[Jer1983]

You guys realize what it’s gonna take to wire that charger into most of your houses. I’m in the process of building a house and I’ve specifically located the panel in the garage, mostly for aesthetics, but it did make for a shorter run to wire the charger. I’m an electrician. Unfortunately even with the panel in my garage I have to run the wire to the opposite side. I have to do some more research into the wires and obviously I don’t have the specs of the unit yet but it looks like 2-2-2-4 ser is going to be the best option for most people. God for bid your run is over a certain distance and you have to size the wire for a voltage drop. Let alone how much of your house you may have to open up for the install. Frankly it’s going to be a motherfucker for most people and expensive as all hell

 

[Jer1983]

Hmm so 2224 aluminum ser at 2.50 a ft +\- could work. Basically your wire for a 100 amp sub panel derated for an appliance circuit. Is there any info about the connection on the charger side? Breaker is about 50$ unless you live in an area with the 2020 new code then it may need to be gfci? Not on that code yet but that could be a problem. Idk if the charger has a plug or it’s (likely) direct wire. Hopefully it’s rated for the aluminum wire or there will be some additional funny business. Might not be horrible price wise for materials, but running that cable won’t always be fun.

 

[rckt]

i was wondering the same. I have a 200amp panel that is full, looks like I will need to add a 100amp sub-panel then to run the wire to other side of 3 car garage. Seems the best option is to share dryer circuit and add plug in garage.

 

[Jer1983]

i was wondering the same. I have a 200amp panel that is full, looks like I will need to add a 100amp sub-panel then to run the wire to other side of 3 car garage. Seems the best option is to share dryer circuit and add plug in garage.

What do you mean by share? Dryer circuit is 30 amps. You could probably get away with putting in some tandem breakers to free up two spaces.

 

[rckt]

What do you mean by share? Dryer circuit is 30 amps. You could probably get away with putting in some tandem breakers to free up two spaces.

I have 5 tandem breakers already. I was thinking of using dryer circuit for mobile charger bc Pro charger seems to be a hassle for me to get setup not to mention cost. I have no idea the cost of a new panel and pro charger installation. I am no electrician. I really wanted to be able to run house off truck as hurricanes/power outages are frequent in Florida.

 

[Jer1983]

I have 5 tandem breakers already. I was thinking of using dryer circuit for mobile charger bc Pro charger seems to be a hassle for me to get setup not to mention cost. I have no idea the cost of a new panel and pro charger installation. I am no electrician. I really wanted to be able to run house off truck as hurricanes/power outages are frequent in Florida.

Damn. Is it a 40 circuit panel do you know? Like 3” long? Idk your house or your lay out but you should do it. Even if it’s 2500$ to get it going that seems small compared to the 50k you’re likely out to drop on a truck

 

[Erik]

i was wondering the same. I have a 200amp panel that is full, looks like I will need to add a 100amp sub-panel then to run the wire to other side of 3 car garage. Seems the best option is to share dryer circuit and add plug in garage.

If you want to power the house from the truck it may be good to get a sub panel anyway. You can put the essential circuits in the sub panel so that you don’t deplete your car battery for non essential load.

 

[Jer1983]

If you want to power the house from the truck it may be good to get a sub panel anyway. You can put the essential circuits in the sub panel so that you don’t deplete your car battery for non essential load.

This is actually very good advice.

 

[JWinWY]

I would also advise that you should place what ever charger you use close to the door so you can charge the truck outside. New design EV possible fire when charging? Why risk it my garage is under my house, specifically under my bedroom. for at least the first year charging will be done outside, under my security camera.

 

[bxl1967]

I already have an outlet in my garage for my motorhome which I don't use very often because it sits in my big pole building plugged in so I'm going to make my charger plug into it. My local electric company will also reimburse up to 3K for purchase and installation of a charger at my house.

 

[Leaf to Lightning : )]

I already have an outlet in my garage for my motorhome which I don't use very often because it sits in my big pole building plugged in so I'm going to make my charger plug into it. My local electric company will also reimburse up to 3K for purchase and installation of a charger at my house.

yes, same here, as my house has an 240v 'RV' NEMA14-50 outlet/box on the side, which I can easily use with the 240v adapter... wish it was this easy for everyone, but it's not really a 'normal' outlet that most folks have on the outside of their home, but, it's also not a hard outlet to wire, if someone knows what they are doing, and even easier if there's already a 240v wiring close by, such as for a water well pump, a welder or air compressor in the shop, or even a clothes dryer in the home.

 

[Leaf to Lightning : )]

i was wondering the same. I have a 200amp panel that is full, looks like I will need to add a 100amp sub-panel then to run the wire to other side of 3 car garage. Seems the best option is to share dryer circuit and add plug in garage.

yep, I think many will go this easier route since it's already an existing 240v outlet/wiring they can tap into - with a little know-how, or an electrician who is willing to bypass the 'normal' requirements - as long as you're not using your dryer at the same time. But, then again, that's what a breaker is for.

 

[GDN]

yep, I think many will go this easier route since it's already an existing 240v outlet/wiring they can tap into - with a little know-how, or an electrician who is willing to bypass the 'normal' requirements - as long as you're not using your dryer at the same time. But, then again, that's what a breaker is for.

@Leaf to Lightning : ) You've posted in several threads tonight and some of the advice you are leaving behind is dead wrong. Please read up on some of the electrical code. I'm all about sharing here, but most should consult their certified electrician for installing these plugs and circuits.

