically apply.

Cheers, Wayne
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I agree. I think the number of EV's out there maybe contributed to the addition of those changes for garage receptacles, but yet they didn't flat out want to require a dedicated EV charging receptace(s).

Still borders on code being a design manual IMO.

And if you are serious about having an EV, why wouldn't you want a higher capacity charger in your home anyway than what a 20 amp 120 volt supply circuit can deliver?
 
wwhitney said:
But 210.52(G)(1) doesn't say the receptacle is for an EVSE. The requirement could be for other reasons (e.g. block heaters in cold climates). So 625.40 does not automatically apply.

Cheers, Wayne
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Oh yeah your right, 210 does not say for an EV, my bad, that inspectors needs to fix his test
 
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