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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
I'm patiently waiting for my Pro SR which has a build date of 12/12.

Any recommendations on residential charger I should install? Pros and cons of each recommendation.

What should I look for that I wouldn't think to look for?
 

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There are lots of great "chargers" out there.

First off is language. The charger is built into the truck. What you are looking for is an EVSE or Electric vehicle supply equipment. Yes, most people call them chargers but it is important to understand that an EVSE is really just a sophisticated power supply that powers your truck's charger.

Secondly, this question is really the same independent of battery size or trim. A few users who use up their entire battery multiple times a week may need a bit higher power EVSE than those with SR batteries or those who only need to charge them periodically. The question you need to answer to start your decision process is how far do you drive in a day and how much energy (number of kWh of electricity) will you need to charge in a normal daily (or every few days) charge. Remember, you are best off charging to 90% or less on a regular basis (many other threads on this). Once you know how much energy you need, think about how quickly you need to charge. Is overnight fast enough? Do you need to recharge in a few hours?

Here are some estimated charge times for various power EVSEs. Note that a 32A EVSE will charge your truck at the same pretty much rate independent of brand.
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Once you know how much you need to charge and how fast, you can determine the rate of charging you need from your EVSE and what wiring will be needed. If you only charge every few days and overnight is fast enough, a 32A or 48A EVSE is probably fine.

Remember the 80% rule: circuit breakers are designed to operate at 80% continuous capacity, so a 24A EVSE requires a 30A breaker and wiring, a 32A requires a 40A, 48A a 60A, 80A a 100A. How much space do you have in your power panel for adding large new circuits? Your panel may limit what you want to install.

Next, think about your driving habits. For most people, it is handy every now and then to have an EVSE in the truck. It's a bit of insurance for being able to charge away from home in a pinch. That means buying two EVSEs: one for home and one to live in the truck. There are other threads where people talk about various mobile EVSEs.

When you decide on a home unit, seriously consider hard-wiring the EVSE. That removes a common source of failure (cheap quality outlets). Don't be cheap. Protect your truck worth tens of thousands of dollars and your home worth much more by making sure your breaker is high quality, the wiring is of sufficient gauge size, even the wire nuts are properly rated. Have the job done by a licensed electrician who is experienced in installing EV chargers. An EVSE will run at 100% for hours. It pulls much more energy than any range, dryer, or hot tub and it does it continuously while charging. There are videos and threads about blown outlets, wire nuts, and circuit breakers that couldn't handle the load and ruined people's days. Anything EVSE of 48A or above requires being hard-wired. Hard wiring lower power units is not required but highly recommended for regular use.

What you probably were asking for was the best brand. Good news is there are lots of good ones. Bad news is there are lots to choose from. Stick with quality and good reputation. Grizzl-E and Clipper Creek make great dumb EVSEs. Plug in, charge, no special frills. ChargePoint Home Flex and others make great smart chargers you can control from your phone. Tesla makes great home and mobile EVSEs, just get the version with a J-1772 plug (otherwise you have to use an adapter all the time). There is a great YouTube channel that evaluates EVSEs called State of Charge:

Honestly, unless you want to buy the Home Integration System the Ford Charge Station Pro is probably not the greatest choice. Also, unless you bleed blue and named your kid Oval, the Ford Connected Charge Station (for home) and Ford Mobile Charger (for the truck) are probably not your best choices either. Yes, they do integrate with the Ford Pass app but that's about where the pros end. They are made by other companies for Ford and have not held up well in regular use. That especially holds true for folks who try to use the Ford Mobile Charger as their only charger.

While we are talking charging, you should probably start your educational journey with this video by Tom Moloughney:
 

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As for personal recommendations, I've been using a Clipper Creek 24A EVSE for over 5 years. It has been rock-solid and has not even needed to be re-booted in that entire time.

We bought it for our Leaf and went with only 24A because we only had room for a 30A circuit. It suffices for our Mustang Mach E but sometimes won't completely charge the Lightning overnight. We will soon do a heavy-up on our panel and will probably install the Ford Charge Station Pro that came with our Lariat ER.
 
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I have a non smart level 2 charger from Siemens. Unfortunately it is discontinued but it was one without any fancy controls or gauges. It’s pretty much a giant extension cord to my car, which is the real charger as stated by previous post. Been 4 years and never had any issues. I also bought an 20ft extension from lectron to charge two cars without moving them. I know there is possible energy loss but the convenience outweighs the con.

My suggestion is a wall mounted one with the amperage appropriate for your needs. My household has two EVs and I was able to charge both over night during non peak hours since our total commute for both were under 100 miles. I have a 30 amp charger and gets the job done. If you need to replenish more KWH then a you would want to invest in a higher amperage charger.

I also have a level 1-2 portable charger that I don’t use but it’s there for emergencies because it is compatible with 120v and 240v circuits.
 

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Buy a UL Listed 48 Amp Emporia Energy Star EVSE, hard-wire it, and be happy. It will charge your SR Pro as fast as the truck will AC charge. Second choice, ChargePoint Home Flex.


