Need advice for temporary charging solution

[Maquis]

The limiting factors are the 30 amp dryer breaker which will trip eventually as the mobile charger will pull 30+. Then the feed from the panel to the dryer needs to be at least AWG 8 copper (not Aluminum) to pull the 32 amp peak of the mobile charge.

This is why you hire a trained electrician. You’ll need to upgrade the panel breaker to at least 40 amp.

Also, my mobile charger went red light of death at 40,000+ miles in the MME. I switched to CP Home Flex that charges at about 9 KWh and can easily replace 90 miles in 5 hours.

I sat down and did some calcs on relocating the charger such that I can do inside or outside charging (summer outside and run the plug-in side through a small pass thru door) and realized that to take full advantage of the CP Home Flex max out put I’ll need a 50 Amp breaker and 35’ + of AWG 6 and realistically I’ll probably go to AWG 4 as the run is nearly 40’. That 40’ of AWG 4 copper is not cheap. And the run needs to be in conduit and the cost of that simple extension is likely $3,000. Since our garage is separately metered from the house that makes the upgrade easier except the 100 amp utility panel installed by the former owner has 300 amps of breakers! 🫣 because garage apartment with stove/baseboard heat/hot water tank! Switching out the utility panel for a 300 amp is $$$.

So.. be warned. Nothing comes cheap or easy.

You’re oversizing the wire. For THHN in conduit, #8 is sufficient for 50A. I just bought #8 copper for $0.47 per foot.

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[WileyKyle]

I've been using an A/B switch and extension cord from my dryer for 8 months. Works great.

https://amzn.to/3L2PXr9

 

[Jseis]

You’re oversizing the wire. For THHN in conduit, #8 is sufficient for 50A. I just bought #8 copper for $0.47 per foot.

While I agree with you in principle, if I’m building for the future with even greater charging capacity, I’d go bigger.

 

[Maquis]

While I agree with you in principle, if I’m building for the future with even greater charging capacity, I’d go bigger.

Nothing wrong with future-proofing.

 

[RickLightning]

I've been using an A/B switch and extension cord from my dryer for 8 months. Works great.

 

[cdherman]

You don't need to explore. None of the Ford EVs allow you to change settings to lower or raise your charging rate. And the Ford Mobile Charger cannot be adjusted either. The Lightning version pulls 30amps, the Mach-E version pulls 32amps.

So no negotiation takes place. The truck asks for up to 80amps, the Mobile Charger will provide 30amps. A standard 30amp dryer outlet is not designed for a continuous 30amp pull, it needs to be no more than 24amps. So, you need to buy an EVSE that delivers 24amps max.

Now add in an extension cord, which also has to be rated for a continuous pull of 24amps.

THIS is a reason for anyone and everyone ordering their Lightning to delete the Ford Mobile Charger. Save your $500. There are numerous 32A and 40A choices that would allow the OP to simply derate the charger to 24A (what you can safely run with 30A circuit) and the EVSE would then "tell" the Lightning that its max capacity is 24A and the lightning would only pull that.

What a BONEHEAD move by Ford.....

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