Seeking L2 Charger Install Advice......

[LinkRS]

Howdy Folks,

I have put in an order for my first BEV, and have a MME GTPE with a scheduled production date of 11/14. Based on anecdotal evidence, I expect that I will be able to take delivery in January of 2023, assuming it actually gets built in November. I am not sure if my current breaker box will be capable of an L2 charger (has only 1 spot open currently), and am concerned that having one installed may become significantly expensive and time consuming quickly. My house is small and was built in 1986, but I did have solar panels installed this past December, but they ran all of their own electrical equipment, and I don't believe it is connected to my breaker box at all. My question to y'all is how far out should I attempt to have a L2 charger installed? Based on Ford's website it will take about a week to receive their recommended charger, but I have no idea of the length of time it will take to install. If it only takes a day, I don't need to worry about it until a couple of weeks before I get the car, but if it can take weeks or months, I will need to factor that into when I start the process. Thanks in advance!

Rich

Sponsored

 

[mkhuffman]

The best thing to do it get a few quotes from electricians in your area. The work itself can easily be done in a day, so the speed will depend on how busy they are and what other jobs they have going on.

If you post a picture of your breaker box we might be able to help you determine if you have capacity or not.

 

[LinkRS]

The best thing to do it get a few quotes from electricians in your area. The work itself can easily be done in a day, so the speed will depend on how busy they are and what other jobs they have going on.

If you post a picture of your breaker box we might be able to help you determine if you have capacity or not.

Hi,

Ok, here is a picture of my breaker box, and then of the generic diagram that supposedly labels the breakers. Thanks in advance for your time!

 

[Hammered]

Hi,

Ok, here is a picture of my breaker box, and then of the generic diagram that supposedly labels the breakers. Thanks in advance for your time!

Let's see your outside equipment (meter / disconnect) -- You likely won't be tapping into that relic, but can easily do so just past the meter.

 

[mkhuffman]

This looks like a subpanel because there is no main breaker. There should be a big breaker that is marked with 100 Amps or 200 Amps.

The subpanel looks to be at full capacity except for one circuit. To get a good L2 charge, you need two circuits of opposite phases so you can get 220-240V. With only one opening you will only get 120V and that is way too slow IMO. Although there are some people who have posted on this forum about how they use 120V charging and they think it is fine. It will take practically a week to charge up the car from 0% on 120V, so that will never work for me.

I checked and I didn't see any half height breakers available from Crouse-Hinds and likely your box doesn't support them anyway - there is no mention of them on that sheet you posted. So since you cannot add additional spaces by combining existing ones, you will need to replace that subpanel with a new subpanel if you want to run your charging circuit from there. But I don't think that is going to be the most cost effective solution.

If you replace the subpanel it is likely you can't put a 60 Amp circuit there without running a new wire from the main panel. If you are running a new wire from the main panel, you should just run a wire for the EVSE and not worry about replacing your subpanel. So most likely replacing that panel will be a waste of money. Just run a wire from the main panel to your EVSE location.

Hopefully you have 200 Amp service, because it is a challenge getting a decent L2 charge with only 100 Amps. As Hammered suggested, check where the power comes to the house and see if there is a disconnect or main breaker box there. If you can take a picture of it with the cover open that would be helpful. It is possible that it has extra capacity for more breakers and you can run the EV circuit from that box.

Your main panel is probably on the outside of the house next to the power meter. Depending on where you want to charge, it might be a long run.

Post pictures of your main panel if you can.

 

[DRuth086]

I had mine installed right at the main breaker where the electrical comes from the road. It’s been inspected by the city and no one has said anything. I had a similar experience in that my breaker is in the center of my house because we have no basement and to run all the wires through the ceiling and walls was going to be upwards of $3,000. Ultimately the solution at the main connection was only $600. Good luck!

 

[AKgrampy]

Are your dryer and stove gas? Also do you have air conditioning? If they are electric you must have another breaker panel somewhere. If gas than based on the size of your panel you need to look to attach at your service entrance or upgrade the existing panel. I would suggest, as others have, to hire an electrician to come and give it a look. BEV’s are here to stay - you are spending $70k on a new car - do not scrimp on electrical!

 

[LinkRS]

When I get home from work, I'll take pictures of the outside panels. I *believe* that my HVAC has its own breaker which is located near the external unit, and on the other side of my house is where it comes in from the street. I have multiple panels there, as they added new ones when my Solar was installed. My stove is electric, as is my dryer. The dryer plugs into a 240volt plug, which is just behind the wall where the panel in the above picture is. My house isn't very big, but I am thinking that adding the L2 charger is going to be expensive based on the conversation here so far. Appreciate everyone's time.

Rich

 

[satchel prefect]

If adding a circuit becomes too involved, and the dryer outlet is not too far from where you'll be charging, you may want to consider something like this:

SplitVolt

This would allow you to share the dryer outlet between the appliance and your EV charging equipment. By default, it only allows current flowing to one device at a time to prevent overtaxing the wiring for the dryer circuit, which is usually 30 amps.

