Charging Away from Home - Electric Dryer Outlet Compatibility

[jvoglmn]

Hoping members on this forum can provide some guidance. I will be staying with a relative who has 240v service in their garage for an electric clothes dryer. The outlet looks like this:

Does anyone know if I could use a plug adapter like this:

or something similar that will provide decent overnight charging performance without creating electrical/fire risk to their home or damage to the Ford charger that came with the vehicle? Thanks for your help!

 

[macchiaz-o]

Unfortunately, no. You would need to use a different EVSE, one that is designed for use with that receptacle.

Except it may be difficult to find one that's safe for that type of receptacle, since the outlet is missing the ground wire. (Instead it is two hots and a neutral.) I believe that the EV charging standards require a ground wire.

 

[jvoglmn]

Unfortunately, no. You would need to use a different EVSE, one that is designed for use with that receptacle.

Except it may be difficult to find one that's safe for that type of receptacle, since the outlet is missing the ground wire. (Instead it is two hots and a neutral.) I believe that the EV charging standards require a ground wire.

Thank you for your reply. I was hoping the design of the adapter pictured, which includes a ground wire that can be plugged into an adjacent outlet, would address that issue.

 

[macchiaz-o]

Thank you for your reply. I was hoping the design of the adapter pictured, which includes a ground wire that can be plugged into an adjacent outlet, would address that issue.

Maybe? It wouldn't be to code since the ground could be unplugged before the live circuit. But it might work.

You would still require an EVSE that runs at a maximum rate of 24 amps to be compatible with that 30 amp circuit.

 

[ChasingCoral]

The problem is you’re trying to plug a 32A EVSE into a 30A circuit. No matter what adapter you put in, you’ll either blow a breaker or risk a fire. You can’t use the Ford Mobile Charger on less than a 40A circuit when using 240V. Your next option is to chargers at 120V or buy a 16 or 24A EVSE.

It is unfortunate the Ford Mobile Charger and Mach E don’t have a way to limit charging to a lower power when in 240V.

 

[Carsinmyblood]

That outlet says 30A on it. That's an indication of the allowable draw - 30 amps. If the wire feeding it and the breaker in the box are properly installed, they are also rated for 30 amps.

The outlet is supposed to be the limiter. That configuration tells us that the circuit is rated for 30 amps.

Now.... it can happen that the breaker and wiring carries a heavier rating and that a 30 amp outlet was installed to allow a dryer to be plugged in, but that will take some investigation, and then using a short bridge wire with a plug and socket. But I wouldn't do that unless I was good and sure, as we all know that 40 and 50 amp services get warm while charging.

 

[carbonizedbrett]

The problem is you’re trying to plug a 32A EVSE into a 30A circuit. No matter what adapter you put in, you’ll either blow a breaker or risk a fire. You can’t use the Ford Mobile Charger on less than a 40A circuit when using 240V. Your next option is to chargers at 120V or buy a 16 or 24A EVSE.

It is unfortunate the Ford Mobile Charger and Mach E don’t have a way to limit charging to a lower power when in 240V.

Do we know anything about who actually makes the Ford Mobile Charger?

I've been wondering if it would support lower current 240V charging with different NEMA dongles.

I checked continuity on both dongles and the two larger, central pins on the charger side are connected as we'd expect: to neutral and hot on the 120V NEMA 5-15 and -hot and +hot on the 240V NEMA 14-50. In both cases one of the smaller, outer charger-side terminals are connected to the ground pin.

The other smaller, outer terminal? In both cases, I measured 31.3kOhms.

So unless there's some a more complicated signaling protocol, those *do not* tell the charger anything about the dongle. So maybe it does just read 120V = 12A and 240V = 32A?

I'm wondering if that's just a thermistor between ground and the other terminal to shut down or reduce the charging rate if the plug heats up? I will experiment later.

I was kind of hoping for optional dongles. I have easy access to a NEMA 6-20 outlet and 10mph charging would be a nice boost over NEMA 5-15's 3mph.

 

[ChasingCoral]

The Food Mobile Charger is made by Webasto.

