howardbc Posted May 23, 2013 at 06:23 PM Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 at 06:23 PM Hi. I have been charging my car every night using the cord that came with it and a regular 120v wall outlet in my garage. I also have what I am sure is a 240v wall outlet (in my garage) that I've never used. It looks like what one would plug a dryer into. Question: Can I use the standard Fusion Energi cord/plug to charge my car via the 240v outlet? Wouldn't it charge my car faster? I haven't bought one of the expensive optional after-market installed garage chargers - at least not yet. The 120v works fine but am curious if I could charge my car a lot faster using the 240v outlet that is also already in my garage. Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
47Minutes Posted May 23, 2013 at 06:28 PM Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 at 06:28 PM Absolutely do NOT plug the 120v convenience charger into the 240v outlet! Forget that the plugs are different, the convenience charger will not handle that power. You must have a 240v charger to use with that in order to charge the car faster. Nothing will increase the speed of the 120v convenience charger. howardbc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howardbc Posted May 23, 2013 at 06:40 PM Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 at 06:40 PM Thanks so much for the fast reply! Wow, 'glad I haven't tried it. So if I want to charge faster via my 240v outlet, I HAVE to buy/install the Level 1 or 2 expensive chargers? There isn't just a different cord that can handle the 240v? I mean, a plain cord - not a cord (attached to an installed garage charger) that costs hundreds/thousands? I'm going to ECOtality (in Phoenix) on Saturday and will talk to them about something - maybe - in the future. Someone from Mr. Electric came out here a month ago but they haven't sent me a quote yet, even though I've asked them about it. Maybe that new company that Ford just signed up with will have a better deal? Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluggedin Posted May 23, 2013 at 07:27 PM Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 at 07:27 PM Thanks so much for the fast reply! Wow, 'glad I haven't tried it. So if I want to charge faster via my 240v outlet, I HAVE to buy/install the Level 1 or 2 expensive chargers? There isn't just a different cord that can handle the 240v? I mean, a plain cord - not a cord (attached to an installed garage charger) that costs hundreds/thousands? I'm going to ECOtality (in Phoenix) on Saturday and will talk to them about something - maybe - in the future. Someone from Mr. Electric came out here a month ago but they haven't sent me a quote yet, even though I've asked them about it. Maybe that new company that Ford just signed up with will have a better deal? Thanks again.You MUST have a Level 2 charger to use the 240V outlet. You cannot plug a Level 1 charger into a 240V outlet because the plug is different, so don't even try. The charger that came with the car IS a Level 1 charger. Mr Electric should have given you a quote when they were there so if they are dragging their feet I would suggest you call the new company that Ford has contracted with for the install. Then go from there. If you read some of the earlier post about chargers on this forum you will find some newer Level 2 charger that are less expensive than some of the earlier models but you may need to call your own electrical contractor to install them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
47Minutes Posted May 23, 2013 at 07:29 PM Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 at 07:29 PM You must use a level 2 charger with the 240v outlet. This will reduce the charge time to around 2.5 hours from fully depleted to fully charged. The convenience charger included with the car is considered a level 1 charger. There are a number of excellent level chargers available and more options on the horizon as more of these cars are purchased. There is an excellent thread in this forum concerning which chargers other owners are buying. I believe ECOtality is just now taking reservations for orders on their new line of "home" level 2 chargers. Talk to them. Other favorites are Leviton models and the Clipper Creek charger is a hit with its low price point. Some owners make their charger decision based upon possible future purchase potential. For example, if were to ever want to add a Focus Electric or a Tesla to your garage, you'll want a charger capable of peak performance with those vehicles. Lower amperage chargers will work with full electric cars but will not charge them as quickly. A higher amperage unit will charge the full electric at peak performance and will also adjust to meet the lower requirements of the Energi. FusionEnergi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Energized Posted May 30, 2013 at 12:53 PM Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 at 12:53 PM The good news is you have a 240V outlet available in a useable location which will save you the cost and hassle of installing one if you choose to get a L2 charger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy314 Posted May 30, 2013 at 06:21 PM Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 at 06:21 PM I went the semi-DIY. I didn't go through Ford, Best Buy, or Mr. Electric. I bought my the L@ charger with a plug (so it can move with me). I paid a city approve local electrician to run the plug only. Since I used him, the city will give a 50% rebate of the install for the charger (woot). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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