Future Proofing Dual Charger Install?

the golden eel

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2022
Threads
4
Messages
187
Reaction score
388
Location
Twin Cities, MN
Vehicles
MME 2022 Premium AWD Extended Range
Country flag
My utility company gives a $500 rebate per charger. Not getting 2 would be silly. Plus 30% tax credit on the rest.
Just an FYI that 30% tax credit is not a sure thing like it used to be. I was fully expecting to take advantage of that credit this spring, but after an inordinate amount of time I finally found out that I don't live in an approved area for that credit. The people across the street, however, do live in an approved zone.🙄
Sponsored

 

RickMachE

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2021
Threads
204
Messages
13,380
Reaction score
18,264
Location
SE MI
Vehicles
2022 Mach-E Premium 4X, 2022 Lightning Lariat
Country flag
Yup.
 

OH2AZ2OH

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2021
Threads
6
Messages
585
Reaction score
706
Location
Dublin, OH
Vehicles
Mach E 4X
Country flag
Clipper Creek and Grizzl-E both make dual chargers. Enphase also makes a dual charger, but that one only (maybe) makes sense if you have solar with Enphase inverters. The Grizzl-E is a "dumb" charger and not that expensive. Although, at least when I was looking, customers weren't happy with the way it limited output when 2 cars were plugged in but only one was charging.

I was shopping for a PEHV for my wife, and that would have required charging almost every night. Ended up going with a regular hybrid, so I never pulled the trigger on a dual charger.
 

PebbleMav

Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2023
Threads
0
Messages
6
Reaction score
6
Location
Monterey Bay
Vehicles
2023 Premium
Country flag
For most people, having two chargers would be an unnecessary expense.
Our garage charger is mostly used one night per week. With two EVs, the charger would be used 2 or 3 times per week. Actually, it rarely takes more than 3 or 4 hours to charge up to 80%. So two EVs in our household could be charged in 8 hours or so.
 


markboris

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mark
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Threads
26
Messages
2,775
Reaction score
5,834
Location
Sonora, CA
Vehicles
_______ '20 Shelby GT500 FPB '21 Mach-E GTPE IS
Occupation
Retired
Country flag

AliRafiee

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ali
Joined
Jan 20, 2023
Threads
56
Messages
1,237
Reaction score
1,341
Location
Seattle WA
Vehicles
2022 Mach E GT - Grabber Blue
Occupation
Software Eng.
Country flag
Do NOT buy two Juicebox chargers, like I did. They broke their software last year, have not fixed it, and it has major issues.
Just curious what part of the software do you consider broken?

I also have two JuiceBox 40s.
 

bbulkow

Well-Known Member
First Name
Brian
Joined
Aug 30, 2022
Threads
14
Messages
366
Reaction score
238
Location
menlo park, california
Vehicles
Honda CRV, Porsche Cayman S
Country flag
We were happy to drive our new MME home and trying to be thoughtful about the charger we install. Seems like you folks have lots of informed opinions.

I am thinking I would like to install a dual charger - because I am hopeful that the next owner of this house (or me) will have two EVs. And as I understand the plugs are standardizing away from the plug this 2023 MME currently sports.

What recommendations do you all have for a dual charger with some future proofing that can be wired directly to the panel on its own circuit?

TIA
Regarding plugs. For AC charging, there are a very large number of J1772 L2 chargers in the world. The adapter is cheap and plentiful and fairly small. When I was driving a tesla I had to use my adapter constantly: every office and public L2 AC charger was Jplug. It's unclear that NACS will replace J1772 for AC charging. I bought the reverse adapter (NACS to Jplug for AC L2), and have never used it because Jplug is so prevelent.

The issue with converters and networks and "sunsetting" centers around *DC* fast charging (L3). That's where NACS (aka Tesla) will take over from CCS and CCS was a lousy connector to begin with. NACS to CCS is not yet widely available. However, it has nothing to do with your home charger. You won't have DC fast charging in your house for a long time.

The most future proof thing you can do is install a 14-50 plug that will accept different future chargers. Then you can use chargers that "load share" as other people discuss here, or plug in a NACS charger if you end up with a NACS car instead of J1772, or perhaps switch to a dual charger (one charger two cords) if you get to two EVs and find you want the flexibility, and maybe someday there will start being 3 or 4 cord chargers! I didn't go plug - I hardwired - because I have an external box and weather proofing the entire charging unit will be most reliable, and reliability trumped building for an unknown future. I'm OK taking it out in a decade if things change radically.
 
Last edited:

RickMachE

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2021
Threads
204
Messages
13,380
Reaction score
18,264
Location
SE MI
Vehicles
2022 Mach-E Premium 4X, 2022 Lightning Lariat
Country flag
For most people, having two chargers would be an unnecessary expense.
Our garage charger is mostly used one night per week. With two EVs, the charger would be used 2 or 3 times per week. Actually, it rarely takes more than 3 or 4 hours to charge up to 80%. So two EVs in our household could be charged in 8 hours or so.
Just curious what part of the software do you consider broken?

I also have two JuiceBox 40s.
Minor issues:

- On the old software, I could prorated the loads hare, giving the Lightning 2/3rd and the Mach-E 1/3rd (29amps /19amps). New software is 50/50.

- Old software had a website I could alter this, see data, etc. New website doesn't give access to that, and other issues.

