Third-party mobile chargers now under $200!

[macchiaz-o]

If they have a 240V dryer plug you're good to go.

Most people don't have dryers plugged into 50A outlets. Ford's mobile charger only supports 120V 15/20A household outlets (slow charging but extremely common) and 240V 40/50A 14-50 outlets -- faster charge but often only found at the kitchen range.

My dryer's on a 30A circuit with a NEMA 14-30R receptacle. My house was built in 2001. I'm guessing this is what is most common nowadays.

If someone's got a spare 30A outlet available, that's pretty handy, but you'll need some third party charger (like the AmazingE or similar, and with the right type of amperage and plug) to actually use it.

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[buffasnow]

Perhaps everyone else knows this, but the last time I looked for a spare mobile charger from any brand to put in the gf's garage, they were like $300+.

Ummmm....if she *really* cared for you, wouldn't she have already asked you which EVSE you would like her to to install for you? ?

 

[methorian]

Most people don't have dryers plugged into 50A outlets. Ford's mobile charger only supports 120V 15/20A household outlets (slow charging but extremely common) and 240V 40/50A 14-50 outlets -- faster charge but often only found at the kitchen range.

My dryer's on a 30A circuit with a NEMA 14-30R receptacle. My house was built in 2001. I'm guessing this is what is most common nowadays.

If someone's got a spare 30A outlet available, that's pretty handy, but you'll need some third party charger (like the AmazingE or similar, and with the right type of amperage and plug) to actually use it.

Glad you chimed in with this - the included Ford Mobile charger wouldn't work for "dryer plugs", at least for almost all in the US.

I'm planning to drive my Mach-E to the beach this summer and there's no DCFC there (closest is 80miles away, which I'll be topping off at on the way down), and only a handful of public level-2's. The beach house's washer/dryer is on the ground floor right next to parking (raised ranch, typical of most beaches, with a small laundry room/storage room on the ground next to parking under the house). One thought was to ask the owners if I could use the dryer plug in an emergency to charge.

I don't seem to immediately see any mobile EVSE's with a wide array of swappable cords. Does anyone know of any J1772 EVSE's akin to Telsa's mobile charger? Would be nice to have one that could do 10-30 or 14-30, etc. I think Tesla's Mobile EVSE is brilliant and wish others could/would follow suite. (I know I could just buy a Tesla Mobile and a TeslaTap....)

 

[JamieGeek]

Glad you chimed in with this - the included Ford Mobile charger wouldn't work for "dryer plugs", at least for almost all in the US.

I'm planning to drive my Mach-E to the beach this summer and there's no DCFC there (closest is 80miles away, which I'll be topping off at on the way down), and only a handful of public level-2's. The beach house's washer/dryer is on the ground floor right next to parking (raised ranch, typical of most beaches, with a small laundry room/storage room on the ground next to parking under the house). One thought was to ask the owners if I could use the dryer plug in an emergency to charge.

I don't seem to immediately see any mobile EVSE's with a wide array of swappable cords. Does anyone know of any J1772 EVSE's akin to Telsa's mobile charger? Would be nice to have one that could do 10-30 or 14-30, etc. I think Tesla's Mobile EVSE is brilliant and wish others could/would follow suite. (I know I could just buy a Tesla Mobile and a TeslaTap....)

I just picked up a ClipperCreek LCS-25p and then went to Home depot, picked up the various ends and made my own adapter(s). (This was long before the AmazingE was a gleam in anyone's eye.)

Sure they don't look that good, and I may zap myself (haven't yet in 7 years) but they get the job done (haven't burned up the ClipperCreek or damaged a car either).

 

[generaltso]

I don't seem to immediately see any mobile EVSE's with a wide array of swappable cords. Does anyone know of any J1772 EVSE's akin to Telsa's mobile charger? Would be nice to have one that could do 10-30 or 14-30, etc.

I have this one. I've used it on 14-50, 10-50, 14-30, 10-30, and 5-15. It's not UL listed, but it works great and I love it.

Amazon.com: MUSTART TRAVELMASTER Level 2 Portable EV Charger, 2-Gen, 25ft Cable, Intelligent Plug Identification Auto-Adjusts Maximum Safe Current 15A/25A/32A Electric Vehicle Plug-in Charging Station: Automotive

 

[methorian]

I have this one. I've used it on 14-50, 10-50, 14-30, 10-30, and 5-15. It's not UL listed, but it works great and I love it.

