Why is EVSE so expensive?

[Blue highway]

Yea but... Grizzl-E doesn't come in hardwire and really need the IP67 for exterior installaiotn. Would the tax credit be available on hardwire if my husband does the work (vs electrician) He is totally capable. . First he is installing a 120 outlet near my car as it has actualy been just fine for my driving habits...been using a super heavy duty extension cord a few times a month at night.

I have a Grizzl-E Avalanche. To hard wire these things you open the box and attach the input power to the screw terminals where the plug pigtale is.

Not sure abut the tax credit... different jurisdictions have different rules.

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[OrchidMania]

I have a Grizzl-E Avalanche. To hard wire these things you open the box and attach the input power to the screw terminals where the plug pigtale is.

Not sure abut the tax credit... different jurisdictions have different rules.

Oh he can do that for sure.
The tax credit is 30% for esve (federal, they extended it) , but no one is going to look at it.. so perfect solution.

 

[J5hort]

48 Amps. That's why. Faster is better.

For daily drive use case, and charging at night at home, the extra cost is unnecessary. Makes no difference if it charges in 4 hours or 6 hours when I am sleeping anyway.
There are a few threads and posts about the technical/feature pluses, but nothing compelling.

 

[J5hort]

Personally, safety and not burning my house down because I wanted to save a few bucks would be a major reason for me. I just want to make sure I am not missing anything. Seen a lot of discussions about not wanting to spend $150 on a plug, when it seems like most of the ones that have burned are the cheap ones. I don't understand why you'd cheap out on a plug when you've already made a sizeable investment in an EV. Again, that's just my opinion. To each his own.

May have more to do with the selection of wire type and proper gauge for the run. Many of the problem installations involve the use of Al wire and too thin a wire.

 

[Fsisung]

Husband agrees. Thinking of installing it hardwired. If I am not going to plug and unplug why have the extra cable??We just got a new panel with loads of space

I don’t see why you wouldn’t want to hardwire it. I had it professionally done. Bought a ChargePoint. Installed a 60 amp breaker and hardwired it. I keep the Ford mobile charger in the car for when I visit my relatives who have 220. Do it right ?

 

[devmach-e]

Why not use the mobile power cord that comes with the car? That and a NEMA 1450 and you are good to go. Do you really need an aftermarket or even the Ford connected charging station. Been using this setup on the MME daily driver for over a year. Keep it simple.

Because the stock EVSE that comes with the car is known to have thermal issues?
Because you want to keep the stock EVSE in the car for emergency use?
Because you need to mount the EVSE outside and want an EVSE that is rated for outdoor use?
Because you want an EVSE that is connected to the Internet?
Because you want to charge at a faster rate than 32A@240V?

 

[Fsisung]

What really blows me away is how someone has no problem shelling out 70K+ on a MME then seeks out the cheapest route to purchase/install an EVSE! We humans are very strange creatures indeed ?

 

[yngwenli]

What really blows me away is how someone has no problem shelling out 70K+ on a MME then seeks out the cheapest route to purchase/install an EVSE! We humans are very strange creatures indeed ?

$500 bucks is still $500 bucks. I'm still using the freebie EVSE. I don't charge for long periods, don't do long trips yet, etc...Why shell out $$ for something if it's "working" ok (so far, even though there is amber light and reduced charge rate...I'm still debating whether to get one)?

Not being uber rich probably like most here, I just equate $500 to everything else I can do with it. At the end of the day, the MME is "just a car". It sits outside, gets dinged up from random door openers next to you, HVB errors, accidents in the shop, newer tech will make the MME look old eventually (like people), so as someone who didn't even do a wrap and barely wash it, I think some folks just don't care enough to bother. It's just not my/our thing.

As for an EVSE for trips, I'd guess 90% will just use a DCFC. 6 hours (off-peak) on L2 at slower 32 amps is plenty of time to charge from almost everyone. Even at slower rates, I have no trouble overnight keeping it topped off.

People here argue/fight for X-plan worth about $600-900 I think, are against even $1 ADM, etc...$500+ is still $$ that most rather spend it on something else.

I guess I paid closer to $40k though with all the rebates/incentives so I'm not in the $70k camp.

$500 is enough to get a dash cam and tons of accessories which someone may enjoy more than a slightly better EVSE. That's enough for a trip, etc.

Of course, if the EVSE burns your house down, then there is obviously something to be said to replace it, but as a Bolt owner during the Bolt fires, I don't think the EVSE fires/fails have happened extensively just yet to reach that level of concern.


TLDR - I guess everyone should just do whatever makes sense to them. We don't get any utility discount.

 

[J5hort]

I'll give you the lack of weather proofing for the supplied mobile charging cable, but it is plenty capable and easily removed from wall mount for long trips. May even consider that it is not needed for long trips as a charging network will be used along your route. For regular overnight charging, it makes little difference if it charges in 1 hour or 7. So long as it is at a full charge in the morning, no issues. Been using the mobile charger for 1.5 years and find there is no need for anything else.

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