Switching to Grizzl-E Mini

[Sweens711]

Happy 2022 Mach- E owner here. Our ford portable charger just failed (solid red light fault). We used it as our main charger for the past 2.5 years. (Im getting the impression from the forums that it was more meant to be intended to be used as an "as needed" charger, versus a "daily charger"??) If that's the case... Ford did not make that clear!

It's no longer under warranty (50k miles)- per speaking over the phone with the service department that we purchased at.

We diagnosed by first checking the 240 outlet with a multimeter. This video was very helpful

2 Days ago we ordered a Grizzl-E (dumb-version) classic via amazon prime (2 day shipping!) partly to use as a diagnostic to double check that the charger was the issue and not the car/ and or the outlet. (It arrive today...great success- it works and the car is charging).

Then after some research (and this great video from Doug) we've decided to return the Grizzl-E and order the GRizzle-E mini instead

Hopefully it holds up to daily charging! We will be using this as our primary charger. (We like the portable option to be able to throw in the frunk after use- for both a theft deterrent (live in a city and our charging port is outside our house) but also as a easy way to take with us charge with the standard outlet 110 plug when we take it on roadtrips to my parents house.

It's got a 3 year warranty...so stay tuned... we will definitely be putting that to the test!

Question #1: is there any reason you think something like a Grizzl-E classic (dumb version) would be more robust/ last longer than a Grizzl-E mini?
Question #2: I see some people are setting the Amps at 32 instead of 40.... why? (in my mind...more faster = more better?)

Thanks!
- Matt
(i know there are some similar posts to this.. but i thought that this added a bit of nuance that i hadn't seen yet)

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[dabois89]

I have a grizzl e classic dumb charger, im kind if regretting not getting a smart one, mostly because i like doing the math and playing around with the figures. The charger works great though.

 

[Sweens711]

This video was also very helpful :

 

[ATL]

Happy 2022 Mach- E owner here.

Question #2: I see some people are setting the Amps at 32 instead of 40.... why? (in my mind...more faster = more better?)

Thanks!
- Matt
(i know there are some similar posts to this.. but i thought that this added a bit of nuance that i hadn't seen yet)

If you are using any EVSE that plugs in, the hazards of NEMA 14-50 outlets are well documented. The closer you load these outlet to rated capacity, the more likely you are to experience overheating problems (with huge potential consequences). If you don't need the max speed of charging--and most people don't--then reducing the current through the outlet minimizes the chance of disaster.

Regardless, it is a good plan to inspect/maintain any outlet used for charging loads, regularly.

 

[manicsubmersion]

I had an early production Mini that was basically DOA. it was eventually replaced under warranty but I was not real pleased with the initial responses from Grizzl-E. The new one works and was replaced under warranty but when something is basically DOA when received, I expect it to be replaced ASAP. I started a thread about this and I believe the comments that the thread generated were helpful in getting the item replaced. I know Grizzl-E Has a very good product with their dumb chargers, and based on the current reviews and comments I expect that the mini is now a reliable product. I am not sure if the mini was reengineered or if I was just unlucky being an early adopter (I have owned it for about 18 months). The mini is my “on the road charger“ that I use when visiting friends. Not everyone has a 50 AMP NEMA 14-50 plug in their garage so the ability to sent the amps on the charger is great for a travel charger. It also comes with a bunch of adapters which was one of the other features that drew me to this product.

 

[Wytwolf]

I picked up the mini for Christmas as I wanted a mobile charger and the ford mobile charger had a bad history. It’s the same price as the ford mobile charger but comes with a lot more adapters. Plus it was on sale for Black Friday. The smart features come in handy as you can easily adjust the amperage. It tested it yesterday and the regular 3 prong adapter kept tripping my GFCI on the exterior plug @ 12 amp. I dropped to 11 amp and everything seems to work pulling about 1-1.1 kw in the ford app. As we don’t have an option to adjust it in the car (like Tesla) I wanted one that is adjustable in the EVSE.

 

[Adventureboy]

I have an adjustable EVSE that I dial down to 16 amps most days and even 12 amps some days. Essentially the benefit of dialing down the EVSE provides a longer charge cycle to top up the MME. This keeps the 12v battery charging for longer and keeps it healthier and doesn't stress the electrical systems as much including your local grid.

