[EVolution]

I know there has been a lot of discussion around what you need for the 80amp Ford Charge Station Pro and ultimately I will either farm out to Sunrun or another qualified electrician.

However, what I wanted to ask this group is if there is any experience with a 2 EV household and what your current set up is.

Are both cars in the garage? If any of your cars sit outside, do you have enough length with your charging cables? Is there a limit?

This will be my first EV but if I'm going to need electrical work I want to plan ahead for the next vehicle as well. Do I need to basically double my available space for the next car?

Other useful tips to think about that will be cheaper in the long run with some smart planning?

Thanks.

 

[ChasingCoral]

We have two BEVs and one charger in our carport. The Mustang Mach E lives in the carport and charges there. When we charge the Nissan Leaf, we pull it up to the edge of the carport and charge there.

 

[GDN]

We currently have 2 Tesla Model 3's. They are both garaged. The garage is bare minimum, 20' x 20', but it does the job. The house is a little over 50 years old and once had aluminum wiring, but the wiring was just updated 6 years ago. I have a 200 amp panel. The electrical panel happens to be on the west wall of the garage (cars enter the garage from the South) so it is in the perfect place

When the first Model 3 came along I added a 14-50 plug and just use the included UMC to charge. The plug is about 8 feet from the panel and it was added on a dedicated 50 amp breaker. The UMC is limited to 32 amps, so that car charges at the rate of about 30 miles per hour.

When the second Model 3 came along I procured a Tesla Wall Connecter and had it hard wired with a 60 amp breaker. So that car can charge its max 48 amps or closer to 40 miles per hour

Both cars charge fine at the same time. The panel has enough even with a pool and central AC.

As the Lightning comes along (replacing one of the cars) I'll have to do some shifting. The remaining Tesla will move to the 14-50 plug as that is more than ample for the juice needed and I'll remove the Tesla WC and hope to have the 80 amp charger hardwired in it's place. I don't know if I have enough room to increase that breaker from a 60 amp to a 100 amp or not. If I don't I will likely remove the 14-50 plug and charge the Lightning and Model 3 both from the 80 amp Ford charger on a 100 amp breaker. I'll just have to use the J1772 adapter for the Tesla.

While both cars may be used for a commute they can easily go a few days between charges. So we could alternate days with the single charger or might be able to get by keeping both chargers. I would be OK running the Ford charger on a smaller breaker if that is allowed.

 

[EVolution]

Thanks for the information. Although we have a small 2 car garage, we've never had 2 cars in that thing. I'm thinking that I would install the Ford charger on the outside wall with access to the Lightning since it won't fit in the garage and when we eventually get the second car, it will use the 14-50 plug you mention.

I never really considered switching between the chargers mainly because at this stage I'm most concerned about inclement weather impacting the battery life. However, this is a problem that doesn't exist yet (since we're still a couple years aways from having 2 BEVs) but from the sounds of your two examples, it's not too much of a hurdle.

I currently have a 100amp service that at the very least I would like to upgrade to 200amp to support the Lightning.

 

[Cutler03GT]

I’ve got 2 50A 14-50 outlets. If I could do it over, I’d have put a 100A subpanel in the garage instead of running those separate circuits though.

I am using the Ford Mobile connector for the Mach-E and only really need a 40A circuit for that. I have a 48A capable OpenEVSE that I plan to use for the Lightning, but since I only have a 50A circuit, I need to set it to 40A.

Had I had installed a subpanel, it’d have been easy to redo the run to that outlet with larger wire vs the 30 ft run all over again.

We’re probably moving later this year, so that’s what I will likely do next time.

 

[PatrickC]

Thanks for the information. Although we have a small 2 car garage, we've never had 2 cars in that thing. I'm thinking that I would install the Ford charger on the outside wall with access to the Lightning since it won't fit in the garage and when we eventually get the second car, it will use the 14-50 plug you mention.

