Ford Lightning charger in Chaparral: a 50 amp EV plug with energy management
February 2024 · Residential · EV charging · Chaparral, Calgary SE
Koop Electrical installed a 50 amp EV charging plug and an energy management system for a Ford F-150 Lightning at a home in Chaparral, southeast Calgary, in February 2024. The plug was $1,200 and the management system $1,500. The truck charges from the garage wall on the house's existing 100 amp service, with no service upgrade.
At a glance
Client: A homeowner in Chaparral, Calgary SE
Job type: 50 amp EV plug (NEMA 14-50) for the owner's Ford charger, plus an EV energy management system
Date: February 2024
Scope: 50 amp circuit from the main panel to the garage wall and a 14-50 receptacle at charger height; energy management controller at the panel, with sensors on the main service], set to pause the plug when the house nears its limit; surge protector at the panel; charger mounted and plugged in; City of Calgary electrical permit and inspection
Cost: $1,200 for the 50 amp plug; $1,500 for the energy management system
Charger: Ford's own charger, supplied with the truck
The problem
A Lightning is a big battery, and its Level 2 charger pulls up to 48 amps, nearly half of a 100 amp service on its own. Add that to a furnace, a range and a dryer on paper and the house is over its limit, which means the City will not pass the charger without either a bigger service or a way to guarantee the panel is never overloaded. A service upgrade costs $5,000 and up; the owners wanted the truck charging that week.
What we did
Ran a 50 amp circuit from the main panel to the garage and installed a 14-50 receptacle at charger height, so the Ford charger plugs straight in and can be taken along if the owners move.
Mounted an energy management system at the panel with current transformer sensors on the main service. It watches the whole house and pauses the plug for a few minutes when the house gets near its limit, then resumes. The truck still fills overnight.
Mounted the charger on the garage wall, plugged it in, and had the work inspected under a City of Calgary permit.
The result
The truck charges every night from a proper 240 volt plug, the panel never goes over its rating, and the owners kept the $5,000 a service upgrade would have cost.
Plug or hardwired?
Most EV chargers can be either. A 50 amp plug costs less, takes the charger with you when you move, and suits any charger up to 40 amps of output. A hardwired charger can run at 48 amps and has no plug to loosen, which some manufacturers require for their fastest setting. We will tell you which fits your charger and your panel on the first visit.
EV charger installation in Calgary
Koop Electrical installs Level 2 EV chargers and 50 amp EV plugs for Calgary homes, typically for around $1,500, and energy management systems for $1,500 to $2,000 when the service is close to full. Ford, Tesla, Grizzl-E, ChargePoint: any of them. Estimates are free: call 403-702-6053 or use the contact form.
Related projects: EV energy management system in Mahogany · 200 amp service upgrade in Dover · Do you install EV chargers? (FAQ)
This job is one of our EV charger installation in Calgary and load management systems in Calgary. See every service with pricing on our Services page →