Edit: Also, maybe subscribe to Tom Moloughney's channel on YouTube. Tons of good information. https://www.youtube.com/@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney
 

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Discussion Starter · #6 ·
Thank you everyone for the great advice!

I was looking at the Wallbox Pulsar + since it's compact design and smart features. As for the sizing, I was thinking about a 48A since I have ample space in my panel and I also wanted to get something on the higher end. Anything above 48A is limited by the onboard charger which is 11.3kW on the Pro SR. So like the chart above the 80A wouldn't help me over the 48A.

I also really like the Grizzl-E Smart EV Charger which is a 40A but I like how many people have said it is great and reliable.

I will look into all the other brands mentioned above but I see ChargePoint mentioned multiple times.
 

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In New Jersey, I chose the JuiceBox 48 amp hard wired EVSE since my utility company gives back 50% of install cost, NJ gives a $250 rebate from their ChargeUp EV incentive program, and the 30% tax credit from the feds. I’m actually going to get more cash back than I paid for it haha the Lightning SR maxes out at 11.3kwh charge capacity which is just under 48amps so I’ll be charging at fast as I can. Self installed it a few weeks ago to charge my wife’s Kia Sportage PHEV. The EVSE adjusts to her 7.5kwh charger (32amps) and provides data on charging history and alerts over Wi-Fi. Down the road, I’ll get an bi directional EVSE for home backup, but I can wait until they comes up with an aftermarket option like Emporia since I’m hearing all the nightmares on the Sunrun Home Integration installations.
 

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It’s below freezing here in
Wiseguy, how is the cable in cold weather?
The review was pretty negative on the cable when it is cold.

its below freezing here in NJ this morning and I did something unique on the setup, I installed the box right next to my garage door in my garage and have the cable running under my garage door and have it wrapped around a EVSE cord holder outside my garage since my wife doesn’t want to have to open the garage every-time she needs to charge. It still wraps around without issues.
Plant Flowerpot Automotive tire Houseplant Electrical wiring

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I also use the JuiceBox 40 in Phoenix, so doesn't get that cold here compared to the east coast. I found the best price at Costco for the charger at $599 and a lot of electrical companies do provide a rebate. This one was one brand that qualified for my area for a rebate. Before you buy any charger, best to check with your electrical provider to see if there are any rebates.
 

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Any feedback on a good 80 amp charger I can install at home for my future ER Lariat? It looks like the Ford Charge Station Pro has mixed reviews. I see Juicebox has an 80 amp one, but it’s considered to be “commercial” and costs $1700. Does anyone have any actual experience with these or other 80 amp chargers? (Yes, I’m going to just call it a charger).
 

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Just curious about the need for an 80 amp charger. I can charge completely overnight with the 40 amp or if I am at 50% charge then 3-4 hrs to recharge. The juicebox 40 works great for me, but maybe your needs are greater. Since I had the 240v RV plug installed and bought my plug-in juicebox, I have not had any need to charge other than at home during the non-peak hours. The truck is used as a daily commuter and running errands around town.
NR Lariat owner.
 

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Just curious about the need for an 80 amp charger. I can charge completely overnight with the 40 amp or if I am at 50% charge then 3-4 hrs to recharge. The juicebox 40 works great for me, but maybe your needs are greater. Since I had the 240v RV plug installed and bought my plug-in juicebox, I have not had any need to charge other than at home during the non-peak hours. The truck is used as a daily commuter and running errands around town.
To me, depends if you have an SR or ER and how often you need to largely fully charge overnight. Even with ER, you could get a lot of juice overnight, but you won't fully fill the battery. An example....I'm probably going to install at 50 amp NEMA 14-50 in my parents garage to fully charge for trips of about 240 miles in length. However, I already know, I won't be able to do it in one night, so will likely stay a second night.
 

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Any feedback on a good 80 amp charger I can install at home for my future ER Lariat? It looks like the Ford Charge Station Pro has mixed reviews. I see Juicebox has an 80 amp one, but it’s considered to be “commercial” and costs $1700. Does anyone have any actual experience with these or other 80 amp chargers? (Yes, I’m going to just call it a charger).
Tesla arguably does it as well or better than anybody, and the price is very competitive:
 

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When I got my Lightning, I was using the mobile charger on the Nema 14-50 plug. Would add about 12 miles an hour while charging. That was not enough for my taste. After a few trips I decided I wanted to install the Pro charging station. It's set at 64 amps and adds about 32 miles an hour charging. Much better!
 

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If you are just getting started, there are best practices for installing chargers and outlets that are coming together.

Just watched this great video you should watch before doing hiring someone to do your install.

Here's the TL;DW:
View attachment 5243

If you want to watch the Sandy Munro video Tom references:
 

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Any feedback on a good 80 amp charger I can install at home for my future ER Lariat?
Tesla's J1772 connector is 48A. I don't think you're going to find an 80A EVSE competitive with FCSP's retail price right now. Clipper Creek's is commercial grade and price.
 
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