Amazon.com: MUSTART TRAVELMASTER Level 2 Portable EV Charger, 2-Gen, 25ft Cable, Intelligent Plug Identification Auto-Adjusts Maximum Safe Current 15A/25A/32A Electric Vehicle Plug-in Charging Station: Automotive

This is exactly the sort of thing I was/am looking for. Just wish I could find something UL listed, or at least from a more reputable EVSE company.

For the price I may just go the Tesla Mobile + TeslaTap route if I decide I really want all the plug options.

 

[generaltso]

This is exactly the sort of thing I was/am looking for. Just wish I could find something UL listed, or at least from a more reputable EVSE company.

For the price I may just go the Tesla Mobile + TeslaTap route if I decide I really want all the plug options.

Hopefully, Ford will release additional plugs for the mobile charger that comes with the MME. It would be silly of them not to.

 

[methorian]

Hopefully, Ford will release additional plugs for the mobile charger that comes with the MME. It would be silly of them not to.

True. Guess I'll wait to see if they do before I purchase anything.

 

[dbsb3233]

can you do more than 15A on a standard household 120V circuit though? that's kind of the use case I'm thinking of here... something that you can have and just leave somewhere without having to worry about an electrical change at the site, and not having to leave your main mobile charger there?

120V circuit breakers are usually either 15A or 20A (check your breaker box for the circuit you're thinking of using). 80% of that is the most you should use, thus 12A or 16A.

However, it's still a bit of an open question how much a charger will really draw at 120V. They all advertise their 240V amperage but their 120V amperage is often unclear. In one article, the Ford Mobile Charger was mentioned as charging at just 8A on 120V (~1 kW). And that's consistent with the 3 miles per hour advertised for 120V charging (roughly 1 kWh added per hour).

 

[macchiaz-o]

Hopefully, Ford will release additional plugs for the mobile charger that comes with the MME. It would be silly of them not to.

This.

I've seen zero indication that they plan to do so.

But on the other hand, European customers have a plethora of connectors to choose from (at a variety of different amperages) and their mobile EVSE looks to be identical to ours.

 

[RonTCat]

This.

I've seen zero indication that they plan to do so.

But on the other hand, European customers have a plethora of connectors to choose from (at a variety of different amperages) and their mobile EVSE looks to be identical to ours.

There are so many of this out there already...

https://www.amazon.com/Morec-Electr...10547916&sprefix=14-6+to+14-50,aps,176&sr=8-6

 

[generaltso]

There are so many of this out there already...

https://www.amazon.com/Morec-Electric-NEMA6-50-NEMA14-50-Compatible/dp/B083LRJ4DP/ref=sr_1_6?crid=RPDSVOFCATHY&dchild=1&keywords=nema+6-50+to+14-50+adapter&qid=1610547916&sprefix=14-6+to+14-50,aps,176&sr=8-6

The problem is that using an adapter won't work in all circumstances. For example, if you use an adapter to plug the Ford Mobile Charger into a 14-30 dryer outlet, you'll pop the 30 amp breaker because there's no way to tell the charger or the car to pull less than the 32 amps it's going to try to pull.

 

[macchiaz-o]

There are so many of this out there already...

https://www.amazon.com/Morec-Electric-NEMA6-50-NEMA14-50-Compatible/dp/B083LRJ4DP/ref=sr_1_6?crid=RPDSVOFCATHY&dchild=1&keywords=nema+6-50+to+14-50+adapter&qid=1610547916&sprefix=14-6+to+14-50,aps,176&sr=8-6

I'm referring to a connector that reconfigures the mobile EVSE's current and voltage output.

Ford includes two connectors. One configures it for 120V at ~8A and the other for 240V at 32A.

I have 20A 240V receptacles throughout my garage, but no way to use them with Ford's charging solutions at this time. I'd have to buy a third party charger or buy one of the single phase European connectors and see if I could replace its plug or adapt its plug.

 

[generaltso]

Of course, this could also be solved if and when Ford ever gives us the ability to set the max charging amperage from the car.

 

[JamieGeek]

That all depends: Does the adapter tell the EVSE how much current it can handle? I would suspect so (unless it detects 120V or 240V).

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