Which 80 amp charger is best?

[JRDM2]

I like the GizzlE line. The smart ones keep track of electrical usage. I'm sure plenty from other brands do too. The GrizzlE looks pretty serviceable inside too. I chose it in part because I could set a current limit in the GrizzlE box so I don't have to upgrade the wiring on the circuit but I suppose that's not a concern for your upgrade. I'm limited to 24A charging current but I rarely even need that. I set the truck to 8A because that seems to be the peak of what the heat pump uses to warm up the battery.

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[RLXXI]

The box on the wall, EVSE, has no electronic components subject to 48/80 amps. The electronics that do all the conversion are in the truck's AC charger. The wall box is just a smart switch with heavy-duty relays that energize the cable when told to do so by the truck.

The relay contacts in a quality EVSE should have no issue with carrying their rated current and heat should be immaterial.

That I didn't know, I thought it was the charger not just a pass thru.

 

[shutterbug]

That’s only true if the electrical system doesn't have the capacity to fully power 2 units. I run 2 independent units at full power without issue.

No. It's true regardless of your capacity. ChargePoint app is limited to a single charger. To run 2 ChargePoint chargers you need to use 2 separate phones.

 

[reddog21]

To run 2 ChargePoint chargers you need to use 2 separate phones.

You need 2 accounts not 2 phones.

 

[bmwhitetx]

That I didn't know, I thought it was the charger not just a pass thru.

Very common misconception. Doesn't help when some manufacturers and YouTube personalities call them chargers. They do providing the charging "voltage" but the vehicle does all the work, taking the AC voltage and converting it to DC.

On the charging amps side of things, the EVSE/wall box lets the vehicle know it's max current and the vehicle limits its draw to that amount. If you change the amps in the wall box app, it just reduces the max amps it tells the vehicle and the vehicle than reduces its current draw accordingly.

All this amazes me in that they charge hundreds of dollars for basically a WiFi smart switch with some heavy-duty on/off relays. The charging cable is likely one of the most expensive parts.

 

[bc1]

I got the Chargepoint hard wired version which was recommended from reviews I google searched about 4 months ago. It was 600 bux on Amazon. I spent another 400 or so for wiring, conduit, and breaker. Breakers were cheaper on Amazon and wiring was cheaper through Nassau online (about half over Lowes or HD). I ran 3 conductor with ground out to the corner of the garage and put in an Outdoor Trailer box on the inside of the garage. It has the 14-50R 50 amp receptacle as an alternative for the ford charger if needed. Can also plug in a welder and I or a later owner can plug in an RV if needed. Plus it has other outlets there at the corner of the garage for the air compressor, etc. all for the cost of running one more conductor wire plus the panel and possibly another box if needed. Then a short run through the wall from there to the Chargepoint.

Talk to your electrician but don't forget the 80% rule on wiring and breakers etc. I put into Chargepoint and it says that charge current limited to 80% of the breaker amperage or charger's maximum rated output. The charger's maximum rated output is 50 amps which I have it set at. I wasn't sure that if I have a 50 amp breaker then it actually applies a percentage and cuts the charge rate lower than the 48 amps you would think you would get so I upsized the wiring for the length of the run to use a 60 amp breaker. Someone here can correct me of this was necessary or not but I haven't had any nuisance breaker tripping in the middle of the night that some people get when they are running at the maximum of their wire and breaker.

I have the Chargepoint set at the max 50 amp, the Ford app set at the max 48 amp, and it appears that it gains the approx 10.5 kw per hour as limited by the ford onboard charger. The Chargepoint produces a graph for historical purposes each day so I can't see the exact kw rate at a given moment in time during a charge.

Whatever you get, or do it for all options, download the installation manual first to see what is actually needed and see how they are set up so you know in advance.

 

[fhteagle]

The box on the wall, EVSE, has no electronic components subject to 48/80 amps.

