Hardwired vs plugged charger. Which way to go?

[bruceski88]

Thanks all for the replies, now I think plugged makes more sense. The garage is just under my bedroom, so running cooling all night will not be great.



It's about 2-3' from the panel. I think the lion's share of the price is labor. The dude said the hardwired is cheaper because they know the circuit purpose while for a plug "they need to make sure that anything plugged works". That sounds like BS to me.

I will probably seek a better quote, thanks.

lYou just need 6-3 romex. This is what it looks like. I find the sheetrock work is harder than the electrical This was inspected

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[Bryan_GTPE]

I’m with @JohnnyForensic I went the plug route with a 50amp, so I can do up to 40amp and I bought a Grizzl-e Classic, this way should it fail, I have the Ford as a backup and I can still charge without issue.

 

[67 Stang Convertible]

The plug provides the most flexibility; not the least you can take a Level 2 charger with you when and if you move (if you bought one). I did the Juice Box plug in. In retrospect would have just put the plug installation and used Ford's charger and saved the $600.

Not sure if my guy was "certified" but referral from another ev guy and I was charged $275 plus the cost of the outlet. From what I gather probably too good of a price; but it works.

 

[timbop]

I’m with @JohnnyForensic I went the plug route with a 50amp, so I can do up to 40amp and I bought a Grizzl-e Classic, this way should it fail, I have the Ford as a backup and I can still charge without issue.

exactly my thinking

 

[Cm12]

The plug provides the most flexibility; not the least you can take a Level 2 charger with you when and if you move (if you bought one). I did the Juice Box plug in. In retrospect would have just put the plug installation and used Ford's charger and saved the $600.

Not sure if my guy was "certified" but referral from another ev guy and I was charged $275 plus the cost of the outlet. From what I gather probably too good of a price; but it works.

It’s about a $275 job in many cases. The lowest quote I could get in Portland, Oregon was $1,200 before permit fees for a proper run or he would do it for $700-800 before permits right below the panel. That’s literally a 30 minute job for an experienced electrician. Like another commenter said, electricians know that people who have the money to buy a 2021 Mach E have enough money that they will pay a ton for a charger install.

I’ve always been handy but never wanted to mess with electricity. At those prices, I figured I’d do some research into whether I could do it myself before making a decision. Ultimately, if you have a 200 amp panel and space for a 60 amp breaker already, it’s a really easy job. It’s about as complicated as replacing a regular outlet, honestly. I did a TON of research to make sure I could do it properly myself but it was shockingly simple.

For a 60 amp circuit and the ChargePoint home flex, I needed 2 runs of 6 gauge THHN wire (the 2 hot wires for a 240 volt circuit) and 1 run of 8 gauge THHN wire (for ground). You’ll need 3/4 EMT conduit (metal tubing for your 3 wires) if running on the outside of the wall in your garage or basically anywhere it could be subject to damage. The National Electrical Code (NEC) allows for flexible conduit in instances where it is not subject to damage, such as along a ceiling, but that definition is open for interpretation by an inspector.

Total cost of all labor and materials for a 35 foot run that looks very professional and is properly installed was about $300. That included the need to buy some tools I didn’t have, such as a conduit bender for $50 alone. It was a great opportunity to learn and now I have a very useful new skill. There are a TON of YouTube videos of how to do it. Spend a few hours watching lots of other people do it and I think you’ll gain a lot of confidence. It really is surprisingly easy.

 

[tuminatr]

I hard wired and went 60a circuit. EVSE's rarely fail I have a super old Juicebox from their kickstart program and it's running at 48a it's nice to have the extra speed. Plus in my area, if you use a plug you are required to do a GFI breaker to pass code inspection so it was about the same cost as a 50a circuit and plug.

 

[bwr1338]

I'm trying to decide if I use Ford's provided mobile charger or if I buy a hardwired charger.

I quoted outlet installation and hardwired installations and the quotes came out as 1800 for an outlet and 1600 for hardwired, so 200 bucks difference for hardwired. But the charger itself costs ~600-700, and a plugin charger is included with a mach-e. That gives 400-500 more expensive for hardwired. (maybe I can sell ford's charger, but that's a hassle).

Ford's charger draws 32 Amps vs hardwired can go up to 48 Amps. Do 16 Amps really justify an additional $500? Mach-e will be my only EV for now, but I'm going to buy an electric or plugin (proper) SUV in a few years. I would really love if Ford made the charger optional, that would make a hardwired a no-brainer for me.

I know a thing or two about electricity, but I'm really not comfortable working on 50 Amps circuits myself (maybe because I know a thing or two )

I bought a first edition back in March and had a 240 outlet installed in the garage and use the Ford charger. It will fully charge the battery overnight. Don't waste the money on another charger.

 

[Red Baron]

I'm trying to decide if I use Ford's provided mobile charger or if I buy a hardwired charger.

