[chuck27p]

I have a platinum coming in this week and I believe the CSP comes with it. I've been reading some negative things about it here on the forum. Wondering if I should bother having my electrician install it or just put in a 220 wall outlet and not deal with the CSP at all.

This is my first electric vehicle and there's a learning curve for me. Thanks!

 

[ICE No More?]

I picked up my Lariat last week and had my electrician install the NEMA 14-50 and currently use my Level 2 charger. My CSP has been shipped but not delivered yet. For now the Level 2 meets my need for commuting around town. I would also need the electric company to change my service to 400A. We are considering moving so I think I will wait it out for a few months.

 

[chuck27p]

Would I need to change my electric service to use the CSP? I am not familiar with 400A.

Are you plugging your level 2 charger into an outlet that is 220volts?

 

[ICE No More?]

My house only has 200A service currently and I have a barn as well as the house. I would need to upgrade my basic service to 400A and put in a new panel to take full advantage of the 80A the CSP is capable of producing. The NEMA 14-50 is a 50A, 220V connector muck like a dryer connector. My Level 2 charger (Lectron) only needs 32A. Takes longer to charge than a CSP would but easily done overnight with my current use. On a normal day I am only using about 30% of the battery capacity.

You would need to check your power panel to see what your existing basic service from the electric company is today. FYI, the CSP can be set to use less power than the max of 80Amps.

 

[heliian]

The Ford CSP is fantastic and has hardware settings to derate it for installation in pretty much any house. I installed mine to 48a max on a 60a breaker, I have 200a service. The CSP can be hard-wired to the following current ratings via hardware setting: 12a, 16a, 24a, 32a, 40a, 48a, 64a, 80a.

There has been a lot of uneducated guessing on the internet about it, mainly people thinking it's only 80a. There is also current adjustments in the app for your own choosing after.

 

[chuck27p]

Thanks for the info. I was going to have my electrician install it, but now wondering if I bite the bullet and have Sunrun install it (assuming they know all this stuff, which is foreign to me). Think my electrician will have any issues?

 

[heliian]

In a reverse of fate, the Canadian market didn't have to deal with sunrun. Any licensed electrician can install it though. It required them installing a breaker, wire and a box. Instructions are included and even available online somewhere.

 

[Henry Ford]

Thanks for the info. I was going to have my electrician install it, but now wondering if I bite the bullet and have Sunrun install it (assuming they know all this stuff, which is foreign to me). Think my electrician will have any issues?

Any electrician will be able to install it. I "installed" mine but there was already legacy wiring from the previous homeowner's EV charger so the hard work was done. I only had to run conduit across the garage, connect the terminals on the CSP, and set the switch to the proper amperage.

The hard parts are load testing your service to figure out how big a circuit you can install and paying for the required wiring. Copper is expensive!😆

To answer your original question, I suggest hardwiring your charger if choice. Since you've already paid for a FCSP you might as well run the highest amperage circuit your panel will support and use it.

State of Charge did a video that discussed potential failure points in charging setups. The plug is one due to bad connections from heat cycles and use. Is it a high risk? I don't know, but the reasoning makes sense to me.

 

[Greased_Lightning]

There's nothing to the install. Two #3 AWG hots and a #6 AWG ground to a 100 AMP breaker. It was $2.10/foot for the #3 and $0.95/foot for the #6 where I live. The $500 gift card covered the material without issue. It would be approaching silly not installing both the FCSP and a NEMA outlet right next to it as a backup if you are running it out there anyway. It's inexpensive, and would only future proof your charging area if you decide to remove the FCSP. Don't hire SunRun. Any electrician can do it It's just 3 wires in 1" conduit. I did my own in NY, along with the pool. YMMV.

 

[Jarratt]

Thanks for the info. I was going to have my electrician install it, but now wondering if I bite the bullet and have Sunrun install it (assuming they know all this stuff, which is foreign to me). Think my electrician will have any issues?

Sunrun may or may not have decent coverage in your area. I believe they did this exclusivity deal with Ford so they could have the opportunity to upsell panels, storage, etc. That's not all bad, but if you have a good local company that's been installing PV for a while, that may be a better option. We have a dynamite company where I live and I trust them a lot more than a national outfit.

Sunrun will be happy to send you the Pro Charger via FedEx if you want someone else to instill it. This is not a DIY install unless someone has charger expertise. A lot of electricians don't have charger experience. It's complex and there are a lot of issues ranging from type of wire to torquing. Tom's superb State of Charge channel is great resource. His short overview of EV charging is a must:

.

Bidirectional functionality is complex and adds beaucoup cost. It's not necessary. It might be a good deal if you live in an area with extended outages.

The baseline issue is can your current service accommodate this. The unit can be downrated, but if it's throttled too much, you might be better off installing the 30 amp charger that came with your Lightening. The big kahuna only comes with the extended range trucks.

 

[Henry Ford]

He ordered a Platinum so he's already paid for a CSP.

This is not a complex install for a professional electrician. It's slightly complex for a handy homeowner because of the load calculation and I only say that because I've never had to do a load calculation. There's probably a YouTube video that explains it.

