Why would you by a charger?

[Eosin]

I just don't get the draconian opposition to 40A or 48A

Count me out for buying the Ford EVSE, or other EVSE, but I certainly appreciate the advantage of 48A.

I already have a 14-50 outlet and will use that with the mobile charger. No need to spend a ton of money to get the Ford Connected charger when the difference in charging rate is not a factor for me. For people that routinely drain their batter every day and need full charge 12 hours later, it may be needed. The rest of us will do fine with a charge rate of 20 miles per hour.

How much does it charge to get the Ford charger installed? It runs $800 plus tax and deliver plus whatever it costs for installation. I can't imagine paying well north of $1000 to have a small bump in charge rate over the mobile charger on a 14-50 outlet.

The connected charger is a decent option for somebody that doesn't already have a 30A or greater outlet in the garage, but I don't see the advantage for the rest of us.

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[Beege]

Ford’s charger will draw the maximum amps it’s capable to draw. So a 14-50 utilizes a 50 amp breaker, meaning the Ford charger will draw up to 40 amps. Though some people are saying 32 amps.

My issue is my garage does not have a 240volt 50 amp circuit. And since my metered service to the house is 100 amp, I can not add a 50 amp circuit to my panel to supply the garage.

So instead, I purchased a Dryer Buddy to share my house’s 30 amp dryer circuit.
I ran a 8 gauge cable from the dryer buddy to my garage in a pvc conduit. I then hard wired a ChargePoint Home Flex charger in my garage.
Upon first startup, I set the ChargePoint to max out at 24 amps, the most you are allowed to draw through a 30 amp circuit.
I set the ‘Home’ location in FordPass to charge up to 80% battery capacity.
I am very happy with this setup. 24 amps is more than enough to charge my Mach-e. 110volt 12 amp is painful.

That’s why I am not using Ford’s charger. It can not be hard set to 24 amps.

 

[RedStallion]

I just recently purchased a Mach e and I'm wondering why would anyone buy a charger like the grizz-le or FLO or any of them for that matter. Why not just get a 220V plug installed. It makes no sense to me to spend that money. Please enlighten me on why.

Depends on your requirements. Ford's mobile charger is 18ft long and draws 30 amp. If you need/want anything different you need a different charger. The good thing about Grizzle is that it has a customizable power, from 16A to 40A so you can adjust to your particular situation. It also comes with 18 or 24ft cable and severe weather ratings.
I just keep mobile charger in the car in case I need it on route, and have another one in my garage.

 

[Woeo]

LOL Ok, so it's literally a waste and no real advantage. That's great to know.

EVSEs come in various 'sizes' that will deliver electricity for the car's internal charger to make use of when adding power to the battery.

The mobile EVSE supplied with the car will deliver 32 amps. This allows the car to charge at a rate that adds ~20 miles range per hour of charging. A 40 watt breaker in the panel is required to deliver 32 amps constant power.

A 50 amp breaker [with appropriate wiring] can supply constant power at 40 amps. If you install a 50 amp EVSE the MME can charge at 40 amps, or roughly 25 miles range added per hour.

A 60 amp breaker [with appropriate wiring] can supply constant power at 48 amps. If you install a 60 amp EVSE the MME can charge at 48 amps, or roughly 30 miles range added per hour.


Installing a permanent EVSE at your home will allow you to travel with the 120/240 volt mobile charger, having it available at all times during your travels.

Thinking you will plug and unplug the mobile charger every trip to bring it along is a fanciful notion.

Plugging and unplugging will potentially dangerously wear the receptacle over time.

 

[krafty81]

Most 14-50 plugs do not like to be unplugged and plugged in a lot, wears out contacts. Love my Chargepoint from HD. Leave it plugged in. Very nice charger. 30 percent rebate in CA.

 

[RedStallion]

Ford’s charger will draw the maximum amps it’s capable to draw. So a 14-50 utilizes a 50 amp breaker, meaning the Ford charger will draw up to 40 amps. Though some people are saying 32 amps.

That is not correct. Ford mobile charger will draw exactly 30A. It will likely trip your circuit breaker if you plug it in a dryer outlet via 14-50 adapter.

