20 amps @ 120v

[DiveMan911]

Have a question for all y’all out there.
I am able to charge at work, but it’s only a 120v outlet.
The Ford Mobile Charger is limited to 15amp (actually more like 11.5 technically).
But…we have a 120v charger that’s rated for 20amps. There is a 20amp circuit. My coworker charges his EV6 on that charger and gets the 20amps (again technically about 16amps). My Lightning still only charges at 11.5amps on that charger/circuit.

There can’t be a technical limitation right? Seems the ford engineers limited the draw on 120v to a 15amp circuit. Any thoughts?

I suspect there aren’t too many folks charging at 120v so I don’t think this “squeaky wheel” will get much attention. Just curious if anyone smarter than me has any explanation.

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[Pioneer74]

This has been discussed before. No matter the charger, if you use 120V to charge the Lightning, it will only draw about 11 or 12 amps. No way to adjust it.

 

[chillaban]

Yeah maybe a different brand EVSE can let you configure more than 11-12A but the Ford one is overly conservative, probably because most people are plugging it into household circuits that aren’t even used to a 12A continuous load.

 

[Maquis]

Yeah maybe a different brand EVSE can let you configure more than 11-12A but the Ford one is overly conservative, probably because most people are plugging it into household circuits that aren’t even used to a 12A continuous load.

Nothing to do with the EVSE. The truck sets the limit.

 

[chillaban]

Nothing to do with the EVSE. The truck sets the limit.

Oh interesting, I misunderstood where the limit is applied. Oh well, that’s too bad, but 120V 20A charging is relatively rare.

 

[luebri]

I am really disappointed by this decision by Ford. before I got my Ford charge station Pro, I could’ve survived on 20 amp fine, but the 15 amp just could not keep up. Two hours up to our family cabin and I would be absolutely fine with 20 amp for a weekend, 15 amp over the course of two days is gonna be cutting it much closer.

 

[luebri]

Oh interesting, I misunderstood where the limit is applied. Oh well, that’s too bad, but 120V 20A charging is relatively rare.

Isn’t code for all modern garages to have 12/3 wiring? Putting in a 20 amp receptacle is a 5 minute job.

 

[Monkey]

The most you can pull as a sustained load from a 20A receptacle is 16A....

Limits are controlled both by the truck and the EVSE or charger being used. The charger will tell the vehicle what is available, the vehicle will request from that amount, it's an ongoing negotiation throughout the charging cycle.

The Ford Mobile Charge Cord is limited to 12A when used with the 120V plug as it's designed to plug into a regular 15A outlet.

There are 120V chargers designed to deliver 16A from a 20A circuit -- like the MEGEAR mobile charger you can buy on Amazon. It has swappable power plugs and based on the plug you attach to it, the unit will tell the vehicle what is available. If you connect the 5-15 plug, it is limited to 12A, 5-2 it is limited to 16A and it supports both 120 and 240 V options.

I'm not aware of the Lightning having any specific limitations for 120V. It depends on the charger being used. You could ask your coworker to see if plugging in your Lightning with his charger in a 20A outlet will give you the 16A he's seeing -- as it should.

 

[DiveMan911]

The most you can pull as a sustained load from a 20A receptacle is 16A....

Limits are controlled both by the truck and the EVSE or charger being used. The charger will tell the vehicle what is available, the vehicle will request from that amount, it's an ongoing negotiation throughout the charging cycle.

The Ford Mobile Charge Cord is limited to 12A when used with the 120V plug as it's designed to plug into a regular 15A outlet.

There are 120V chargers designed to deliver 16A from a 20A circuit -- like the MEGEAR mobile charger you can buy on Amazon. It has swappable power plugs and based on the plug you attach to it, the unit will tell the vehicle what is available. If you connect the 5-15 plug, it is limited to 12A, 5-2 it is limited to 16A and it supports both 120 and 240 V options.

I'm not aware of the Lightning having any specific limitations for 120V. It depends on the charger being used. You could ask your coworker to see if plugging in your Lightning with his charger in a 20A outlet will give you the 16A he's seeing -- as it should.