I never really considered switching between the chargers mainly because at this stage I'm most concerned about inclement weather impacting the battery life. However, this is a problem that doesn't exist yet (since we're still a couple years aways from having 2 BEVs) but from the sounds of your two examples, it's not too much of a hurdle.

I currently have a 100amp service that at the very least I would like to upgrade to 200amp to support the Lightning.

The harger should be outdoor rated but depending on your city, they may require that it not be visible from the street. I’ve seen a number of installations where the charger is in the garage and a small slot (like a mail slot) is used to pass the cable through to the outside. Only downside is that you have to temporarily remove the cable from the charger so you can pass it through.
Also, if it’s installed outside and gets sun during the day, think about some sort of shade. UV is a b*tch on plastic, even outdoor-rated plastic.

25’ is the longest allowed cable length (not that you can’t find extenders but they aren’t code compliant and can be a hazard) so try to plan around that.

 

[EVolution]

25’ is the longest allowed cable length (not that you can’t find extenders but they aren’t code compliant and can be a hazard) so try to plan around that.

Good reminder - 25' gets eaten up pretty quickly when you think of the slack on either side. In reality, it's probably closer to 18'-20' of usable cable (assuming 2.5'-3.5' height to charger and Lightning port)

 

[Vandy1981]

You can probably get by with a load sharing setup if both cars run less than 100 miles/day.

Some models of the Tesla Wall Connector and EnelX Juicebox allow load sharing between multiple networked units on the same circuit.

Grizzl-E also makes an EVSE with two charging connectors.

 

[Leaf to Lightning : )]

I struggled with this last night, thinking about the 'configuration' of my two EV's, parking in my pull-thru carport, and how I could run the needed wiring and make it both practical for daily use, and 'pretty' from an asthetic perspective. My 2015 Nissa Leaf works great, and is perfect for the normal work commute, and has the charging outlet in the FRONT. This configuration makes the most sense for EVs - you have a lot more options, and easier connection options, with this location. You can pull INTO a charge station while on the road, rather than having to back into it. The Lightning, though, presents a problem. It does not have the TWO locations that most of us would think Ford would provide, but only the single 'driver side' location. For me, this means that I have to pull the truck into the carport with the driver's door on the side with the charge cable, yet, in my case, that leave very little room to then OPEN the driver's door. I don't like that.
So, as ChasingCoral stated, we may have to look at trying some different parking configurations to make both chargers work at the same time. If the Lightning simply had the charge port option on BOTH sides of the truck, this would not be an issue. If makes sense in one perspective that getting out and plugging in from the driver's door is the 'easiest' method, but the reality is that it creates a problem for many of us who want the charge cable to come from the other side of the truck, leaving much more room to exit the vehicle. In some garages I suppose you could simple mount the charger in the middle of the carport wall ahead of the parked vehicle, but my pull-thru carport has nothing to mount to - it would have to be either the left or right wall.

 

[EVolution]

I struggled with this last night, thinking about the 'configuration' of my two EV's, parking in my pull-thru carport, and how I could run the needed wiring and make it both practical for daily use, and 'pretty' from an asthetic perspective. My 2015 Nissa Leaf works great, and is perfect for the normal work commute, and has the charging outlet in the FRONT. This configuration makes the most sense for EVs - you have a lot more options, and easier connection options, with this location. You can pull INTO a charge station while on the road, rather than having to back into it. The Lightning, though, presents a problem. It does not have the TWO locations that most of us would think Ford would provide, but only the single 'driver side' location. For me, this means that I have to pull the truck into the carport with the driver's door on the side with the charge cable, yet, in my case, that leave very little room to then OPEN the driver's door. I don't like that.
So, as ChasingCoral stated, we may have to look at trying some different parking configurations to make both chargers work at the same time. If the Lightning simply had the charge port option on BOTH sides of the truck, this would not be an issue. If makes sense in one perspective that getting out and plugging in from the driver's door is the 'easiest' method, but the reality is that it creates a problem for many of us who want the charge cable to come from the other side of the truck, leaving much more room to exit the vehicle. In some garages I suppose you could simple mount the charger in the middle of the carport wall ahead of the parked vehicle, but my pull-thru carport has nothing to mount to - it would have to be either the left or right wall.

