More emphasis on 120V charging

[ryun]

Something I've noticed when speaking to non-EV-owners about charging is surprise when I tell them I charge from a standard wall outlet. I think people have this idea that they need an expensive adjustment to their home's electrical to own an EV, and it makes me think that this is holding a lot of would-be EV owners from taking the plunge.

2-4 miles of range added per hour (rough average for Level 1 charging across all EVs) is more than enough to refill many daily commutes overnight. For the times I've gone over that allotment in my Lightning I made up for it during the weekend.

Level 2 charging provides additional benefits and is more efficient. I'm happy it's an option, and there are family's out there that need that speed. But Ford and all EV manufacturers (and their sales people) would be wise to advertise the simplicity of the standard 120V wall outlet.

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[mr.Magoo]

It all depends on where you live and how you use your vehicle.

I live in MI so we get cold(ish) climate, today it's in the 30s which is kind of typical, / average for winter temperatures. I have a mix of highway and slower roads to work, average speed is around 45-50mph. My commute is 40miles total, but generally ends up 45-50 with lunch / errands during the day. My efficiency is around 1.7 m/kW these times so that's using 29.4 kWh.
So for me 120V charging wouldn't keep up with my daily need.

If you drive less and/or in warmer climates - sure - it'll work.
But it would also suck to have to do a longer trip one day, come home near empty, and know you now have to wait 5 days for it to be fully charged - fingers crossed there's no emergency.

Sure - if you have two cars, or if you go DCFC to cover those times you can figure it out.
It took me about 8 months before I installed my L2 charger so you can make it work.

But then again, installing a L2 charger isn't insanely expansive, even if you require a panel upgrade.
So for a lot of people it's worth that investment to have piece of mind of always being able to fully charge your vehicle overnight, plus the added benefits of pre-conditioning.

 

[Heliian]

120v is inefficient and for the lightning in particular, not the best daily solution.
Mainly due to the limited charge speed and that it doesn't precondition the battery on 120v.

With the proliferation of adjustable current 240v evse, any home can handle a 240v upgrade. For example, the Ford charge station pro which is capable of up to 80a can be hard-wired down to 12a(15a circuit).

I keep my mobile power cord in the truck for the rare occasions I need to use 120v.
It's good to have all the bases covered but operating the lightning on only 120v just wouldn't work for me, or anyone that sees temps below 10deg C really.

 

[sotek2345]

Where you live is hugely important! Our L2 charger died a couple winters ago, used for my Wife's Mach-e - no Lightning at that time yet. We used L1 charging until we got a replacement under warranty, but with the cold in upstate NY, we recovered 0% overnight on the worst nights. All of the power went to trying to keep the battery warm. Other nights we would only get a couple percent for 12 hours of charging.

 

[Pod]

We only have Lv 1 in my garage. Works great for our needs. Charge all weekend for the week. Have been surprised this has been effective.

 

[UpWithFilm]

I have a level 2 charger at home, but just used 120v charging for the first time while on vacation.

The AirBNB we rented had a 120 outlet in the garage, and I had brought the L1 charger from my wife's car (Kia). I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised! I was able to add an average of 30 miles a night just on L1, which would actually be enough for my daily, workday driving.

Still happy to have our L2 charger installed but it's nice to know I have L1 as a backup in a pinch.

 

[ChrisCon]

I would not own a lightning if I had to depend on 120v. .. the only thing it’s good for are the hilariously long times it take to charge showing up on the FordPass app where you can show your friends that your truck will be fully charged by the end of the week or next week.

 

[detansinn]

Level 1 charging is only workable for a very narrow set of the population. That's why it's not emphasized. To be clear, it's not nothing, but it's not enough. We spent a long weekend in rural Maine where Level 1 allowed us to add the miles back to our Taycan that we used during the day. Even then, it wasn't keeping up per se and eventually, we'd need a real charge.

For most people, a Level 2 charger at home is what makes owning an EV viable.

 

[shutterbug]

Something I've noticed when speaking to non-EV-owners about charging is surprise when I tell them I charge from a standard wall outlet. I think people have this idea that they need an expensive adjustment to their home's electrical to own an EV, and it makes me think that this is holding a lot of would-be EV owners from taking the plunge.