The real answer to Chuck's question is to pay an electrician to install the biggest circuit your panel can support, preferably 100 amps so the CSP can run at max capacity.

 

[Jarratt]

He ordered a Platinum so he's already paid for a CSP.

This is not a complex install for a professional electrician. It's slightly complex for a handy homeowner because of the load calculation and I only say that because I've never had to do a load calculation. There's probably a YouTube video that explains it.

The real answer to Chuck's question is to pay an electrician to install the biggest circuit your panel can support, preferably 100 amps so the CSP can run at max capacity.

The very first thing Chuck needs to do IMHO is to determine whether his util's service to his house can accommodate the 100 amps a CSP needs for maximum functionality.

I've determined that we have plenty of juice. Channeling through 2' of rammed earth and then trenching for 100" is our challenge. Our trench is on the N side of our footing and the ground is frozen. This too shall pass😉.

 

[Henry Ford]

Just lay the wire on the ground. Be safe though, make sure you put a sign up that says "caution."😆

 

[Dchannin]

Thanks for the info. I was going to have my electrician install it, but now wondering if I bite the bullet and have Sunrun install it (assuming they know all this stuff, which is foreign to me). Think my electrician will have any issues?

I'm on upstate NY. I had a local electrician install my CSP. $450 including 100A breaker, conduit and wire . The CSP, coincidentally, is right next to the panel so wire was short. Took him less than an hour.

 

[davehu]

I'm on upstate NY. I had a local electrician install my CSP. $450 including 100A breaker, conduit and wire . The CSP, coincidentally, is right next to the panel so wire was short. Took him less than an hour.

My electrician gave me an estimate about the same although mine will be higher because they'll have to run about 35 ft of cable. probably no more than a few hours.

 

[dberg]

My house only has 200A service currently and I have a barn as well as the house. I would need to upgrade my basic service to 400A and put in a new panel to take full advantage of the 80A the CSP is capable of producing. The NEMA 14-50 is a 50A, 220V connector muck like a dryer connector. My Level 2 charger (Lectron) only needs 32A. Takes longer to charge than a CSP would but easily done overnight with my current use. On a normal day I am only using about 30% of the battery capacity. You would need to check your power panel to see what your existing basic service from the electric company is today. FYI, the CSP can be set to use less power than the max of 80Amps.

Technical specs aren't clear and only approved in some states so far. Cheap, Simple, At-Home EV Charging for the Masses.

 

[Mhauck]

Thanks for the info. I was going to have my electrician install it, but now wondering if I bite the bullet and have Sunrun install it (assuming they know all this stuff, which is foreign to me). Think my electrician will have any issues?

I had a HORRIBLE experience with Sunrun (keep in mind I have a Tesla solar system/Powerwall so maybe the fact that they couldn't upsell?). I had a site inspection on 10/30 and found out in January (after 3 calls to customer service and at least a half dozen emails) that they "couldn't" do the install do to my Tesla system (ironically if you look on Tesla's site, Sunrun is listed as an installer)..... Set me back MONTHS. Called a local company and had it installed less than 2 weeks later for less money than I've seen most people spending with Sunrun.

 

[Jarratt]

Not all electricians have the chops to handle the dynamics of high voltage charger installs. Most probably do. Unlike Sunrun, they have no incentive to sell you a PV system and batteries. If they have good reputation, they'll be around in the future. It's far to early to tell if Sunrun is going to support its customers well.

Wether it's roofing, driveway sealing or anything else, my knee-jerk instinct is to hang with local companies with roots where I live. When a couple of micro-inverters bite the dust, is Sunrun gonna replace them. Recycling your dollars in your local economy has very real benefit.

The seminal issue is whether your current service can free up 100 amps for this charger. Also, bidirectionality is sexy. It's also expensive. If your utility has good uptime metrics you are unlikely to need it.

 

[Henry Ford]

The seminal issue is whether your current service can free up 100 amps for this charger.

Even if your service doesn't support 100 amps you can run a circuit that your service can support and adjust the dial on the CSP accordingly. I, for instance, set my dial to 32 amps because there was already a 40 amp circuit for EV charging in my garage. My service can handle 100 amps but it would be a big pain to run and expensive on top of that. After a month using 32 amps I don't think I need anything faster for my needs. If I do there's a DC station in the Harbor Freight parking lot near my house and I'm an Inside Track™ member.😆

My point is, don't get too wound up about installing the max capacity. For most people it's probably overkill. Install what works and set the charger accordingly.

 

[Jarratt]

Even if your service doesn't support 100 amps you can run a circuit that your service can support and adjust the dial on the CSP accordingly. I, for instance, set my dial to 32 amps because there was already a 40 amp circuit for EV charging in my garage. My service can handle 100 amps but it would be a big pain to run and expensive on top of that. After a month using 32 amps I don't think I need anything faster for my needs. If I do there's a DC station in the Harbor Freight parking lot near my house and I'm an Inside Track™ member.😆

My point is, don't get too wound up about installing the max capacity. For most people it's probably overkill. Install what works and set the charger accordingly.

All Lightenings come with a 30 amp charger, right? If that's all your service can support, install it. If you have the ER truck you can keep or sell the second, higher amperage charger.