I know we are in the early adopter group (not just Ford Lightning but BEV's overall) but these are truly practical concerns that will impede the growth of this market. You can imagine the hundreds of millions of household configurations that exist in the world today. Some have ample space, others, no garage/carport at all. The home infrastructure just doesn't exist yet and we're so early in this process that homes are not designed around the charging of it's vehicles.

Things would definitely be easier if I had the nice clean, spacious and modern garage that we all see in marketing campaigns but until there are charging ports on either side of the Lightning, it's going to be a bit chaotic.

 

[Leaf to Lightning : )]

yep, some EVs will have a port on both sides, some on the front, some at the rear corner panels, and others, well, in a place that doesn't really seem to fit any situation. Yes, everyone has a different 'place' to park, to charge, to plug in, and if you are an apartment dweller, well, that's a whole different story. As time progresses, we'll see option come to the surface that we might find a little aggravating now. I won't let it stop me, as I am a DIY'r, so I can manage it. Some things seem to just work well out of the box, while others seem to require a LOT more effort to manage. No complaints, though, just suggestions, if the manufacturers are listening.
There's probably very little 'plug and play' options when it comes to engineering your source of power from your home, since a home's power panel is typically INSIDE the home, and not in a place where you can simply and easily run a 240v cable set to a 'convenient' location for your vehicle. When someone designs a 'simple' system, we may see a whole different set of EV buyers.

 

[Cutler03GT]

My neighbor who also has a Mach-E parks his outside and has an EVSE mounted on the outer wall of their garage.

 

[PatrickC]

I struggled with this last night, thinking about the 'configuration' of my two EV's, parking in my pull-thru carport, and how I could run the needed wiring and make it both practical for daily use, and 'pretty' from an asthetic perspective. My 2015 Nissa Leaf works great, and is perfect for the normal work commute, and has the charging outlet in the FRONT. This configuration makes the most sense for EVs - you have a lot more options, and easier connection options, with this location. You can pull INTO a charge station while on the road, rather than having to back into it. The Lightning, though, presents a problem. It does not have the TWO locations that most of us would think Ford would provide, but only the single 'driver side' location. For me, this means that I have to pull the truck into the carport with the driver's door on the side with the charge cable, yet, in my case, that leave very little room to then OPEN the driver's door. I don't like that.
So, as ChasingCoral stated, we may have to look at trying some different parking configurations to make both chargers work at the same time. If the Lightning simply had the charge port option on BOTH sides of the truck, this would not be an issue. If makes sense in one perspective that getting out and plugging in from the driver's door is the 'easiest' method, but the reality is that it creates a problem for many of us who want the charge cable to come from the other side of the truck, leaving much more room to exit the vehicle. In some garages I suppose you could simple mount the charger in the middle of the carport wall ahead of the parked vehicle, but my pull-thru carport has nothing to mount to - it would have to be either the left or right wall.

One other option would be to mount the charger overhead and use a cable management device to retract the cable.

 

[PatrickC]

I know we are in the early adopter group (not just Ford Lightning but BEV's overall) but these are truly practical concerns that will impede the growth of this market. You can imagine the hundreds of millions of household configurations that exist in the world today. Some have ample space, others, no garage/carport at all. The home infrastructure just doesn't exist yet and we're so early in this process that homes are not designed around the charging of it's vehicles.

Things would definitely be easier if I had the nice clean, spacious and modern garage that we all see in marketing campaigns but until there are charging ports on either side of the Lightning, it's going to be a bit chaotic.

