Difference Between Dumb Charger and Wall Plug…,

[MPawelek]

I understand the reasoning for a smart charger so you can monitor and change settings by the remote and WI-FI but do not understand why one would pay $500 for the manual wall charger over just plugging the car into a 14-50 wall plug. What exactly is the advantage of having the manual charger in line between the outlet and the EV?

 

[borski]

I’m not sure what you’re referring to by “manual wall charger.” Do you have an example?

 

[MPawelek]

This Grizzl-E .

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082LMVSLY?tag=highlightreviews-0281-20&th=1

 

[Steveinarizona]

Assuming you want to keep the one that came with the car in the car when you drive, you avoid constantly plugging and unplugging the charger that came with the car. Apparently one can wear out the outlet doing that.

 

[Sandvinsd]

Assuming you want to keep the one that came with the car in the car when you drive, you avoid constantly plugging and unplugging the charger that came with the car. Apparently one can wear out the outlet doing that.

This ^^^

i was going to say that you can just use the mobile one that comes with the car if you just want to leave it plugged in. Otherwise, just having one and a spare Is good. I would recommend a smart one though. I thought that the Grizzl-E has smart features.

 

[SDHacker]

Because at one time, the EVSE that came with most EVs was only 120V. So "dumb" chargers gave you access to 240V charging.

 

[copper]

This Grizzl-E .

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082LMVSLY?tag=highlightreviews-0281-20&th=1

If you're going to be unplugging the mobile charger from the wall even semi-frequently you can damage the receptacle. They're not designed for being changed out that often.

The regular dumb Grizzl-e is really meant for outdoor charging and being secured against theft in public spaces. They've got a bustling business for multi-tenant buildings because the charger can be physically locked to the wall in a way that makes it extremely difficult to remove - a big plus.

i was going to say that you can just use the mobile one that comes with the car if you just want to leave it plugged in. Otherwise, just having one and a spare Is good. I would recommend a smart one though. I thought that the Grizzl-E has smart features.

I ended up going with the smart version so I can schedule charging, and the extreme weatherproofing is a nice bonus for my microclimate. It works out of the box with the ChargeLab app but only allows you to set charging schedules and see the charger status (I'm considering setting up my own OCPP server for shits and giggles to give myself more features).

 

[histal]

I looked on Amazon but didn't find a spare "dumb" charger cable that goes from a NEMA 14/50 outlet to the car. Everything seems to want to do smart charging, but I just wanted to buy a spare like
Sandvinsd mentioned. My outlet is about 3 feet from the car charging port, so I don't need 25ft of cable etc... Any recommendations?

 

[copper]

I looked on Amazon but didn't find a spare "dumb" charger cable that goes from a NEMA 14/50 outlet to the car. Everything seems to want to do smart charging, but I just wanted to buy a spare like
Sandvinsd mentioned. My outlet is about 3 feet from the car charging port, so I don't need 25ft of cable etc... Any recommendations?

I'd just get a spare from Lucid instead. The parts team at your studio should be able to get you one.

 

[stevelitchfieldpark]

I still just don't get it as I don't see a reason to always keep the Lucid charger in the car. Can someone give me an instance when you used the Lucid charger for your daily commute or around town?

 

[copper]

I still just don't get it as I don't see a reason to always keep the Lucid charger in the car. Can someone give me an instance when you used the Lucid charger for their daily commute or around town?

It's more insurance in case of losing charge. I'd say better to have it with you just in case, but if you're comfortable using it at home and not having a spare in the car then you'd be fine. Just don't forget it on road trips.

 

[histal]

I'd just get a spare from Lucid instead. The parts team at your studio should be able to get you one.

Good idea, thank you copper! stevelitchfieldpark, I want one in case mine breaks or if I happen to run low and need to top it off somewhere outside. Granted, I am planning on having it charged up at home daily but I would rather the safety of a 2nd cable. (I also want a full spare, so I am that guy who is paranoid)

 

[borski]

I still just don't get it as I don't see a reason to always keep the Lucid charger in the car. Can someone give me an instance when you used the Lucid charger for your daily commute or around town?

It’s not useful for the daily commute or around town. It’s there for emergency “oh shit” charging when you didn’t quite make it to a charging station but can find a hotel or laundromat, etc., that will let you plug in for a little while just to get a few miles. Ooooor if an Airbnb has a 14-50 plug.

But the point is for road trips, not roaming around town.

 

[stevelitchfieldpark]

It's more insurance in case of losing charge. I'd say better to have it with you just in case, but if you're comfortable using it at home and not having a spare in the car then you'd be fine. Just don't forget it on road trips.

So if you lost charge, where would you hook the Lucid cable to; wouldn't you still go to a charging station that has a cable?

 

[copper]

So if you lost charge, where would you hook the Lucid cable to; wouldn't you still go to a charging station that has a cable?

If you go to a friend's house and somehow don't have enough charge, just plug into a 240v or 120v outlet and you're good to go. This is for times when you don't have enough to get to the charging station, it is out of service, there's a long line, etc.

 

[LRSIII]

I'd just get a spare from Lucid instead. The parts team at your studio should be able to get you one.

I'd go with getting a spare cable from Lucid, too, if you just want a charging cable.

As an alternative, you could get something like this from Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07THBG...olid=24Q0ZF9L74C9T&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Don't know if it's any good, but the concept seems to be the same. My one concern with this particular item is that I don't see that it includes a 110-volt adapter, for situations where you're really desperate for any charge. But it would probably be fine to leave this plugged into your home outlet and keeping the Lucid cable in the car for traveling.

 

[DeaneG]

Many campgrounds have 14-50 outlets you can plug into using the mobile cable charge from (for a fee). It would be a last resort compared to using a public charger, but some really serious road trippers do this on occasion to make a trip that would otherwise be impossible - usually around remote state and national parks.

 

[Slam08]

Another thing to keep in mind is that outlets will only allow about 80% of the rated amps. So a 15A charges at 12A to avoid overload.

So when you plug in to a 32A 240v 14-50 with a plug you only get 80% of that. (Max is 7.68 kW and you will get 6.1 kW). If you hardwire the charger you get 100%.

 

[Slam08]

If you're going to be unplugging the mobile charger from the wall even semi-frequently you can damage the receptacle. They're not designed for being changed out that often.

I’ve always heard this too.

But why don’t 14-50 outlets at campgrounds fail? Are they designed to a different standard that household ones?

 

[DeaneG]

I’ve always heard this too.

But why don’t 14-50 outlets at campgrounds fail? Are they designed to a different standard that household ones?

Good question. There are commercial and industrial grade 14-50 receptacles that cost about $90-120 and are much more robust than the $9 spec grade pieces at Home Depot. The good ones weigh about 3x as much as the cheap ones.