 

[JamieGeek]

Do we know anything about who actually makes the Ford Mobile Charger?

I've been wondering if it would support lower current 240V charging with different NEMA dongles.

I checked continuity on both dongles and the two larger, central pins on the charger side are connected as we'd expect: to neutral and hot on the 120V NEMA 5-15 and -hot and +hot on the 240V NEMA 14-50. In both cases one of the smaller, outer charger-side terminals are connected to the ground pin.

The other smaller, outer terminal? In both cases, I measured 31.3kOhms.

So unless there's some a more complicated signaling protocol, those *do not* tell the charger anything about the dongle. So maybe it does just read 120V = 12A and 240V = 32A?

I'm wondering if that's just a thermistor between ground and the other terminal to shut down or reduce the charging rate if the plug heats up? I will experiment later.

I was kind of hoping for optional dongles. I have easy access to a NEMA 6-20 outlet and 10mph charging would be a nice boost over NEMA 5-15's 3mph.

Just start your EVSE collection. Its pretty easy once you pick up one you just have to have another*

*=I may have a few....

 

[HuntingPudel]

Just start your EVSE collection. Its pretty easy once you pick up one you just have to have another*

*=I may have a few....

Kind of like potato chips I guess.

 

[carbonizedbrett]

Just start your EVSE collection. Its pretty easy once you pick up one you just have to have another*

*=I may have a few....

If I could get my hands on a Turbocord that does both NEMA 5-15 and NEMA 6-20 for reasonable price, I probably would!

That would work on the NEMA 5-15 on the light pole in the middle of my work parking lot and, in a pinch, the 6-20 back by our loading dock.

evsolutions.com only appears to be offering the 240V-only version right now.

 

[Carsinmyblood]

I foresee a few vendors at a future Fall Hershey with tables filled with antiquated EVSE's and on-board chargers. He's got a super rare Lurid (Lucid?) A few tables down, a fella has battery cells dating from 2003 to 2029, just before the changover to solids.

This will follow the PC power source model.

Anybody need a power brick for a Gateway MX90g? I've got 2 in near-mint condition.

 

[jvoglmn]

Just start your EVSE collection. Its pretty easy once you pick up one you just have to have another*

*=I may have a few....

That's not a bad idea. I'm already in this far. Thanks.

 

[timbop]

That's not a bad idea. I'm already in this far. Thanks.

Careful - it's like photographer's buying lenses they might one day use or any man browsing the tool aisle at Home Depot imagining a project they'll never do... ?


* I have lots of lenses and tools I can't even find

 

[murphy62]

Do we know anything about who actually makes the Ford Mobile Charger?

I've been wondering if it would support lower current 240V charging with different NEMA dongles.

I checked continuity on both dongles and the two larger, central pins on the charger side are connected as we'd expect: to neutral and hot on the 120V NEMA 5-15 and -hot and +hot on the 240V NEMA 14-50. In both cases one of the smaller, outer charger-side terminals are connected to the ground pin.

The other smaller, outer terminal? In both cases, I measured 31.3kOhms.

So unless there's some a more complicated signaling protocol, those *do not* tell the charger anything about the dongle. So maybe it does just read 120V = 12A and 240V = 32A?

I'm wondering if that's just a thermistor between ground and the other terminal to shut down or reduce the charging rate if the plug heats up? I will experiment later.

I was kind of hoping for optional dongles. I have easy access to a NEMA 6-20 outlet and 10mph charging would be a nice boost over NEMA 5-15's 3mph.

The Tesla UMC (Universal Mobile Charger) has AC adapters for 15, 20, 30, and 50 amp plugs.
There is a resistor in the adapter that specifies what the adapter is to the UMC.

15 amp 120 volt plug 139 Kohm resistor
20 amp 120 volt plug 74.5 Kohm resistor
30 amp 240 volt plug 33 Kohm resistor
50 amp 240 volt plug 9 Kohm resistor
The maximum charge current is 80% of the plug value.
i.e. 12, 16, 24, 40 amps.

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