More emphasis on 120V charging

[Newton]

I would ask permission and use a restricted charging level. There are different qualities of outlets, If the outlet is not designed for EVs (like most of them) then you could be risking a fire. I think the AirBNB owner would be rightly upset if they came home to a melted 50A outlet.

On the other hand, one place that I stayed out very kindly ran a 120V "extension cord" under the locked garage for me. Man, was I nervous but I set my car (Kia) to its lowest level overnight and only raised during the day when I could feel the cord. It did start to get warm. It gave me enough range to make it home, though.

I do agree that it should be a more prominent discussion, my Mom was incredibly surprised that I charged the Kia using her garage outlet (without an extension cord.) It might make more sense for a car that gets 4+ miles/KW than one that gets 2.

I do think that the time to charge to "full" or "80 percent" needs to be de-emphasied a bit. Miles per hour is a better metric. If you are 20 miles away from a DCFC, then you need ... 20 miles added to your battery. On the Kia (my more efficient, faster charging car) I tell people that it takes about 18 minutes to go from %20 to %80 and they look blank -- I should tell them that the few times that I use a DCFC I am not charging to %80 unless I need to hit the facilities in the Wall*Mart. I just want enough to get home, no sense paying high prices for electricity that I don't need. Adding 60 miles takes less time than navigating through the parking lot to get to the charger.

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[invertedspear]

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

L1 is included in the rent unless they say otherwise on the listing IMO. L2 if there's an outlet for it should also be expected for a guest to use. I think at the point where you're connecting to a dryer outlet, you're probably doing something that would be beyond reasonable expectation.

 

[Newton]

The other thing is that I don't think Ford did us any favors with their $20,000+ "charge station pro" because that became the metric for how much it costs to add an EVSE. I do my own work (and get it inspected) and I think my 20A charger install cost me a grand total of $450.

(That is my other rant, I do not think that most people need 40A+ chargers with smart feature but that is almosr all that you can find for UL listed hardwired units. Chargers used to cost around $400 but when some states started to subsidize them the price jumped up to $800 or $1,000+.)

 

[Maquis]

(That is my other rant, I do not think that most people need 40A+ chargers with smart feature but that is almosr all that you can find for UL listed hardwired units. Chargers used to cost around $400 but when some states started to subsidize them the price jumped up to $800 or $1,000+.)

The UL-listed Emporia (settable up to 48A) is still $399. It’s one of the best out there and it’s priced right.

 

[WhipSticks]

I hear a few folks on here say something along the lines of, "If you only commute 10 miles a day then a lvl 1 charger is fine!".

So much to say... first, indeed, you might be able to make it work for a time. But eventually you will get bit. Does this theoretical worker bee only ever use a car to drive to work? Does he not visit family, shop for groceries, take kids to games, help a friend? Both my wife and I work from home, but this would not be viable in our place at all. Your car is freedom. It's freedom to make decisions about what you can do. Yes, in a city you can live without a car, but don't tell me it doesn't limit you at all. I just don't believe it.

Second, it's a truck! Why would you buy a truck as a commuter vehicle? So obviously, you don't. It can be a family people mover, a work vehicle, a building platform, support vehicle for an acreage, and a million other things. But all those things have one base in common: They can't be supported adequately on level 1 charging indefinitely.

 

[Pod]

There are a lot of people “outraged” ay level 1 charging. By all means, get what u need. My level 1 is just fine for my commuter truck. That is the cool part about an F150..it can be loved and used by a wide spectrum of folks.

 

[Grease Lightning]

Second, it's a truck! Why would you buy a truck as a commuter vehicle? So obviously, you don't. It can be a family people mover, a work vehicle, a building platform, support vehicle for an acreage, and a million other things.

Because I needed a truck. Why the heck have two cars if you drive less then 20 miles a day? Your question makes absolutely no sense. That is like asking why buy a house when you are at work all day or why eat if you are just going to later.

Part of my justification on buying the Lightning was the fact that I could go down to a single vehicle. If I wanted two, I would have bought a MY or Mach-e and had a Dino drinking truck.

 

[ryun]

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.

Nice! One Level 1 EVSE works for both my wife's EV6 and my Lightning but granted we have a favorable set of circumstances. I work from home 3-4 days out of the week so I charge up during the day and she charges overnight. Both of our commutes total less than 20 miles round trip.

I do have a 30 amp, 240V circuit that I'm not using anymore (switched from electric water heating to gas) that I could easily utilize for Level 2 charging. I'd sure like Level 2, but I'd rather spend the time and money on other things at this point.

 

[ryun]

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?

That's very interesting 'cause family, neighbors, and friends have all started the question "So, what sort of special charging setup to you have?" They will usually follow up with "How long does it take to charge?" question afterwards which is when I tell them something along the lines of "From empty? Forever. To refill from the day's commute? Just overnight. We come out to a fully charged EV every morning."

 

[pixelcloak]

I've owned three EVs over the last 7 years. All of them charging at home on 120v Level 1. Its a fine solution if your situation allows it.

 

[biers]

Can you get by on L1? Yes. But investing in a L2 is going to be worth every penny to 95%+ of owners.

I went a month on L1 (averaging 1,700 miles a month). It worked but as my only car it was stressful and required me to always be planning ahead. Fortunately for about $100 in supplies I was able to add a 14-50 outlet.

What I haven’t seen in this thread is that many utility providers have TOU rates. In many cases a well timed 48A+ overnight charge would save enough to create a ROI on install costs.

 

[peoples1234]

I could never survive on LV1 only and emphasizing it would only deter people from owning EVs. People already laugh in their "bro" groups about how long it takes to charge EVs.

The industry needs to emphasize 28-40 amp charging instead of the 80-amp that the f150 is capable of as it has a much higher chance of success with people's existing infrastructure.

If you truly can survive on Lv1 charging, I'd almost wager you don’t need a vehicle at all and spending 50-70k+ on a vehicle makes little sense (honestly it doesn’t makes sense even if you drive more, but we’re all here anyways).

 

[RickLightning]

Many people fail to fully understand the pros and cons of each option, or the price.

For example, using 120v you can't precondition the battery. Nor will it generate enough power to warm the cabin for a remote start (it will use the battery also).

As far as putting in 240v, people often fail to research things like cost. For example, my utility company paid $500, twice, as a rebate on my chargers. And, each year, I get an additional $100 for each vehicle.

And, there's a 30% tax credit for installation of the circuit and the charger. You know how many people don't put that on their tax return?

 

[shutterbug]

What I haven’t seen in this thread is that many utility providers have TOU rates. In many cases a well timed 48A+ overnight charge would save enough to create a ROI on install costs.

In the winter, my utility charges me $0.03166 per kWh between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM. There is just no way to take full advantage of that using L1 charging.

 

[Mmiketa]

The other thing is that I don't think Ford did us any favors with their $20,000+ "charge station pro" because that became the metric for how much it costs to add an EVSE. I do my own work (and get it inspected) and I think my 20A charger install cost me a grand total of $450.

(That is my other rant, I do not think that most people need 40A+ chargers with smart feature but that is almosr all that you can find for UL listed hardwired units. Chargers used to cost around $400 but when some states started to subsidize them the price jumped up to $800 or $1,000+.)

Where did Ford state $20,000 for a charge station pro? I installed mine myself and paid less than you did. I did only install it to a 60A Breaker though.

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