How to charge faster w/o a Nema 14-50 (from a 120-volt outlet).

[ajmartineau]

If your Mach-E came before you had your L2 charger (or a Nema 14-50) installed you can still charge at L2 speeds by using an adapter or switch or a DIY plug and two 120-volt outlets. If you've been on the forum for a while, you've seen me post about this before but I haven't gone into any details because I'm not an electrician.
If you Google/YouTube search for a DYI welding plug or make a welding outlet hack, etc. many similar things will come up.
A Bolt owner Eric made this video. The adapters in his video could be used in other ways.

You can also buy an electronic adapter like this sold-out one.

I made my own adapter.
Here are examples of charging times for my Bolt to charge about 25kWhs starting on Thursday at 6:15 pm.

L1 granny charger: 12amp at 120 volts..... 20 hours!

DIY L2 adapter: 12amps at 240 volts ....9 hours 45 minutes

L2 Blink home charger: 32amps at 240 volts.... 4 hours!

The adapter works off two different 120-volt outlets (from different phases) because the power coming into your house is 240 volts but your breaker box splits it so most of your house runs off 120.

 

[mkhuffman]

The more I think about it, the more I realize what a great idea this is.

For anyone trying it, you have to make sure you connect to two different 120V circuits that are also on different phases. You can figure that out by looking at the circuit breaker box. Typically every other breaker is on the same phase, so two breakers right next to each other (above and below, not left and right) are on different phases. I have an EE degree and have done a lot of wiring in my houses, but I am NOT an electrician, and I do NOT have deep knowledge of all the different types of breaker boxes out there. So please do your own research and if you are not comfortable, don't do it.

On the other hand, the approach is very simple and in most cases if you plug into two outlets that are on the same phase, nothing bad will happen except you won't have 240V. You should have 0V because there is no potential difference when you are on the same phase. So in theory (again I am not an electrician) no damage will occur - you simply won't be able to charge at all. When you find two different circuits on different phases, you should have 240V measured and you should be able to charge at 2X the 120V rate.

This approach solves many problems for me - like how am I going to get a charge at my mom's house that is sufficient to get me to the fast charger on the way home? I could do the dryer thing, but then I need a very, very long 240V extension cord. 120V extension cords are easy to come by, and relatively inexpensive. I will probably wire a 240V outlet in her garage eventually, but in the meantime, I can easily reach two outlets with two 120V extension cords.

This solves the OBX beach house issue for me also. The Outer Banks of NC are a favorite destination for us but there are no fast chargers. There is a Tesla super charger station, but that does nothing for a Mach-E owner. Charging at the house is necessary, and maybe L1 is enough, but L2 with this method makes it much more viable.

Thank you ajmartineau for sharing this!!!

 

[SAM]

Thanks, could be useful to add to charging options/capabilities. I guess something like this on Amazon could work? 80 bucks.

Power Converter 110/125V To 220/250V Electric Adapter 5-15P Wall Plug To 14-50R Miller Lincoln Hobart Plasma Cutter Welder Mig Tig Arc Receptacle Outlet Box NEMA FX583W

 

[ajmartineau]

You can use a cheap volt-meter to check the voltage/phases of the outlets. Your new plug uses a hot from each outlet and combines the grounds.

Thanks, could be useful to add to charging options/capabilities. I guess something like this on Amazon could work? 80 bucks.

Power Converter 110/125V To 220/250V Electric Adapter 5-15P Wall Plug To 14-50R Miller Lincoln Hobart Plasma Cutter Welder Mig Tig Arc Receptacle Outlet Box NEMA FX583W

You will have to get an adapter for that or use a different EVSE. The MME mobile EVSE will request the full 30-32 amps if you plug that in. It will pop your breaker after ~20 seconds. Hopefully, an OTA will add the option to lower the amps to the car.

Or you can replace the plug on the end. I recommend having a box with a dedicated switch not just a homemade plug like that one.

 

[mkhuffman]

The MME mobile EVSE will request the full 30-32 amps if you plug that in. It will pop your breaker after ~20 seconds. Hopefully, an OTA will add the option to lower the amps to the car.

It is surprising the MME does not include that capability. Does the EVSE assume all 240V sources can supply 30 Amps? Does changing the plug adjust the EVSE current limit with different 240V sources? Very frustrating limitation.

 

[mkhuffman]

Here is a EVSE that will allow you to limit the current to 13 Amps so it will work on with two 15 Amp 120V circuit breakers. I have no knowledge of the quality of this EVSE, but if it exists, there are others out there. If you happen to find two circuits that have 20 Amp breakers, you can switch it to 16 Amps.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Electric-V...16A-NEMA-6-20-SAE-J1772-100-240V/402427221160

ajmartineau, are you willing to share the brand/model of the EVSE you are using for the MME, or if using the Ford EVSE, how you are able to limit the current to less than 15 Amps?

This is still a great idea, but it is turning out to be a little more complicated than I first thought. I will definitely prioritize installing that 240V outlet in my mom's garage.

 

[SAM]

Here is a EVSE that will allow you to limit the current to 13 Amps so it will work on with two 15 Amp 120V circuit breakers. I have no knowledge of the quality of this EVSE, but if it exists, there are others out there. If you happen to find two circuits that have 20 Amp breakers, you can switch it to 16 Amps.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Electric-V...16A-NEMA-6-20-SAE-J1772-100-240V/402427221160

ajmartineau, are you willing to share the brand/model of the EVSE you are using for the MME, or if using the Ford EVSE, how you are able to limit the current to less than 15 Amps?

This is still a great idea, but it is turning out to be a little more complicated than I first thought. I will definitely prioritize installing that 240V outlet in my mom's garage.

