Ford Focus Electric Forum

Which of these level 2 chargers are outdoor capable? Is it ok to charge an FFE in the rain?

I've seen folks say that the GE is outdoor capable, but the loud noise it makes is a deal breaker. My FFE will charge adjacent to my neighbor's house, and I don't want them to be bothered by a loud noise at night when charging commences.

I just got the GE Wattstation installed this morning. It is outdoor capable. I don't find it loud. I listened several times to it in my silent garage. There is a "click" when it first starts like a relay switching and then a low pitched hum. The Schneider level 2 charger I have at work makes the same sounds. So I think that it will likely be the same for different manufacturers.

I understand the click; can someone please explain the humming noise?

The humming is common to transformers or coils with laminated metal cores carrying large currents. It is caused by the vibration of the core material in response to the alternating current. This is normal - no cause for concern.

I can't think of any reason for there to be a high voltage transformer in an EVSE.

I've got the GE Wattstation and had assumed the hum was coming from the relay coil. Mine has a low humming noise during charging. I'd suspect that those who experience higher noise levels may have the unit mounted less securely as the mounting bracket could allow some slop and then cause the enclosure to resonate.

I went with the Ford branded Leviton charger because I love anything that has the blue oval on it! Not to mention, that I assume, that the numbers they provide in terms of charging reflects the equipment they recommend. Common sense only gets you so far when you have to stop and use data to drive your decision. Ford accumulated data on that charger for some reason, safety or otherwise and I am going to follow the data.

You might be putting a little too much faith in the blue oval...

Probably what happened was, one day, some Ford and Leviton executives ran into each other at lunch at the same fancy restaurant, and one of them said, "Hey, you know what would be a great idea... ".

You should get identical charging performance from any charging station with the same general specifications. Leviton electricity isn't better than anyone else's. Keep in mind the actual "charger" is on-board your car... the external "charging station" is just a very fancy plug.

I bought the AeroVironment level 2 charger with the 25' cord. I need to get it installed now, but it has arrived.

I picked it because:
1) it was $999 instead of $1500+
2) it is suitable for outdoor installation
3) it is not horribly ugly
4) it has a long cord, which will give us some flexibility when we need to put both the ICE and FFE in the driveway.
5) it's the partner brand for Nisssan and other EV makers, so it's probably not total crap

I'll write more when it is installed. You can see it here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008RZXWNM

Home Depot on line sells the 40 amp Leviton 9.6 KW charger for $1099 plus about $75 for an installation kit. It has a 25 foot charging cable and works great. I figured that I'd buy up in a charger for any future EV I will own. It was also cheaper than a 6.6kw charger from some sources and I got it in about 4 days.

2013 Arctic Storm