Question on Ford Mobile Charger , NEMA 14-30 adapter?

Discussion in 'Mustang Mach-E' started by Spiros, Feb 20, 2021.

To remove this ad click here.

  1. Spiros

    Spiros New Member

    Hello all, My Mach-E delivery is next week!! I have a question for the group..

    I only have a NEMA 14-30 in my garage, and this should draw max 24A to be safe. Tesla has the NEMA 14-30 adapter for their mobile charger.

    Does anyone know if Ford sells a NEMA 14-30 adapter for their Mobile charger? I can't get an answer from Ford customer service, they have no idea what I am talking about when I call them.

    Otherwise, can the Ford Mobile charger be opened up and limited to 24A? (like most wall chargers can)

    Appreciate it if anyone has some insight on this.

    thanks
     
  2. To remove this ad click here.

  3. Recoil45

    Recoil45 Active Member

    Spend your money changing your 14-30 receptacle to the proper one. It's a very inexpensive and simple swap. Using adapters in high current applications can bite you later on.

    The adapter you are asking about can be had on Amazon for $40 but I wouldn't buy it.

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  4. The shot answer is no you can't use the mobile charger with an adptoer on a lower rated circuit.

    The longer answer is: I took a look through the Mustang Mach E Owners Manual and there does not appear to be a way to lower the current settings either for the car or for the charger so I would not recommend using the 14-50 plug with an adapter as it will just trip the circuit breaker. In Teslas and some other cars like the Kona and the Niro the current input can be adjusted from the car and limited to a certain amp and kilowatt rating. This then allows a higher power charger to be used with an adapter on a lower rated circuit.

    You have two options one: is to properly install a 14-50 circuit or two: get an aftermarket mobile charger with adjustable current setting that can be limited to 24 amps
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2021
  5. I doubt that you can open up the charger and reset the current rating as it most likely was not designed for that like wall units are and would void the warranty on the unit and would probably damage it.
     
    Roy_H likes this.
  6. To remove this ad click here.

  7. Spiros

    Spiros New Member

    Thank you for the replies. Yes, it does not look like the Ford mobile charger will have what I need anytime soon.
    I have decided to buy a wall charger that has dip switches to limit the amps to 24A.
    I really do not need to charge any faster than this and pulling a new wire from my finished basement electric box on the other side of the house is too big of a job. Here in Quebec, we have a $600 government subsidy, this wall charger will cost me almost nothing.
     
    Roy_H and Fastnf like this.
  8. FISHEV

    FISHEV Member

    But in this case the user is plugging into a 30A source with an 50A rated plug adapter so there is no "high current" in the equation. The question would be whether the Ford Mobile Charger would work at 30A, I'd guess it would and certainly worth a try before spending more money.
     
  9. The Ford Charger (EVSE) draws 32 amps under load connected to the car when charging. That is why it has a 50 amp plug. Note there are no 40 amp plugs. The code then requires you to move to the next highest plug size which is 50 amp. If you plug the Ford mobile charger (EVSE) into the 30 amp plug using and adapter it will still draw 32 amps which will trip the breaker. The only reason it works in Teslas and Konas is you can lower the amp draw to below 24 amps by settings in the car and therefore it will not trip the breaker. The Mustang Mach E does not have the option to lower the current.

    The adapter does not restrict the current draw it just allows you to plug a higher rated plug into a lower rated outlet.
     
    Last edited: Feb 21, 2021
    Tony King likes this.
  10. ashmtl

    ashmtl Member

    NEMA 14-30 allows a 30A continuous load, not 24A and your breaker might not react on 32A. The problem is not tripping the breakers, but overheating the cable that feeds the plug, that leads to insulation problems or fire. You might have a 14-30 plug installed in your garage, but you should make sure that the gauge of that cable corresponds to the length of the cable to be able to accommodate the 32A load. If you plan having electric vehicles, I suggest you to have a proper installation of 50A system (cable and charger) by a licensed electrician (who can actually show you the calculation, as some of them can't) and give you a receipt with a description of the work done. I could have installed a 30A system for my Honda Clarity, but I opted for 50A cable and charger to be ready for any type of electric vehicle in the future.
     
    alexgorod and Roy_H like this.
  11. To remove this ad click here.