And it's getting expensive if you have to buy an EVSE, adapters, let alone the box. May not be worth it for occasional use.

 

[ajmartineau]

And it's getting expensive if you have to buy an EVSE, adapters, let alone the box. May not be worth it for occasional use.

I use the NEMA 5-15 dongle (not the 14-50) plugged into a NEMA 5-20 outlet that I made. This works because the EVSE limits by AMPS not Volts. Most mobile EVSEs that come with an EV are rated for 240 volts because they are used worldwide. This was not my original idea. Bolt, Volt, and many other EV owners have been doing this along with many welders. A quick google search will put you onto step-by-step guides on how to make your own.
I have tried it with 4 different mobile chargers from 4 different cars. They all worked. I first made one for emergencies/to test for $5 and two old extension cords.

 

[DBC]

Or you can replace the plug on the end. I recommend having a box with a dedicated switch not just a homemade plug like that one.

Unsure how this would help with the issue of the 120v circuits being 15A. Also not following the recommendation for a box with a switch. If the point is to bond two 120v lines together what would you be switching between?

EDIT: I see the answer to the first. You're bonding the two 120v lines together and then using the 120v pigtail on the Mobile Charger. Yes that should work but probably not fast enough for daily use (I wouldn't think). Still not understanding what you're switching between.

 

[ajmartineau]

Some people make a plug and some make a box with an outlet. With either option, you are not bonding the hots. The switch allows you to make the connection after you plug in both phases which eliminates the chance of you getting shocked.
This is not theoretical as I have used this periodically for years.
240 at 12 amps is fast enough for most daily commuting. It’s more than twice as fast as your standard granny plug.
see the link for a commercially available unit from quickcharge.

 

[mkhuffman]

You're bonding the two 120v lines together and then using the 120v pigtail on the Mobile Charger.

Just to be 100% clear: you should never "bond" two hot lines of different phases together. Best case you will blow one or both 120V breakers. Worst case you could burn the house down. Each 120V hot line is used to create a 240V circuit (the voltage difference between both 120V hot lines is 240V). This is exactly how it is done inside the breaker box.

It is dangerous because there is a possibility you are plugging into an outlet that is wired backwards. Depending on how the junction thing is made, it could result in connecting the hot of one 120V circuit to the neutral of another circuit. A properly wired breaker box will prevent a fire, but an improperly wired one might not. Everyone trying this should be fully aware of the hazards.

I think you could create a box that does not connect the neutral wires together, and just leaves them disconnected. But you will want to ground your box for safety. The switch ajmartineau mentions is a good idea. The pictures he provides shows an outlet tester which you should definitely use to test each outlet you plan to use to make sure it is wired correctly. If the outlet is not grounded or is wired backwards, the tester should tell you.

 

[bshaw]

This concept of using two standard outlets to create a 240V circuit is a gamechanger!!! Thank you @ajmartineau for posting this idea!

I built my own outlet box basically using the information above and additional research from googling.

I believe my box is assembled correctly because I can get 240V using my voltmeter across the outlet terminals.
However, when I plug in the Ford Mobile charger and flip my switch, BOTH 120V breakers flip. (car not even connected yet)
I think it may be my arc fault circuit breakers are just too sensitive for this setup. If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know.

 

[mkhuffman]

This concept of using two standard outlets to create a 240V circuit is a gamechanger!!! Thank you @ajmartineau for posting this idea!

I built my own outlet box basically using the information above and additional research from googling.

I believe my box is assembled correctly because I can get 240V using my voltmeter across the outlet terminals.
However, when I plug in the Ford Mobile charger and flip my switch, BOTH 120V breakers flip. (car not even connected yet)
I think it may be my arc fault circuit breakers are just too sensitive for this setup. If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know.

Are your breakers GFI breakers? Probably they are not, because that is unusual. But they do exist. So if you have one you could be right about the ground issue. But if you have standard breakers, I assume they are 15 Amp breakers. Which means you can only draw 15 Amps, of course. Not 30, as some may think.

The Ford charger must be drawing more than 15 Amps when you plug it in. Most 240V circuits are rated for at least 30 Amps, so the Ford charger could easily exceed 15 Amps unless you can limit it somehow. I am surprised it does that when not connected to the car, but maybe it is some sort of test the charger is doing.

 

[dano]

This concept of using two standard outlets to create a 240V circuit is a gamechanger!!! Thank you @ajmartineau for posting this idea!

I built my own outlet box basically using the information above and additional research from googling.

I believe my box is assembled correctly because I can get 240V using my voltmeter across the outlet terminals.
However, when I plug in the Ford Mobile charger and flip my switch, BOTH 120V breakers flip. (car not even connected yet)
I think it may be my arc fault circuit breakers are just too sensitive for this setup. If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know.

The NEMA 14-50 outlet doesn't ever have 240V coming out of it. Instead, you have two "hot" 120V connectors inside it. What this part is essentially doing is attempting to make a 240V outlet using the "hot" wire from two 120V outlets. However, your 120V breakers won't (and shouldn't) let enough Amps through to make this work.

The problem you're facing is that your charger is expecting to get 32 Amp from EACH of the two 120V connectors in the plug. Neither of your breakers that are feeding your 120V outlets are likely going to support that (nor would I recommend it).

This is why the 240V chargers work so much faster than the 120V chargers... not only are they pulling in more Amp, but there is double the voltage (via two separate wires in use simultaneously). But the only way to make that work is by feeding your NEMA 14-50 outlet with a "240V" breaker (or something that will give you two 50A 120V "hot" wires).

120V@12A = 1.44kW
240V@32A = 7.68kW

 

[Nklem]

I made the adapter for my hyundai a fre years ago. It works great. I will keep it in mind for the Mach E if needed. Thanks.

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