 

[Jordan H]

I was wondering the same thing as OP. In terms of charging, like others have said a 240 plug would supply enough overnight that the incremental benefit of a wall charger isn't worth the cost. BUT THEN, just earlier today I was running the numbers on state and power company rebates, and it'll actually be cheaper to have the 240 plug installed and purchase a qualifying wall charger, like JuiceBox 40. The incentives in my state are only available if I purchase the equipment, and then I can factor in the price of installing the outlet as well to determine the total credit.

 

[kennelh]

Most 14-50 plugs do not like to be unplugged and plugged in a lot, wears out contacts. Love my Chargepoint from HD. Leave it plugged in. Very nice charger. 30 percent rebate in CA.

Where did you find a 30% rebate? Is that for SoCal?

 

[Beege]

That is not correct. Ford mobile charger will draw exactly 30A. It will likely trip your circuit breaker if you plug it in a dryer outlet via 14-50 adapter.

Thats why, upon initial startup of the Chargepoint charger, you tell it you have a 30 amp circuit and it sets itself to 24 amps max.

 

[jeffdawgfan]

I just recently purchased a Mach e and I'm wondering why would anyone buy a charger like the grizz-le or FLO or any of them for that matter. Why not just get a 220V plug installed. It makes no sense to me to spend that money. Please enlighten me on why.

Tax Credit.....

 

[sockmeister]

I just recently purchased a Mach e and I'm wondering why would anyone buy a charger like the grizz-le or FLO or any of them for that matter. Why not just get a 220V plug installed. It makes no sense to me to spend that money. Please enlighten me on why.

Others have mostly covered it. For me:

1. Plugging and unplugging into a 240V will wear the outlet to the point where it stops working eventually; they're not designed for that.
2. So I can leave the mobile charger in the car at all times without needing to worry about forgetting it on a trip, or needing it in an emergency.
3. Higher amperage EVSE's charge faster. If I get home late and need to leave again in a couple hours on a long trip, every additional amp matters.
4. 30% off Tax credit.
5. I DIY'd the whole thing for $450 including the Grizzl-e and the NEMA 14-50 outlet install, and then that came down to like $300 after the tax credit.

 

[TheVirtualTim]

My reasons for a dedicated home charger (any charger) is that I want to leave the mobile charger in the car ... I can imagine a few places where I'd need it when out on the road (like my marina) and I'm the sort of person who would reach for it, realize it's missing, and then realize that's because I left it in the garage. I don't want the hassle of having to (a) anticipate when I might need the mobile charger in the car and (b) have to coil it up and pack it in the car. I'd rather just always know it's in the car because that's where it lives.

Secondary to that is that my local electric utility had a $500 rebate on the ChargePoint or EnelX chargers (meaning I really only paid $150 for it ... which is peanuts). I wont count the cost to having power run to the garage because I would have had to do that even if I used the mobile charger.

There is a federal tax credit available ... 30% of the cost of having an EV charger installed (with a $1000 cap on that credit).

 

[supertramp]

30 percent rebate in CA.

Not in my part of California - just checked pge site.

 

[supertramp]

Others have mostly covered it. For me:
So I can leave the mobile charger in the car at all times without needing to worry about forgetting it on a trip, or needing it in an emergency.

I have never owned BEV, so, I do not understand what kind of situations that would be when your mobile charger could be a help - for general cases, not cases of marina tail gating some truck with batteries. Why would you need mobile charger on the go that other things would not do - like getting towed to EA station, for example, in case of running out of power?

 

[JamieGeek]

I have never owned BEV, so, I do not understand what kind of situations that would be when your mobile charger could be a help - for general cases, not cases of marina tail gating some truck with batteries. Why would you need mobile charger on the go that other things would not do - like getting towed to EA station, for example, in case of running out of power?

Having the mobile charger in the car is like having a spare tire in the car.

You may never need it, but that one time you do you'll be thankful you have it.

Since the mobile charger can work on both 120V and 240V you're covered for any situation. If you're stuck for a charge at someone's house and they have a dryer plug? or an emergency stop at a campground (https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/campground-charging-as-a-last-resort.1403/).

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