[everiklevine]

Hi all,

Just installed my new Lectron V-Box 48A EVSE.

Really not much to report here. Pretty easy. Eight inserts into the wall (four for the actual EVSE and four for the cable hook). The power cable is pretty beefy, almost the same size as my Ford Charger Pro cable, but a bit more flexible.

After installing, plugging it in (standard NEMA 14-50 outlet), turning it on and plugging into the Lightning, it started to charge. It slowly ramped up to the full 48A.

I like that this unit has no WiFi b.s. It's a 'dumb' charger, fully relying on the truck to ask for a charge or not. I'll set it for a departure time tomorrow to see if the car is warm.

Otherwise, easy-peasy. Seems like a solid little unit.

 

[R.I.P.]

I would keep track of the heat at the wall outlet. The 14-50 outlet is rated for 40 amps continuous. People do get away with overdriving that to 48 amps, but I have also seen melted outlets. The safest route is to just dial the charger down to 40 amps, and you are well within tolerances.
🙂

Lectron has come a long way in a short time, and I'm seeing and hearing a lot of positive things about their equipment.

 

[everiklevine]

I would keep track of the heat at the wall outlet. The 14-50 outlet is rated for 40 amps continuous. People do get away with overdriving that to 48 amps, but I have also seen melted outlets. The safest route is to just dial the charger down to 40 amps, and you are well within tolerances.
🙂

Lectron has come a long way in a short time, and I'm seeing and hearing a lot of positive things about their equipment.

Hey @R.I.P. great point, thanks. It's on an outside wall and with winter, it should stay cool. That being said, I'll keep an eye (and a hand) on it and will most likely reduce the setting to max of 40A by Spring (if not earlier). It's a new garage with new wiring, but yes, the breaker is only 50A.

BTW, the Lectron worked fine this morning at supporting the battery and cabin preconditioning. I'll look for the other post and include this as well, but it looks like it takes about 7 amps (~1750 W). I like that the Lectron has a display that shows the draw (wish the Ford Charger Pro had a display, or the Ford PassApp, or the Lightning display itself...). Also like that it is showing the input voltage to the unit.

Also just noticed that when I open the door the charger pulls 3 amps for about 5 minutes. Four of the five blue lights lit up on the truck charge port (80% full), but the last was not flashing, so I suspect this is battery conditioning (dash board just said "Charged to set level"). I opened the door a second time, and it did the same for only two minutes (but none of the charge port lights lit up). Third time I opened the door, nothing from the EVSE. Gonna deduce that this was the battery preconditioning load (electric heaters) and it draws 3 A (~750W). The other 4 A (1000 W) was probably for the cabin conditioning, which would make sense (electric heaters plus the fan).

Data are fun!

 

[Voltz]

It's a new garage with new wiring, but yes, the breaker is only 50A.

Personally, I wouldn't do that for an extra 2 kW. In any event, pay attention to the breaker temperature inside your panel also. Do you know what size the conductors are? Did you use an upgraded (a/k/a expensive) 14-50 receptacle?

 

[everiklevine]

Personally, I wouldn't do that for an extra 2 kW. In any event, pay attention to the breaker temperature inside your panel also. Do you know what size the conductors are? Did you use an upgraded (a/k/a expensive) 14-50 receptacle?

Good questions, but no good answers. All I can say is that I had a licensed electrician and had a permit/inspection done on it. Given that I don't know the specifics, yeah, I'll be lowering the max amperage to the 40 A setting.

Thanks!

 

[everiklevine]

OK, based on an abundance of precaution, I adjusted my V-Box to put out a max of 40A. I can live with a slightly slower charge rage. I like that the display confirmed max rated amperage before I even plugged it in.

I sent an email to Lectron asking them where that temperature sensor is. It read 58 deg F before I made the amperage switch and my garage is a balmy 44 deg F. The charger hadn't been used since 0800 this morning.