I can confirm that he’s getting 16 amps from the 120V outlet…as this EVSE has a display that shows the output from the EVSE. When I plug in my truck to the same outlet with the same charger it displays 12amps.

 

[Monkey]

I can confirm that he’s getting 16 amps from the 120V outlet…as this EVSE has a display that shows the output from the EVSE. When I plug in my truck to the same outlet with the same charger it displays 12amps.

Then I guess the truck must be limiting it to 12A... Stupid that it does that, not sure why it would, but I guess that's a question for Ford.

 

[chillaban]

Isn’t code for all modern garages to have 12/3 wiring? Putting in a 20 amp receptacle is a 5 minute job.

With the effort it takes to put in such a receptacle and double check the wiring, most people would just get a 240V receptacle installed.

Going from 12A to 16A is barely worth the effort, is it?

 

[Henry Ford]

Then I guess the truck must be limiting it to 12A... Stupid that it does that, not sure why it would, but I guess that's a question for Ford.

I don't know, it seems pretty obvious to me. Most people don't know the difference between a 20 amp circuit and a 15 amp circuit. If Ford designed a vehicle that popped 15 amp CBs there would be a lot more internet forum topics that said "Crappy Broken Truck won't Charge" than this type of thread. And that's best case scenario.

How many people know the amperage rating of the extension cord they plugged their charger into? Sure the circuit you plugged into is 20 amps but it only protects the wires behind the wall. The 15 amp extension cord for which you paid $8.99 is what's going to burn your house down. I bet this scenario has crossed Ford's mind.

 

[DiveMan911]

I don't know, it seems pretty obvious to me. Most people don't know the difference between a 20 amp circuit and a 15 amp circuit. If Ford designed a vehicle that popped 15 amp CBs there would be a lot more internet forum topics that said "Crappy Broken Truck won't Charge" than this type of thread. And that's best case scenario.

How many people know the amperage rating of the extension cord they plugged their charger into? Sure the circuit you plugged into is 20 amps but it only protects the wires behind the wall. The 15 amp extension cord for which you paid $8.99 is what's going to burn your house down. I bet this scenario has crossed Ford's mind.

Honestly, this is my thought…I suspect that’s the rationale behind their decision.
I do think they could keep their own mobile charger limited to 15amps, but allow the truck to draw 16amps from a 20amp EVSE. Alternatively (or in addition) within the the vehicles charging screen, have a toggle switch (that’s defaulted to 15amps) with a disclaimer that points out the risks…not sure if it would hold up in court, but clearly some manufacturers aren’t as concerned. Just a thought.

 

[Pioneer74]

Honestly, this is my thought…I suspect that’s the rationale behind their decision.
I do think they could keep their own mobile charger limited to 15amps, but allow the truck to draw 16amps from a 20amp EVSE. Alternatively (or in addition) within the the vehicles charging screen, have a toggle switch (that’s defaulted to 15amps) with a disclaimer that points out the risks…not sure if it would hold up in court, but clearly some manufacturers aren’t as concerned. Just a thought.

Ford had a good DTE GOM until people started complaining about having bad batteries when it got cold out. Now, you might as well use the Magic 8 Ball or a oujia board to get a range estimate. They probably didn't want to deal with customers complaining that the truck was tripping breakers when plugging into 110V outlets.

Look at the warning labels on your sun visors and that will tell you why most manufacturers do what they do.

 

[luebri]

I don't know, it seems pretty obvious to me. Most people don't know the difference between a 20 amp circuit and a 15 amp circuit. If Ford designed a vehicle that popped 15 amp CBs there would be a lot more internet forum topics that said "Crappy Broken Truck won't Charge" than this type of thread. And that's best case scenario.

How many people know the amperage rating of the extension cord they plugged their charger into? Sure the circuit you plugged into is 20 amps but it only protects the wires behind the wall. The 15 amp extension cord for which you paid $8.99 is what's going to burn your house down. I bet this scenario has crossed Ford's mind.

Fake news. 20amp is a different connector than 15amp. You would only be plugging in a 20 amp charger (NEMA 5-20) to a receptacle or extension cord rated for it because the plug wont fit in a standard 15 amp outlet.

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