Most people I run into, don't ask if they need to add an outlet for 240V charging. They ask how long it takes to fully charge. Once you tell them that it takes a week to fully charge Lightning, the conversation is pretty much over. Part of the problem is that most people can't get over the fact that BEV doesn't need to be fully charged like they normally do with ICE. Also, if you spend $50K on a vehicle, is it really too much to spend $1-2K on Level 2 charging?

 

[RickKeen]

At some point, EV-charging ready wiring in the garage will become standard for new home building and will be a feature to check for during any home purchase. Also seeing dedicated EV outlets for each unit being advertised in apartment listings.

In high end homes, its already nearly table stakes. Realtors talk about not being able to sell houses until the seller upgrades the garage wiring for EV charging even though the seller never had an EV. Buyers with an EV don't want to move into a house where they cannot charge.

 

[hturnerfamily]

any amount of power, whether 120v or 240v, is adequate for any EV - they are simply 'recharging' their battery, no matter the size of the power, or the speed of the power... the length of time to 'full' is the real question: many will not be able to 'swallow' such a long length of time to charge, while others are much more relaxed, are retired, don't have 'places' to go so often, or as far, and can certainly and easily simply plug in to any wall outlet. Yes.

Some of us will be o.k., with using 120v outlets, when needed. Some would be absolutely OUTRAGED that this was the 'only' option they had... No, it will not work for them - they are the type that say that unless you have the 80amp 'PRO' EVSE Charger, you're just 'out of sync' with EV needs...

baloney. Power is power. Speed is the only difference.

 

[Maquis]

Speed is the only difference.

Efficiency is also different. The fixed loads while charging means that the longer it takes to reach the target charge level, the more energy wasted. Anecdotally, higher-rate 240V charging seems be about 90% efficient. When I charge at 120V, 1.4 KW input yields about 1.1 to 1.2 KW to the battery. That’s about 80 - 85%.
Using those numbers, you will consume about an extra 50 to 100 kWh of electricity for every 1000 kWh you charge on 120V as opposed to 240V.

 

[Grease Lightning]

Level 1 charging is only workable for a very narrow set of the population. That's why it's not emphasized. To be clear, it's not nothing, but it's not enough. We spent a long weekend in rural Maine where Level 1 allowed us to add the miles back to our Taycan that we used during the day. Even then, it wasn't keeping up per se and eventually, we'd need a real charge.

For most people, a Level 2 charger at home is what makes owning an EV viable.

I think you would be surprised how many people it actually could work for. If your round trip commute is 20 miles or less, generally you are fine and might add a couple watts each day during the week. If you don’t drive much on the weekends, you have the potential of adding an additional 140 miles of range. So if you had less then a 40 mile round trip commute and parked it all weekend you should be set. So more people then you may give credit. If you factor in once a week DCFCing, works for a lot of people.

That said, I would recommend people at least go to a 16 amp 240v ac charger. I have had this for my plug-in and have used it since owning my Lightning and it has been great over the last 6,600 mines in almost 5 months. The joy of 16 amp 240v, is it can be on a normal 12 awg “romex” line. So extremely cheap to add.

If you can, move to at least 32 amp, but 16 is a great starting point and allows for preconditioning too

 

[bub]

I have a level 2 charger at home, but just used 120v charging for the first time while on vacation.

The AirBNB we rented had a 120 outlet in the garage, and I had brought the L1 charger from my wife's car (Kia). I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised! I was able to add an average of 30 miles a night just on L1, which would actually be enough for my daily, workday driving.

Still happy to have our L2 charger installed but it's nice to know I have L1 as a backup in a pinch.

Kinda off topic. But i'm curious what peoples thoughts are on using Electricity at an airbnb or any temporary rental for EV charging.

I recently went stayed at an airbnb for 3 nights and could have ran a L2 portable charger through the window into their dryer's outlet. But I figured its best not to dump 100+kwh of use onto their bill without getting formal permission.

Would have been super handy though as DCFC were very few and far between at this location. Next time i'm going to ask the host in advanced for permission i think.

 

[rws265]

I have used level 1 in a pinch when overnighting at a cabin or campsite. In summer months I'd mostly be fine. Since we live in the northeast, have 2 EVs, and park outside, level 2 is a must have. We also charge overnight to lessen impact on the grid.

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