Hard disagree. Internal wiring/traces, contactors or solid state relays, the cordage out to the J1772 handle, etc all have amperage ratings that need to be respected.

I get that you were trying to say there's no AC to DC conversion in the EVSE itself. Which is 99% true. But the way you actually said it, someone is likely to misinterpret as "overdrive it all you want!". Then the fire department gets to show up, and nobody wants that.

 

[PJnc284]

Hard disagree. Internal wiring/traces, contactors or solid state relays, the cordage out to the J1772 handle, etc all have amperage ratings that need to be respected.

I get that you were trying to say there's no AC to DC conversion in the EVSE itself. Which is 99% true. But the way you actually said it, someone is likely to misinterpret as "overdrive it all you want!". Then the fire department gets to show up, and nobody wants that.

I mean you can't magically make a 48 amp EVSE push 80 amps.

 

[Maquis]

It sounds you're talking about something different. Shutterbug was talking about the app's ability to communicate with the units, you're talking about electrical capacity.

Yep - I misinterpreted what he was getting at.

 

[bmwhitetx]

The charger's maximum rated output is 50 amps which I have it set at. I wasn't sure that if I have a 50 amp breaker then it actually applies a percentage and cuts the charge rate lower than the 48 amps you would think you would get so I upsized the wiring for the length of the run to use a 60 amp breaker.

A 60A breaker should only be used with a 48A EVSE (60 x 0.8 = 48). When an EVSE says it outputs 50A then that is what it will output (assuming the vehicle requests at least that amount).

For 50A output you need a circuit capable of (50A / 0.8) = 62.5 amps. Your wire may be good for that but your breaker isn't. You should set your ChargePoint to 48A output.

 

[bmwhitetx]

Hard disagree. Internal wiring/traces, contactors or solid state relays, the cordage out to the J1772 handle, etc all have amperage ratings that need to be respected.

I get that you were trying to say there's no AC to DC conversion in the EVSE itself. Which is 99% true. But the way you actually said it, someone is likely to misinterpret as "overdrive it all you want!". Then the fire department gets to show up, and nobody wants that.

I was talking about his use of the term "electronic components" (transistors, etc) that are typically used in the conversion. Wire traces, wire, relays, handles are not electronic components. @RLXXI was concerned about the electronics associated with the AC-DC conversion. Since those aren't in the EVSE then there should be no concern.

The EVSE tells the vehicle the max amps it can provide. If a vehicle goes rogue and pulls more that, then yeah things will burn up. My point is the wire, wire traces, handle, relays are rated for the EVSE current rating so you should not be stressing the EVSE at rated current.

I don't know for certain but I would expect an EVSE would open it's relays if it senses the vehicle is pulling more current than it can safely provide.

 

[bc1]

A 60A breaker should only be used with a 48A EVSE (60 x 0.8 = 48). When an EVSE says it outputs 50A then that is what it will output (assuming the vehicle requests at least that amount).

For 50A output you need a circuit capable of (50A / 0.8) = 62.5 amps. Your wire may be good for that but your breaker isn't. You should set your ChargePoint to 48A output.

You are mathematically correct and I cheated on the Chargepoint app by 2 amps which doesn't really change actual input into the truck. I assume the 48 amp max on the Ford app is the actual limiting charge rate even if I had an 80 amp A/C wall charger.

 

[garsh]

That I didn't know, I thought it was the charger not just a pass thru.

Yep, an EVSE is just a fancy safety switch.

 

[galstaf]

Is anyone using a Tesla Gen 2 80Amp EVSE with a J1772 adapter to charge their 2022-23 F150 lighting?

If so, can the truck pull it's full 80A capability (assuming you have the ER battery)?

 

[B177y]

If so, can the truck pull it's full 80A capability (assuming you have the ER battery)?

Only 2022 and 2023 with ER battery.

2024 & 2025 can pull 80 amps if it's the Pro trim special ordered with the dual onboard charger.

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