240V Wall Outlet vs. Level 2 EV Charger

[DBC]

I agree with @Mirak that the benefits of having a mobile charger in the car are limited. If you're going on a trip the likelihood of finding a 14-50 outlet will be substantially less likely than finding a DC charger. No doubt you can find a standard 120v outlet but that simply won't be fast enough to be useful. And of course this isn't an issue at all if you remember to take it with you.

Keep in mind that if you do use the mobile charger you will need to install GFCI breakers for the outlet (that's a requirement for the 14-50 outlet not the mobile charger in particular). That will add some expense compared to a wired EVSE which won't require GFCI breakers. Not nearly as expensive as a new EVSE but maybe $75 more.

Personally, while I have two plug-in EVSE and the mobile charger is in the MME, if I didn't have an EVSE I'd use the mobile charger.

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[dml105]

For almost everybody, almost all the time, the mobile charger on a 240v 40amp circuit is just fine.

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People say they like having the mobile charger in their car for “security,” but you really gotta ask yourself how you’re going to use that mobile charger out on the road.

All of this.

You can kind of think of it like jumper cables. My wife insisted that I buy her jumper cables when we got her new gas car. I have been driving for 27 years and have never jumped a car. At this point, I'm quite certain that I never will. But alas, there the cables sit, in her car, for security.

I also have never in 27 years run out of fuel before finding a station. (Came close once, 23 years ago, in the gap between LA and Fresno.) So again, at this point, I'm quite certain that I never will.

Ford gave me an EVSE, so I use it for 99% of my charging. I had my garage wired for 60A in case I want to upgrade in the future, but in practice, the 32A Ford Mobile Charger does more than I need.

 

[Astro]

When the electrician came, I had him run the appropriate gauge wire so that if I want to upgrade my 50 amp breaker to 60 amps, I can easily do so.
So from what I've seen so far, my choices are:
1. Ford Connected Charger
2. Charge Point
3. Juice Box

Are there others that can do up to 48 amps?

Clipper Creek(HCS-60) is also an option, I just ordered it the other day. I think the actual ford charger is an OEM based on the clipper Creek charger. I just didn't want the hassle of going through the dealer to buy it.

It's one of the cheaper options but currently on back order.

 

[BadgerGreg]

I got the ChargePoint 50A home charger. It's hardwired to a dedicated 60A circuit, which means my MME can draw the maximum 48A. This really isn't necessary for everyone, but I occasionally drive a lot of miles and I come in at the end of the day empty and need to leave the next morning full. This is 50% faster than charging with the Ford-supplied hardware, and I just like having access to that extra charging speed. Like I said, not for everyone.

 

[SeattleMachE]

Thanks for the info. May I ask what EV charger you ended up purchasing? Was it the charger offered by Ford or an aftermarket charger?

I went with the ChargePoint Home Flex. I’ve seen the ChargePoint brand recommended pretty frequently, and they have a range of models at different price points.

The Ford charger looks cool but it’s pricey and the main unique feature to it that it’s integrated into the FordPass app, and that’s just not a big deal IMO.

 

[AndyR]

Can anyone tell me, off the top of their head, what my choices are if I want to purchase an EVSE that can charge at up to 48amps?

I installed a a 240V NEMA 14-50 outlet in my garage an it works just fine using the included mobile charger. But I've only taken two trips with the car and I'm already tired of having to take down the mobile charger and pack it up. I think I want to leave it in the car and install something else permanently.

When the electrician came, I had him run the appropriate gauge wire so that if I want to upgrade my 50 amp breaker to 60 amps, I can easily do so.
So from what I've seen so far, my choices are:
1. Ford Connected Charger
2. Charge Point
3. Juice Box

Are there others that can do up to 48 amps? I only have to charge once or twice a week but if I'm going to install something permanent, I might as well get the most bang for my buck.
My understanding is that the 3 choices above are all on back order. Correct?

It doesnt sound like you need the extra 8 amps you get from upgrading the 50 to 60a if you are only charging twice a week. Why not just leave the 50a and get another evse that can use it?

 

[digdug52]

One thing to consider. More than likely your 50 amp breaker includes GFCI if it was installed to code for a 14-50 outlet. Most of the EVSE that are hardwired have this built in and do not need a breaker to handle this. Even if you decided to go 50 amp with hardwire you would need a new breaker anyway.
I would suggest looking into the one of the EVSE that will plug into your 14-50 since you already have it wired in. You will still get 40 amps instead of the 32 amps max from the Ford mobile charger. I don't think you will notice much difference between 40 and 48 amps in total time to charge.

