by dgpcolorado (Posted Thu, 22 Aug 2013 16:36:04 GMT)
Even in an unheated garage the battery will be somewhat warmed when charging and it will lose less of that heat when sheltered by a garage as opposed to being outside (wind makes a big difference IME). And a warmer battery means better charging and more range in very cold weather. The L1 charging at work will be helped by the battery being somewhat warmer from home charging plus driving. L1 should keep the battery well above ambient temperature over 12 hours outdoors.
Yes, that should work fine for L1 charging. Don't go smaller than 12 gauge.
jswilson wrote:
Regarding charging at home in the garage versus at work outside, even though your garage is not heated, it will be warmer than being completely outside in our Canadian winters. It makes a difference. Pre-heating in the winter is very important, and it's virtually impossible to do with L1 charging, and even worse when your car is completely outside in the elements. Also, the battery temperature can go down quite a bit in the dead if winter in January, affecting range. L2 charging inside gets the battery temp up to 4 bars, in my experience.
+1 to every point you made! Even in an unheated garage the battery will be somewhat warmed when charging and it will lose less of that heat when sheltered by a garage as opposed to being outside (wind makes a big difference IME). And a warmer battery means better charging and more range in very cold weather. The L1 charging at work will be helped by the battery being somewhat warmer from home charging plus driving. L1 should keep the battery well above ambient temperature over 12 hours outdoors.
hingisfan wrote:
4. I need a 50 foot extension cord for work charging...what am I looking for? 12/3 outdoor cord?
Yes, that should work fine for L1 charging. Don't go smaller than 12 gauge.