The challenge with multiple charge ports is cost. If you simply have two charge ports wired up in parallel, then when you are charging on one port, the other one becomes hot and poses a shock hazard. So they have to add relays that disconnect one port while the other is in use, which adds cost and complexity. Probably the most likely outcome in the future, if they add a second port, will be to allow you to specify which one is the combo connector and which one only has the AC plug. That would at least allow them to manage the DC circuit requirements, which are always the most difficult because of the power levels involved. And for most of us, we only need the flexibility for AC charging at home.

 

[GDN]

One other option would be to mount the charger overhead and use a cable management device to retract the cable.

This is similar to what I've done with both plugs/chargers on the wall with the panel. I've got some hooks and a retractable cable - all installed poor man style. Gets the job done and keeps the cable off the floor from behind a car.

The real plan was to finish sheet rocking the garage and then truly mount the wall charger on the ceiling.

You can see the 14-50 on the wall near the back of the car.

 

[2023 lighting]

One other option would be to mount the charger overhead and use a cable management device to retract the cable.

Yes! I was thinking something akin to a self service car wash with the cable on a center pivot. It would not go 360 degrees but could have a field of travel sufficient to reach 4 corners of the car.

 

[ChasingCoral]

A simple overhead system for a garage could use a tool balancer and charging cable clamp like these that a friend of mine installed:

Reelcraft TB-05 Tool Balancer for 3-to-5-Pound - Air Tool Hose Reels - Amazon.com

Reelcraft TB-05 Tool Balancer for 3-to-5-Pound - Air Tool Hose Reels - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

evCHARGEsolutions.com EV Charging Station Cord Retractor Clamp EVSE

Buy evCHARGEsolutions.com EV Charging Station Cord Retractor Clamp EVSE at Amazon. Customer reviews and photos may be available to help you make the right purchase decision!

www.amazon.com

 

[PatrickC]

Yeah, both the tool balancer and central pivot approaches can work. Just watch out for over stressing the cable. If you have a twist point, you’ll want to leave a loop at the fixed end to reduce the twist at the joint.
For all approaches you’ll want to keep the bend radius to about 6-8 cable diameters. That’s going to be somewhere around 3-8” minimum bend radius. Depends on how thick the cable is.

 

[VTbuckeye]

We have a two car garage. The two garage bays are offset in depth with separate doors. Currently the wife's xc40 EV is in the left garage bay with a charge port on the left rear corner. I have an xc90 phev with a front left fender charge port. An f150 fits (not by much) in the right garage bay. We have two hardwired EVSEs. One next to the door to the house that can service the left side of the left garage bay. The other is on the right side of the right garage bay. Thus cable is draped on j-hooks from the rafters so that the car can drive under it and plug in. The cable can also be unhooked and led outside and not block either garage bay. The EVSEs were free to us from our utility company with special EV charging rates based on time of use (it saves about 0.05 per kWh). We only charge from 9pm to 1pm weekdays, 24 hours weekend. They are 30amp only.

It would have been nice if there were charge ports on both sides of the lightning. The ER models have a dual charger (both fed from the left charge port). That is how they get 80amp charging. It would have been great to have charging flexibility when charging in public. In my garage I could have used a left and a right plug on the truck to charge at 60amp.

We will probably upgrade to 200amp service this summer (service entrance is right side of right garage bay) and make our 100amp main panel (basement) into a sub panel. The charge station pro and other EVSEs will come out of the garage panel and the rest of the house will stay as is. We have electric oven/stove, dryer, but no central AC and natural gas for heat/hot water, so weekends may overload our 100amp service if two cars, laundry and baking are happening at the same time.

 

[2023 lighting]

For overhead cable carrier I'm picturing unistrut with multiple trolleys to attach cables to.

(image Lowes.com)
This would go either parallel or perpendicular over the top of car. Cable affixed to a trolley say every 5 ft. So 2.5ft loops hang down or less when stretched out.
Similar to what @GDN shows above but with the unistrut track.