@40amps, adding 20% (50-60 miles) to the ER MME takes about 2 hours and your charge window starts at 11 pm, your MME is back to target SOC by 1 am and charging stops. The 12v battery must maintain the standby electronics from 1am until you drive the next day. Setting the EVSE to 16 amps will take about 5 hours and be at SOC by 4am spreading the load and maintaining the 12v battery on shore power for longer for less wear and tear on the 12v battery, less stress on your home electrical system, and a better profile for your local grid provider to manage.

Of course, with the adjustable, you can dial it up as needed if you drive more than normal on any given day. Essentially charging at 16 amps replenishes my daily charge by 5-6am. By exception, I adjust up to stay in the 5-6am target zone.

 

[johnnycombo]

I bought my Grizzl-E mini in July, it’s been working fine. It came with a nice bag and every plug you would ever need. I have it set up for 40amps but set it on 32amps because it has plenty of time to fully charge. Also search YouTube for ev nema 14-50 burned!

Or just watch this one:

 

[DigitizedMe]

I've only had it about 3 hours, so take my advice with a grain of salt. From my minimal experience, this little box rocks. There are two different manuals on the website since they recently upgraded the mini "original" to the mini "connect." The differences being that the original version broadcasts a Wi-Fi network for you to connect to every time in order to access and monitor the EVSE. The connect version can connect the EVSE to a local Wi-Fi network so you can continuously access it through a local IP address or an app on your network.

I love the fact it has a web portal and OCPP. I really like open standards for flexibility and back up access. It's really useful that I can use plain old http in a web browser (with a static IP set) to monitor my real-time charging, and I can use Grizzl-E's mobile app or the Epic Charging app on the go. Maybe soon we will be able to choose any app if the vendors play nice!

I have been super frustrated using fast charging on the go, and every charger needing a proprietary app. There needs to be interoperability and open standards for ease of use. I don't need an app for a gas pump. I'm not the only one thinking interoperability will increase adoption, it's coming to the SAE. https://www.thestreet.com/electric-...to-get-much-much-easier-for-frustrated-owners

Anyway, at home I typically monitor my modem signal levels, router connectivity, NVR, NAS, and more through an IP address in the web browser, so this is super convenient for my use. The home webpage has a live monitor with graphs for voltage, current, and temperature. You can see this all in a real time summary:

The Grizzl-E app is pretty good too and can be used simultaneously for updating firmware, rebooting, and getting push notifications (I haven't tried epic yet):

After configuring everything, and updating firmware, I can disable the Mini's Wi-Fi broadcast. Now It's no longer broadcasting to interfere with my home Wi-Fi. I can access it locally, so no need.

The entire reason I chose to pay more for a Hubbell 14-50 and the 50A GFCI breaker over hardwire was to have redundancy. I wouldn't know the difference between charging using a 40A outlet and 48A hardwired. I would know the difference between having a working charger or not. I took the Ford charger (Webasto Go), coiled it up, put it in the mini's bag with all the adapters (which is super durable) and threw it in the trunk for a back up. Technology eventually fails, and having a backup in your trunk is priceless.

 

[Sweens711]

Incredible replies. Thank you all!

Grizzl-E mini is installed. This thing is awesome. App took a bit to set up, but it's great. Very cool that you can so eaily set your desired amps in the app. I also love that you can set your $ per kilowatt and calculate how much you spend per month.

We set the Amps to 32. (may even bring it down lower than that for optimal low-level charging for overnight. 16 amps will also probably be just perfect for us to get back to full battery by the morning.

Our current outlet is a "Leviton outlet 14-50r 125-250v"... (electrician installed) Looks like the cheapo one... Just ordered the upgraded Leviton model on Amazon, and the electrician will be getting a phone call after he New Year! haha. (no blame on him, it was installed in 2022, so I don't think this was a known issue back then)

My wiring and outlet is a (double connected) breaker that has 40 marked on it. (I'm assuming this means it is a 40amp breaker?) Sorry... very new to this!

Follow up question:
Based on the 80% rule..if my circuit breaker is 40amp capacity... would setting the GrizzlE 's Amps to 40 be not a good idea/ ill- advised? I understand how the 80% rule applies to the NEMA 14-50amp outlet, but wasn't sure if that was the same case for the circuit breaker. (spoiler- i tried it and it did seem to heat up the breaker and the outlet pretty decently).

On the flip side, I'm almost convinced to just return the GrizzlE, and have the electrician just hardwire a new unit, but from the videos i've seen, it seems like if I have a proper set up with the upgraded NEMA outlet, and decrease the AMPs to 32 (or lower) with my current set up, I should be pretty safe. And for us, it's just much more convenient option with road trips.