- At startup, it now takes a lot more time for the units to ramp up if both vehicles are connected.

- App continuously logs you out and requires you to log back in.

Major issues:

-TOU doesn't work and has to be disabled. Even disabled, if you plug in during the no charge hours, when the charge hours come around, vehicles will not charge, requiring you to unplug and replug in the vehicles. With TOU disabled, it could charge in peak hours.

- After a session ends, charging cannot be restarted. So battery self warming, preconditioning, and remote start cannot use house current.

- Resume function doesn't work.

- Software issues have existed for over a year. Support calls result in asking the exact same questions, like "breaker popping has been resolved?" when it has never been an issue.

- Support elevated to level 3 reps takes we3ks if not months for a reply internally. When they reach back out, they can not tell you what, if anything, changed, and nothing gets fixed.

I am sure I missed something...
 

BubGump

Member
First Name
Corey
Joined
Sep 7, 2022
Threads
3
Messages
21
Reaction score
25
Location
Syracuse, NY
Vehicles
2022 Mach E Premium ER AWD, 2005 LGT, 1999 SC400
Occupation
all of them
Country flag
We were happy to drive our new MME home and trying to be thoughtful about the charger we install. Seems like you folks have lots of informed opinions.

I am thinking I would like to install a dual charger - because I am hopeful that the next owner of this house (or me) will have two EVs. And as I understand the plugs are standardizing away from the plug this 2023 MME currently sports.

What recommendations do you all have for a dual charger with some future proofing that can be wired directly to the panel on its own circuit?

TIA
clipper creek has dual chargers that communicate with each other to properly share one circuit. I have a (single) clipper creek and love the thing. Rock solid. Lacking “modern features”, but I do energy monitoring at my breaker box anyways. About to pick up a Solterra tho I think. I’ll be going the clipper creek dual charger route. For me this is kind of necessary during the winter, it gets cold here. Even if I don’t need to charge them simultaneously I’d like to have them both plugged in.

this one is one charger with two ports : https://enphase.com/store/ev-chargers/clippercreek-hcs-d50-dual-ev-charger-hardwired-40

They also have models where they are two separate stations that do load sharing.
 

dwst480

Active Member
First Name
Dustin
Joined
Sep 24, 2023
Threads
1
Messages
31
Reaction score
30
Location
Iowa
Vehicles
2023.5 Vapor Blue MME Premium RWD ER, 2015 Mazda6
Country flag
Another vote for the Tesla Universal Wall Connector here. Currently we have only the Mach-E, but I was of the same mind as the OP, wanting to have something that would also work with Teslas or future vehicles with NACS ports. Sure, adapters will make just about any L2 charger work with just about any EV, but the built-in adapter on the UWC is easy and the cost was comparable to other chargers I was looking at.

If we get a second EV, we'll make the decision then as to whether we install a second charger or just share the one.
 

Adventureboy

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jonathan
Joined
Jan 5, 2024
Threads
0
Messages
111
Reaction score
55
Location
Ontario
Vehicles
2022 MME Premium AWD ER
Country flag
For your original question on dual chargers, the Grizzl-E DUO is another option similar to the Ephase and a bit cheaper. They are both J1772 so future proofing for NACs requires adapters. Others like the Tesla UWC are separate (albeit coordinated) chargers and it wouldn't make sense to me for you to install two if you only have one EV unless you plan to get another one in the short term or have a need to guest charge.

I believe we will see more NACS options for this in the next year or so as more households get more than one EV and the move to NACS progresses.
 

PA Bob

Well-Known Member
First Name
Robert
Joined
Aug 20, 2021
Threads
9
Messages
168
Reaction score
112
Location
PA
Vehicles
Premium RWD SB
Country flag
We were happy to drive our new MME home and trying to be thoughtful about the charger we install. Seems like you folks have lots of informed opinions.

I am thinking I would like to install a dual charger - because I am hopeful that the next owner of this house (or me) will have two EVs. And as I understand the plugs are standardizing away from the plug this 2023 MME currently sports.

What recommendations do you all have for a dual charger with some future proofing that can be wired directly to the panel on its own circuit?

TIA
if you don’t already have two electric vehicles, do you really want to get two chargers? If you get one charger now, even if you get a second EV, odds are they won’t need to charge at the same time. I put one charger in my garage in a spot where either Carr could charge from it. When the day comes when I need a second charger, odds are they will will be more advanced at that point.
 

ponEpwr

Well-Known Member
First Name
Nathan
Joined
Dec 21, 2021
Threads
2
Messages
197
Reaction score
196
Location
Kansas
Vehicles
GTPE, F-150
Country flag
Yeah the only future proofing I’d do is get a 100 or 125 amp sub panel with 20 positions installed in the garage if your main panel is not already in the garage.
 

Gloff

Well-Known Member
First Name
Sean
Joined
Mar 26, 2021
Threads
4
Messages
221
Reaction score
364
Location
San Francisco
Website
www.serramonteford.com
Vehicles
2023 Mach E RWD X, 2003 BMW Z4, 2013 Tesla Model S
Occupation
Sales Manager
Country flag
There is only one solution that fits your bill I believe - The Tesla Universal Wall Connector. You buy two of them connect to the same circuit, and they load share. https://amzn.to/3JmZSqx

I can vouch for Tesla's Universal unit, well made, easy to use. We're not using load sharing, however.
Sponsored

 
 




Top