What level 2 charger is everyone purchasing for home use?

[capnhowdy21]

I have an electrician coming to install my Nemo 14-50 outlet next week. My charge point flex is also coming next week. Was gonna hard wire it, but I already have a sub panel in the garage with 60 amp wire. Didn’t want to pay all the extra money for them to run more wiring.

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[delacruz.c5d]

Yes, this is a limitation for all EVSEs. The protocol doesn't standardize a way for a vehicle to share that sort of information. It's communicating the amount of current offered by the EVSE to the car, and that's about it.

Yes, I believe that that is correct. The only thing that the L2 EVSE does (and L1 for that matter) is tell the charger in the car how much voltage and current it can supply, and the car's internal charger handles everything in terms of energy flow. Everything on top of that (wi-fi, bluetooth, monitoring, etc.) is just gravy on a big load o' mashed potatoes.

 

[dww]

I'm going with the Emporia EV charger. Great price and does up to 48 Amps. Also works with their other energy monitors.
Emporia EV Charger

I'm looking for a 48 amp EV charger....did you get Emporia and if so do you like it? My MME is coming in 4-6 weeks...almost a year from when I ordered it!

 

[mkhuffman]

I'm looking for a 48 amp EV charger....did you get Emporia and if so do you like it? My MME is coming in 4-6 weeks...almost a year from when I ordered it!

I did and it works great. It integrates with my whole house power monitoring device from Emporia and I can see exactly how much it is costing to charge.

 

[RetiredDP]

What level 2 charger is everyone purchasing for home use? The ford connected charge station, juice box, or something else?

I went with the 40-amp Alpha EVSE ("charger"). A 40-amp charger needs a 50-amp circuit to be legal. Many here seem to want a 48-amp charger, but I don't think that they realize that a 48-amp charger needs a 60-amp circuit. That size cable costs substantially more money than a 50-amp cable. Plus, installation costs are higher...it's hard to feed 60-amp cables through walls and around corners.

I ran my car down to -20 miles below zero once, and the recharge to 100% took 10 hours and 39 minutes, with my 40-amp charger. In normal use, I rarely need more than a 4-8 hour charge. Do you really want to spend a LOT of money to speed up your charge slightly? Jus' sayin'. My charger cost $599.

 

[Tangible]

That size cable costs substantially more money than a 50-amp cable. Plus, installation costs are higher...it's hard to feed 60-amp cables through walls and around corners.

That‘s correct. Specifically, a 50 amp circuit can use 6AWG wire, while a 60 amp uses 4 AWG. That’s a big difference in flexibility and cost.

Also, you can terminate a 50 amp circuit with a 14-50 outlet, giving you portability and other options. 60 amp circuits must be hard-wired.

 

[Maquis]

That‘s correct. Specifically, a 50 amp circuit can use 6AWG wire, while a 60 amp uses 4 AWG. That’s a big difference in flexibility and cost.

Also, you can terminate a 50 amp circuit with a 14-50 outlet, giving you portability and other options. 60 amp circuits must be hard-wired.

Small correction: You are correct for NM cable. But #6 THHN in conduit is good for a 60A circuit.

 

[RockwallRick]

Still procrastinating, but I am leaning hard towards the Grizzl-E. I have been using the Ford Mobile Charger for the past 9 and 1/2 months but it seems to be having a hard time dealing with the heat in my garage!

 

[mkhuffman]

I went with the 40-amp Alpha EVSE ("charger"). A 40-amp charger needs a 50-amp circuit to be legal. Many here seem to want a 48-amp charger, but I don't think that they realize that a 48-amp charger needs a 60-amp circuit. That size cable costs substantially more money than a 50-amp cable. Plus, installation costs are higher...it's hard to feed 60-amp cables through walls and around corners.

I ran my car down to -20 miles below zero once, and the recharge to 100% took 10 hours and 39 minutes, with my 40-amp charger. In normal use, I rarely need more than a 4-8 hour charge. Do you really want to spend a LOT of money to speed up your charge slightly? Jus' sayin'. My charger cost $599.

I am glad I put in a 60 Amp circuit and the 48 Amp Emporia. The speed difference was worth it to me. Also, I put a subpanel on the 60 Amp circuit, hardwired the Emporia and also attached a 14-50 plug (on a 50 Amp breaker in the subpanel). Now I have a backup if the Emporia fails.

 

[tannerk89]

I did and it works great. It integrates with my whole house power monitoring device from Emporia and I can see exactly how much it is costing to charge.

Good to hear, I just ordered one myself after my ford mobile charger started acting up randomly. I’ve only seen good reviews for the emporia so far, but it’s good to hear it from someone in this community.

Does it require the monitoring system to get the usage information? It wasn’t clear from their marketing info, or I may have just missed it.

 

[hapa1989]

Got the Lectron 32 amp charger and it works great. Allows you to adjust the amps and shows very clearly how many kWh have been used. Very sturdy, long cord, and bought it at Target which has a super flexible return policy if something goes wrong. But works great!

https://www.target.com/p/lectron-24...50-plug-electric-vehicle-charger/-/A-83929002

 

[Tangible]

Small correction: You are correct for NM cable. But #6 THHN in conduit is good for a 60A circuit.

I‘m not an electrician, but the online sources I found all seem to agree on #4, with no mention of a difference based on NM versus conduit. Example:
https://learnmetrics.com/60-amp-wire-size/

That author rather nastily says choosing #6 is something only amateurs do, while pros will always go with #4. His proof arguments seem authoritative, but it’s hard for an admitted amateur like me to judge.

 

[rinsmars]

I‘m not an electrician, but the online sources I found all seem to agree on #4, with no mention of a difference based on NM versus conduit. Example:
https://learnmetrics.com/60-amp-wire-size/

That author rather nastily says choosing #6 is something only amateurs do, while pros will always go with #4. His proof arguments seem authoritative, but it’s hard for an admitted amateur like me to judge.

I’m also not an electrician so don’t understand why when I hire one to hardwire my ChargePoint Home Flex for max 48A charging that #6AWG wire max rated at 55A can’t be used vs #4AWG wire rated at 70A max going through a 60A breaker. If the estimating electrician says to use #6AWG, quoting its max rating, should this be a deal killer?

 

[StrWhtMME]

Just purchased a 48 amp WallBox, installed yesterday. Been using a Siemens 30 amp for a year on the MME. The Siemens was great for our Electric Focus and MME. Thought a little more juice would be nice. The Focus and Siemens going to my grand daughter. Like the small size of the WallBox, but that 48 amp unit has one heavy duty cable. So far so good, hope it performs like the Siemens.

 

[Maquis]

I‘m not an electrician, but the online sources I found all seem to agree on #4, with no mention of a difference based on NM versus conduit. Example:
https://learnmetrics.com/60-amp-wire-size/

That author rather nastily says choosing #6 is something only amateurs do, while pros will always go with #4. His proof arguments seem authoritative, but it’s hard for an admitted amateur like me to judge.

Here is the table based on the NEC. If he wants to throw his money away, that’s fine with me!

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