EV Charger Load Calculator for Louisiana
NEC 2020 ev charger load math for EV charger installers working in Louisiana.
Sizing an EV charger circuit in Louisiana starts with NEC 2020 Article 625 — the EVSE branch must be sized to 125% of the continuous load. Hot-climate hot-band states like Louisiana (95°F design ambient) also force a 0.88× ampacity correction at 75°C terminations.
Worked example for Louisiana
For a 80 A Level 2 charger on a 240 V single-phase circuit, the OCPD is sized to 100 A (80 × 1.25 = 100.0 A, rounded up to the next standard breaker). The conductor must carry 100 A after Louisiana's 0.88× correction — that typically lands at #6 AWG copper THWN-2 for a residential garage run, with conduit fill checked separately if you're stacking multiple home runs.
Code & Utilities
EV installations in Louisiana are governed by the 2020 National Electrical Code, in force since 2022. That includes Article 625 (Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System) requirements: 125% continuous-load sizing on EVSE branch circuits, GFCI protection at outdoor receptacles, and provisions for energy management systems on shared circuits.
In Louisiana, you'll most often interconnect with Entergy Louisiana, Cleco Power, SWEPCO Louisiana. Each has its own service-upgrade timeline, EV rebate availability, and metering rules — confirm them before quoting commercial work.
Climate & Ampacity
In Louisiana, the 95°F summer ambient drives a 0.88× 75°C ampacity correction. Bake this into every Level 2 and DCFC conductor pick before you commit to a wire size. Because the correction is below 0.9, conductors that "look fine" on a 30°C ampacity table will not carry their nameplate current here — always derate explicitly.
Louisiana takeaway
Always cross-check the EVSE manufacturer's listed maximum overcurrent rating; Entergy Louisiana may also have specific service-upgrade or load-management requirements you'll need to coordinate before final inspection.