 

[Prof1ig8tor]

You guys realize what it’s gonna take to wire that charger into most of your houses. I’m in the process of building a house and I’ve specifically located the panel in the garage, mostly for aesthetics, but it did make for a shorter run to wire the charger. I’m an electrician. Unfortunately even with the panel in my garage I have to run the wire to the opposite side. I have to do some more research into the wires and obviously I don’t have the specs of the unit yet but it looks like 2-2-2-4 ser is going to be the best option for most people. God for bid your run is over a certain distance and you have to size the wire for a voltage drop. Let alone how much of your house you may have to open up for the install. Frankly it’s going to be a motherfucker for most people and expensive as all hell

Exactly ... and this is where efficiency makes a big difference in the everyday livability of the product. I currently own the most efficient car ever made by mankind (Model 3 SR+) which gets about 135 MPGe. In perfect conditions, it does 300+ MPGe. So with a NEMA 14-50 on a 60 Amp, 6-3 copper it charges easily for daily use in less than 4 hours a night. Even at a campground that only had a single 15A GFI breaker, a full night gave us plenty of range to easily make it back to the supercharger network ... in other words, low power use makes the thing super easy to live with.

Ford played it smart (I think) by going with two Permanent Magnet motors. The trend in earlier Tesla and Rivian's truck is to use Induction Motors which can be powered down (coasting). The Rivian powers down it's back motors (making it a FWD truck) and Tesla mixes them with a front induction motor which is easily switched off and a PM motor in the rear.

The Lightning is a true all the time 4WD.

But, in the Mach E Ford's suppliers limited Ford's ability to build Tesla-like efficiency. Parts of the HVAC system are really oversized. EV don't have nearly (like practically near 0) excess heat in normal operation. This accounts for 15% to 20% or more of a EV's energy use. Nobody has any idea how Ford engineered this in the Lightning. Probably uses a heat pump, but those can fail in extreme cold and we know Ford builds their trucks for a wide extreme of conditions.

Rivian set a pretty low bar for efficiency. Ford's Lightning is lighter (aluminum) and Ford puts a lot of work into Aero. In the pre-production Lightnings I've seen the fit of the front hood and that light bar has been bad enough that I think it would be draggy. I expect Ford will tighten up production (and they need to since a misaligned bright light really stands out). I think Ford's aero will be close to Rivian's. All the EV truck builders are using factory Tonneau covers except for Ford.

Overall Ford has built an electric F150 instead of a EV truck. The F150 is such an optimized design that it might work well. But, if this gets ~25 MPGe it will be a pain in the arse to charge. I am expecting somewhere close to 75 MPGe and hoping for better.

The Electrify America charging network is sketchy, unreliable and inconsistent. That is not a problem if your vehicle doesn't need that much power. With the Lightning I think we are going to actually need those 150 KWH chargers to all be working. There is also the cost, while a lot cheaper than gas (talking >$12.00 for a typical 20 to 80%) a Tesla M3 SR+ is < $6.

 

[Lou C]

The appeal of using an 80A charger is significant. It will reduce charging time for the extended battery models to something very livable. However -- It seems to me that most of us will be unable to utilize the 80A charger without making costly upgrades to our home's existing wiring. From what little I know, the 80A charger will require 100A service. If your house is currently set up for 200A max, then the requirement for a new 100A circuit just for the 80A charger may not be doable. I am not an electrician by any stretch. I am going on whatever misinformation I can find online. Cheers.

 

[2023 lighting]

Wiring up an 80 amp charger is not that big a deal and the materials are not expensive unless you are dealing with some unusual circumstances.
The hard part is backup power. I don't find anything that's been said how that works. Really the only way it could work is with a transfer switch which is about $500. Maybe the charger is a built in transfer switch? In either case the main power coming into the home will have to disconnected and the new panel place between the meter and main house panel. That's the only way the backup power could work. That part could get expensive. But for just the charger many people will have no problem.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Here's a link to the appropriate Ford site. Everything's now posted, including the SunRun information.
https://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/f150-lightning/2022/features/ev-charging/ford-charge-station-pro/
Thanks to @JDRZ for spotting that.

 

[Lou C]

Here's a link to the appropriate Ford site. Everything's now posted, including the SunRun information.
https://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/f150-lightning/2022/features/ev-charging/ford-charge-station-pro/
Thanks to @JDRZ for spotting that.

I looked through the "product overview" pdf at the above URL for the 80A Charge Station Pro. This pdf provides a lot of good information, including the following: "Adjustable power levels to accommodate a range of circuit breakers (20-100 Amps) in situations where power may be limited, to enable compatibility with almost any home electrical system." This is very good to know -- it will probably save me money!

Question: How is the power adjusted? Is it a mechanical setting internal to the Charge Station Pro unit itself, or do you make the power adjustment via the Ford Pass app?

Thank you. Lou C.

 

[THEsocalledfan]

I looked through the "product overview" pdf at the above URL for the 80A Charge Station Pro. This pdf provides a lot of good information, including the following: "Adjustable power levels to accommodate a range of circuit breakers (20-100 Amps) in situations where power may be limited, to enable compatibility with almost any home electrical system." This is very good to know -- it will probably save me money!

Question: How is the power adjusted? Is it a mechanical setting internal to the Charge Station Pro unit itself, or do you make the power adjustment via the Ford Pass app?

Thank you. Lou C.

Folks should pay attention to this....this will be huge for many since you may not need a major overhaul to your electrical system......For me, if I ever get one of these, I very well may simply set this as a 40 amp system since I know I have 60 amps open......then, I can just keep the portable charger in the truck.

 

[Lou C]

Folks should pay attention to this....this will be huge for many since you may not need a major overhaul to your electrical system......For me, if I ever get one of these, I very well may simply set this as a 40 amp system since I know I have 60 amps open......then, I can just keep the portable charger in the truck.

Amen! Well said! Lou C.