  12. Actually the national electric code (NEC) always de-rates a circuit for continuous loads by 80 %. Thus if you are going to run a 30 amp circuit continuously it is 30 amps *80 %= 24 amp continuous. Also the circuit breaker is designed to be the weak link in the line so that it will trip first before getting to the point of a fire hazard. I agree with you on the gauge size resistance calculation but the NEC also stipulate a minimum size of 10 AWG for any 30 amp circuit up to 100 ft. over 100 ft the size will be larger based on the resistance calculation.

    If the original poster purchases a UL listed EVSE (charger) with a NEMA 14-30 plug it will be be designed ant tested at 24 amps and will have no issues being used on his Nema 14-30 outlet.

    I also agree that it is a good idea to check the wiring size on a circuit as a safety precaution in case it was changes by a home owner unaware of code requiermnts
     
  13. Roy_H

    Roy_H Active Member

    You shouldn't give such bad advice. Yes changing the plug is easy and cheap. But the wiring is only rated for the 30A and with a 50A plug someday someone will plug in a 40A or 50A load and hopefully only blow a circuit breaker. If the breaker doesn't work or it too gets replaced with a higher value then you risk burning the house down.
     
  14. Recoil45

    Recoil45 Active Member

    As long as you use a 30amp breaker there is no safety issue.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  15. Except that you are not in compliance with code and if the breaker doesn't trip and a fire were to start the insurance could disallow a claim because of out of code conditions.
     
  16. Recoil45

    Recoil45 Active Member

    Stop the what if's.

    Breakers are sized to wire gauge not receptacle type. Nothing stops your wife from plugging (2) 1500w blow dryers into a power strip plugged into a 14 gauge wire with a 15 amp breaker. She can do that all day long and walk back and forth resetting the breaker and never burn the house down.


    Btw... my advice was not to use an adapter to do what the OP wanted. Extension cords and adapters are notorious for causing heat/fire issues. It's why everyone advises against running an AC or space heater off an extension cord, but no one advises against plugging them directly into a receptacle.

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  17. Roy2001

    Roy2001 Member

    Buy a 40-50A charger, and limit charge to 24A.
     
  18. Jim Talbert

    Jim Talbert New Member

    A friend has a Model 3 and a Tesla charger in his garage. He suggests I buy a 10-30 adapter so I can charge when we visit with our Mach E. Thoughts on that?
     
  19. Doe
    Adapter for what? Does he have a 14-50 plug in his garage if so a 14-50 to 10-30 would work if you have a charger with a 10-30 plug. The other option would be a Tesla tap or equivalent. The Tesla tap converts a Tesla plug to a j1772 plug. If you go that route I recommend getting the 80 amp version because some of the destination chargers provide up to 80 amps. Though the Mach E will only take up to 48 amps
     
  20. Jim Talbert

    Jim Talbert New Member

    Thanks...another question...I’d prefer to leave the Ford charger set up in my garage and carry a spare one in the car, should I wish, for example, to level 1/2 charge at someone else’s house. But Ford gets $500+ for their charger. Do you know of a good less expensive substitute for use either at home or on the go?
     
  21. There are any number of EVSE (chargers) listed on amazon for less than $500. Figure out how fast you want to charge as that will be determined by the amperage. I have an older GE charger (no longer made) that charges at 32 amps and seems to be sufficient for my use but you can get 40 amps as well. I would recommend one that the current can be adjusted so that you can set it to the current for the type of socket you are plugging in to. If you are looking for recommendations I suggest you post in the General section and you should get additional responses.
     
  22. marshall

    marshall Well-Known Member

    Be aware that an adjustable EVSE is in violation of the latest National Electrical Code if not hard wired.
     

Share This Page