Can I use an extension cord?

[MYOUTH]

Can I use an extension cord with the charger that came with the car? Will be plugging into 110volt. What gauge wire would be recommended?
Thanks for any info

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[bshaw]

Can I use an extension cord with the charger that came with the car? Will be plugging into 110volt. What gauge wire would be recommended?
Thanks for any info

I would say since you are going to be using it over prolonged periods, get a 12AWG extension cord. The Ford mobile charger will pull a continuous 12A from the outlet.
Also, get one rated for outdoors, if that's where you'll be using it.

I think some 14AWG extension cords will say they're rated for up to 15A, but its not worth saving a couple bucks on something like that.

 

[RonTCat]

Yes, use the 12 gauge cord.

 

[JamieGeek]

You could always get one for "the other side of the EVSE" then you can use it whenever you charge. Granted its a bit more expensive than your normal 120V one.

Note that I have used that on the Mach-E--just don't have a picture of it.

 

[AlbanyIan]

You need to factor in the distance/length to be accurate though used a 14 AWG 100’ cord yesterday and didn’t start a fire…. It’s a pretty clean circuit and nothing else was turned on.

Interestingly, I first plugged it into my outdoor outlet which is on a circuit I don’t know much about (it’s an old house with lots of junction boxes) and the charger indicator light stayed half-lit on orange versus a full blue indicator. Something it didn’t like about that outlet as it work fine when I tried the clean one.

 

[bshaw]

You could always get one for "the other side of the EVSE" then you can use it whenever you charge. Granted its a bit more expensive than your normal 120V one.

Note that I have used that on the Mach-E--just don't have a picture of it.

Um, why didn't you just pull that little red car into the driveway to where the first J-1772 would reach? Or was this photo staged just to show the distance your extension cord could reach?

 

[DanHo]

Um, why didn't you just pull that little red car into the driveway to where the first J-1772 would reach? Or was this photo staged just to show the distance your extension cord could reach?

It's a Bolt and ?

 

[JamieGeek]

Um, why didn't you just pull that little red car into the driveway to where the first J-1772 would reach? Or was this photo staged just to show the distance your extension cord could reach?

It's a Bolt and ?

That was long before the Bolt fires although that is funny.

I was testing it because the next week they were tearing up and replacing our driveway. Hence no charging for 3+ weeks without the extension.

 

[Rolling ions]

I would say since you are going to be using it over prolonged periods, get a 12AWG extension cord. The Ford mobile charger will pull a continuous 12A from the outlet.
Also, get one rated for outdoors, if that's where you'll be using it.

I think some 14AWG extension cords will say they're rated for up to 15A, but its not worth saving a couple bucks on something like that.

As stated depends on length but would suggest atleast 12awg and make sure you get shortest length needed. Also don't leave it coiled when charging or cord can get hot melt and potentially burn.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Yes, keep the cord as short as you can, completely uncoil when using, etc. The issue with the extension cord is excessive voltage drop, which slows down your charging and also diverts more energy into heating the wires.

You can play with this voltage drop calculator to see what size you need (car draws 12A on 120V), always keep the voltage drop less than 3%. You also have to consider there's going to be a voltage drop in the wiring from the breaker to the outlet, so you may want the voltage drop in the cord to be even less than 3%.

For efficiency you should really make sure the car is getting at least 110V at the end of the cord under load. An easy way to test is to plug a 1500W space heater into the outlet or cord you're using and measure the voltage at the end (with a voltmeter or a Kill A Watt device). If you drop below 110V with the space heater on high, you should switch to a better outlet or cord. Many outlets are poorly wired (e.g. too many in a chain) so it's always a good idea to check.

Really wish the car would show the available voltage on the display while charging like Teslas so users know when they have a poor circuit.

 

[67 Stang Convertible]

That was long before the Bolt fires although that is funny.

I was testing it because the next week they were tearing up and replacing our driveway. Hence no charging for 3+ weeks without the extension.

Ok that makes more sense. I was like “just pull up the driveway” when I saw your 1st post. ??

 

[JamieGeek]

Ok that makes more sense. I was like “just pull up the driveway” when I saw your 1st post. ??

I've also used that for charging at campgrounds when my EVSE doesn't reach the 14-50 plug.

For more on campground charging:
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/campground-charging-as-a-last-resort.1403/

 

[Maquis]

You could always get one for "the other side of the EVSE" then you can use it whenever you charge. Granted its a bit more expensive than your normal 120V one.

Good advice for level 2.
Probably overkill for level 1.

 

[Lord Polymath]

My advice - don't do bricks on the side of the driveway. They just end up being a PITA to clean/maintain.

 

[prdude]

I have been using an extension cord for many months running from my house to my detached garage (mobile charger doesn't like any of the 115V outlets in my garage. I have not experienced any issues, other than the GFCI tripping every once in a while.

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