If you're considering this, keep in mind that the Mach E doesn't have a way to limit how much current it draws when charging, so it would probably be a good idea to select a charger that has that ability. (In case you weren't aware, any J1772 charger will work--you don't need the Ford branded ones, though you should probably select one that is either UL or ETL listed.)

I've had good experience with the Grizzl-E and Emporia chargers; both allow you to set the max charging current. The Grizzl-E is built like a tank and the charging current settings are done via dip switches. The Emporia is a "smart" charger that connects to your home wifi and controlled via Android/IOS app.

Honestly, having a charger that lets you set the max charging current is probably a good idea even if you install a new dedicated circuit, whether you install a new outlet or hardwire the charger. In any case, you need to make sure you don't overdraw the circuit, and again, the Mach E doesn't have the ability do that--at least for now.

A dedicated circuit may still be the best long term solution, but if it's too involved or expensive, the Split Volt or similar device is another option. I agree that you should consult an electrician, but you may want to ask him about this alternative as well.

 

[mkhuffman]

When I get home from work, I'll take pictures of the outside panels. I *believe* that my HVAC has its own breaker which is located near the external unit, and on the other side of my house is where it comes in from the street. I have multiple panels there, as they added new ones when my Solar was installed. My stove is electric, as is my dryer. The dryer plugs into a 240volt plug, which is just behind the wall where the panel in the above picture is. My house isn't very big, but I am thinking that adding the L2 charger is going to be expensive based on the conversation here so far. Appreciate everyone's time.

Rich

My wild ass guess based on what you have provided so far is $2,000 including the charger.

 

[LinkRS]

Howdy Everyone,

Just wanted to provide a quick update. I did take a picture of my outside boxes (one on each side of my house), but do not have access to post them from work. I'll get them uploaded wither later tonight, or Friday evening. However, what I assume is the "main" box has four double-barrel switches in it, with some labeled 30 and 60, which I assume is the amp rating? One of the four marked with a 60 is listed as a "spare." So if I am tracking with what I have learned here, that tells me that I have a 60amp breaker available, which would be perfect for a Lvl 2 charger. So the only complication would be getting it run from that side of my house, into the garage. I'll get the pics uploaded soon as I can. Thanks again for all of your time!

Rich

 

[satchel prefect]

Sounds promising. Hope it works out.

Keep in mind that even if you install a 60 AMP circuit--which is probably the best idea, if possible--you can run at a lower rating if you want, provided you have some way to set the amperage that you want (such as in the EVSE).

Maxing out a 60A circuit would yield 48A of charging, which at 240V yields about 11.5KW. I believe this is technically higher than what the Mach E can use, though it would simply draw what it needs/can use, and no harm would come of it.

However, depending on how much you drive, it might not make that much difference in how long you need to stay plugged in on a daily basis. If your efficiency works out to around 3.0 mi/kwh and you drive 50 miles per day, here is how long it would take to recover those miles at different amp ratings:

50 miles / 3.0 mi/kwh = 17 kwh used

24A = 5.7KW: 17 kwh / 5.7kw = 3 hours
32A = 7.7KW: 2.2 hours
40A = 9.7KW: 1.75 hours
48A = 11.5KW: 1.5 hours

The times will vary some because there are losses in the charging process and the Mach E can't use the full 11.5KW, but this is just to give you an idea.

Of course, if you need to replenish a lot more than 17kwh, then the differences will scale accordingly. If you get better than 3.0 mi/kwh efficiency, the differences will be even smaller.

And of course, if you're usually charging overnight, the differences won't often matter. I personally have my charger at 28A and it's enough to keep two vehicles topped up.

 

[HuntingPudel]

Please note that if you are using a 60A circuit with a 60A breaker you cannot install a plug-in EVSE because the receptacles and plugs are rated for up to 50A. If you retain the 60A breaker, you will need to hard-wire the EVSE into the circuit. If you feel you need a plug socket, please make sure to replace the breaker on that circuit to a 50A breaker. ??

 

[MachEMaster]

My panel is a meager 125Amp. I didn’t want the added cost of an upgraded panel, so I have my 50amp EV charger breaker controlled by a load shed device. If my home draws more than 80% of the rated load, it disconnects the charger automatically, and kicks back in when the homes usage decreases. This may be an option for you.

https://dccelectric.com/

 

[mkhuffman]

Maxing out a 60A circuit would yield 48A of charging, which at 240V yields about 11.5KW. I believe this is technically higher than what the Mach E can use, though it would simply draw what it needs/can use, and no harm would come of it.

The MME has a 11 kW charger, so it maxes out at 48 Amps. I have a 48 Amp EVSE so I can confirm this is correct.

Sponsored