I included pictures for reference of my current set up.

Thanks again.

 

[AhardFSU]

Incredible replies. Thank you all!

Grizzl-E mini is installed. This thing is awesome. App took a bit to set up, but it's great. Very cool that you can so eaily set your desired amps in the app. I also love that you can set your $ per kilowatt and calculate how much you spend per month.

We set the Amps to 32. (may even bring it down lower than that for optimal low-level charging for overnight. 16 amps will also probably be just perfect for us to get back to full battery by the morning.

Our current outlet is a "Leviton outlet 14-50r 125-250v"... (electrician installed) Looks like the cheapo one... Just ordered the upgraded Leviton model on Amazon, and the electrician will be getting a phone call after he New Year! haha. (no blame on him, it was installed in 2022, so I don't think this was a known issue back then)

My wiring and outlet is a (double connected) breaker that has 40 marked on it. (I'm assuming this means it is a 40amp breaker?) Sorry... very new to this!

Follow up question:
Based on the 80% rule..if my circuit breaker is 40amp capacity... would setting the GrizzlE 's Amps to 40 be not a good idea/ ill- advised? I understand how the 80% rule applies to the NEMA 14-50amp outlet, but wasn't sure if that was the same case for the circuit breaker. (spoiler- i tried it and it did seem to heat up the breaker and the outlet pretty decently).

On the flip side, I'm almost convinced to just return the GrizzlE, and have the electrician just hardwire a new unit, but from the videos i've seen, it seems like if I have a proper set up with the upgraded NEMA outlet, and decrease the AMPs to 32 (or lower) with my current set up, I should be pretty safe. And for us, it's just much more convenient option with road trips.

I included pictures for reference of my current set up.

Thanks again.

The 80% rule for your 40 amp breaker means that you'd set the charger to charge at no more than 32 amps.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Incredible replies. Thank you all!

Grizzl-E mini is installed. This thing is awesome. App took a bit to set up, but it's great. Very cool that you can so eaily set your desired amps in the app. I also love that you can set your $ per kilowatt and calculate how much you spend per month.

We set the Amps to 32. (may even bring it down lower than that for optimal low-level charging for overnight. 16 amps will also probably be just perfect for us to get back to full battery by the morning.

Our current outlet is a "Leviton outlet 14-50r 125-250v"... (electrician installed) Looks like the cheapo one... Just ordered the upgraded Leviton model on Amazon, and the electrician will be getting a phone call after he New Year! haha. (no blame on him, it was installed in 2022, so I don't think this was a known issue back then)

My wiring and outlet is a (double connected) breaker that has 40 marked on it. (I'm assuming this means it is a 40amp breaker?) Sorry... very new to this!

Follow up question:
Based on the 80% rule..if my circuit breaker is 40amp capacity... would setting the GrizzlE 's Amps to 40 be not a good idea/ ill- advised? I understand how the 80% rule applies to the NEMA 14-50amp outlet, but wasn't sure if that was the same case for the circuit breaker. (spoiler- i tried it and it did seem to heat up the breaker and the outlet pretty decently).

On the flip side, I'm almost convinced to just return the GrizzlE, and have the electrician just hardwire a new unit, but from the videos i've seen, it seems like if I have a proper set up with the upgraded NEMA outlet, and decrease the AMPs to 32 (or lower) with my current set up, I should be pretty safe. And for us, it's just much more convenient option with road trips.

I included pictures for reference of my current set up.

Thanks again.

Yes that Leviton outlet needs to get replaced, that is the notorious model that melts.

No you cannot set it to 40A, you're limited to 32A because of your 40A breaker.

 

[Gerbear]

Interested to find out if you can run 24 amps 120 v with 30 amp tt30 connection.

 

[Adventureboy]

Interested to find out if you can run 24 amps 120 v with 30 amp tt30 connection.

I would say no. J1772 limits L1 to 16 amps. Ford seems to further restrict this to just 12 amps. I've tried many different methods on several different EVSEs to get this to work; however, 12 amps is as high as I can get on L1, regardless of EVSE or what it is plugged into. The only way to get more than 12 amps is to jump to L2 (240v)

 

[Mach-Lee]

Interested to find out if you can run 24 amps 120 v with 30 amp tt30 connection.

No, the car limits you to 12A when it detects 120V.

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