 

[Dangerfish]

It doesnt sound like you need the extra 8 amps you get from upgrading the 50 to 60a if you are only charging twice a week. Why not just leave the 50a and get another evse that can use it?

That’s a good point. Maybe I’ll just get another plug in evse and not worry about the hardwire. I doubt I’ll miss the extra 8amps.

 

[Tron]

I went with a chargepoint home flex on a 60 amp circuit. As someone said earlier, if I'm paying for a run, might as well support a 48 amp charge rate.

Originally I was going to have a 240 outlet installed on the circuit and use the Ford charger. Since my utility offers a 500 rebate if you install a chargepoint, it seemed too good of a deal to pass up.

 

[THXDIAL]

I ordered a GTPE on 4/28. I'm having a 240V 50A outlets installed in our new home build and our daughter's garage in OH. I plan to use a ChargePoint Flex plug in. After researching both I still haven't decided on a NEMA 6-50 or 14-50 outlet. I know Ford includes a 14-50 plug in the MachE. For those of you that are not hardwiring your chargers, which outlet are you going with?? Thanks!

 

[Infinite_Jester]

One piece of advice for anyone deciding on a wall charger -- get the longer cable! I have had a ClipperCreek HCS-40P with a 25 ft cable for 6 years, and when I bought it in 2015 a lot of chargers had 18 ft cables. More important to my satisfaction than the number of Amps (32A by the way, which is perfectly fine) is the longer cable which allows more flexibility in how the car is parked.
Cheers!

 

[HuntingPudel]

I have a NEMA 6-50 outlet but that it because that is the connector on the end of the plug for my EVSE. Choose the EVSE you want then install the corresponding outlet. It appears that most EVSEs come with a 14-50 plug so it would be the more commonly installed outlet for this purpose.

 

[Maquis]

For those of you that are not hardwiring your chargers, which outlet are you going with?? Thanks!

I would suggest the 14-50. It will provide the most flexibility going forward in case you need to plug in something that requires a neutral. It's better to have the neutral and not need it than the other way around. You can buy a 6-50 to 14-50 adapter if you end up with an EVSE that comes with a 6-50 plug.

 

[engnrng]

I have a NEMA 6-50 outlet but that it because that is the connector on the end of the plug for my EVSE. Choose the EVSE you want then install the corresponding outlet. It appears that most EVSEs come with a 14-50 plug so it would be the more commonly installed outlet for this purpose.

Any RV park that has RV plugs has 14-50 outlets that can be used in a critical situation, as I understand it. Someone on this forum did that on a trip when the DCFC he had planned to use was not operating.

 

[TheVirtualTim]

If you have a run installed for a NEMA 14-50 plug (which allows a maximum of a 40 amp charging rate) then have the electrician use 6 gauge wire (which can handle a 48 amp charge rate). It is actually VERY easy to remove the NEMA 14-50 outlet and replace it with a direct-wired EVSE. I actually had to do this myself. My ordered Ford Connected Charger had not arrived ... and I needed to have the electric work for EV charging finished before Dec 31 to qualify for the 30% / $1000 federal tax credit (which, it turns out, got extended ... but I couldn't have known if it would be extended at the time.)

I had my electrician install a NEMA 14-50 plug and a 50 amp breaker so that it would pass inspection. When the Ford Connected Charge Station arrived, I replaced the NEMA 14-50 with the Ford EVSE and I swapped the 50 amp breaker for a 60 amp breaker so I can charge at 48 amps (and the wire gauge was already sized for it).

I *also* found out what happens when the power glitches out. My Mach-E was plugged in (although not actively charging) when we got a power glitch. All the clocks in the house were blinking "12:00". I walked out to the car and the Ford Connected Charge Station had the red fault light displayed ... I reset it (flip the breaker off .. wait several seconds ... then flip it back on) and all was good again.

GFCI doesn't really protect against power surges/spikes. It protects against damage that allows electricity to leak/flow through some unintended path (typically as a result of damage).

An excellent explanation and demonstration is here:

And... if you want to know what an EVSE *really* does, this one is great:

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