I quoted outlet installation and hardwired installations and the quotes came out as 1800 for an outlet and 1600 for hardwired, so 200 bucks difference for hardwired. But the charger itself costs ~600-700, and a plugin charger is included with a mach-e. That gives 400-500 more expensive for hardwired. (maybe I can sell ford's charger, but that's a hassle).

Ford's charger draws 32 Amps vs hardwired can go up to 48 Amps. Do 16 Amps really justify an additional $500? Mach-e will be my only EV for now, but I'm going to buy an electric or plugin (proper) SUV in a few years. I would really love if Ford made the charger optional, that would make a hardwired a no-brainer for me.

I know a thing or two about electricity, but I'm really not comfortable working on 50 Amps circuits myself (maybe because I know a thing or two )

Wow! That seems very high. In Las Vegas 50A, 240V outlet installation is around $400-$500.

 

[MellowJohnny]

I found that electricians will tend to upcharge if you ask them to quote an install for an electric vehicle charger. It's still very much a luxury vehicle purchase, and they are factoring that in.

Instead, just ask for a 50A circuit to be added to your panel, and show them where you'd like the 14-50 outlet mounted.
Then you'll have maximum flexibility to use the Ford Mobile charger, another plug-in EVSE, or even convert that outlet to a hardwired EVSE in the future.

There is nothing special about a circuit for electric vehicle charging, it all has to follow code, but that's it.

Agreed - it’s like ordering a limo for a wedding vs the airport…tell the guy you want to put a dryer in the garage ;-)

 

[Mrbeige3]

I just had my Ford Connected Charger installed today in the Los Angeles area, and it was $495, which included the new breaker. It’s a guy that specializes in EV chargers, along with other things, so he wasn’t just a random electrician. He’s even coming back tomorrow to be sure that it’s working ok after I set up the Ford Pass. Don’t pay $1,200 for the install. That doesn’t seem to make any sense.

 

[macchiaz-o]

I just had my Ford Connected Charger installed today in the Los Angeles area, and it was $495, which included the new breaker. It’s a guy that specializes in EV chargers, along with other things, so he wasn’t just a random electrician. He’s even coming back tomorrow to be sure that it’s working ok after I set up the Ford Pass. Don’t pay $1,200 for the install. That doesn’t seem to make any sense.

Unfortunately, it's gonna vary for everyone because most electrical situations aren't the same as yours.

 

[Mrbeige3]

Unfortunately, it's gonna vary for everyone because most electrical situations aren't the same as yours.

Of course. I’m just saying that the trades tend to be pretty expensive in my area, so it seems like $1,600 is pretty high.

 

[MachMeNow]

I'm trying to make the same decision. I prefer going with a NEMA 14-50 plug but I had two installers both tell me that the city requires a GFCI circuit breaker to pass inspection. They said that they're getting customer complaints of occasional nuisance tripping of the GFCI circuit breaker since most plug in chargers already have built in GFCI. The charger will ensure there is an adequate ground by triggering a small ground-fault at startup which can trip the breaker. Anyone else running into this issue with NEMA 14-50 plug in chargers with a GFCI circuit breaker? I know I could replace the circuit breaker after the inspection but don't want to do that for insurance reasons.

 

[Cm12]

I'm trying to make the same decision. I prefer going with a NEMA 14-50 plug but I had two installers both tell me that the city requires a GFCI circuit breaker to pass inspection. They said that they're getting customer complaints of occasional nuisance tripping of the GFCI circuit breaker since most plug in chargers already have built in GFCI. The charger will ensure there is an adequate ground by triggering a small ground-fault at startup which can trip the breaker. Anyone else running into this issue with NEMA 14-50 plug in chargers with a GFCI circuit breaker? I know I could replace the circuit breaker after the inspection but don't want to do that for insurance reasons.

Yes, some jurisdictions require it and the nuisance tripping is a possibility. If you hardwire, I think most quality chargers have a GFCI built in (ChargePoint home flex does, at least). Depending on your jurisdiction, that might be the only way to avoid using a GFCI breaker.

 

[tuminatr]

I'm trying to make the same decision. I prefer going with a NEMA 14-50 plug but I had two installers both tell me that the city requires a GFCI circuit breaker to pass inspection. They said that they're getting customer complaints of occasional nuisance tripping of the GFCI circuit breaker since most plug in chargers already have built in GFCI. The charger will ensure there is an adequate ground by triggering a small ground-fault at startup which can trip the breaker. Anyone else running into this issue with NEMA 14-50 plug in chargers with a GFCI circuit breaker? I know I could replace the circuit breaker after the inspection but don't want to do that for insurance reasons.

I originally had mine set up with a GFI breaker years ago and never had any issues tripping the breaker, but what I understand is that's different situation for each model EVSE. When I had mine set up that way was before I had the Mach E. If you hardwire the GFI is not required

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