32 amp vs 40 amp Portable Charger

[JoulesVerne]

Anyone else bummed that Rivian only included a 32 amp portable charger? We're going on a multi-day road trip where we plan on staying at campsites with 50 amp service.

If we only stay plugged in for 12 hours on a 32 amp charger we won't be able to go from 5% to 100% according to A Better Route Planner. I ended up buying a Lectron 40 amp charger so that we could get within a few percent of 100 each night.

It would be nice if I didn't need to spend more and have a charger I never use because it's slow.

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[Scrambler]

That is kinda sucky for an adventure vehicle. Whenever I get my R1S I plan on taking it places that I would likely be relying on campsite hookups. Strangely, MINI started shipping the Cooper SE with a 40 amp portable “flexible fast charger” this year, even though the car can only take 32 amps. I guess I’ll just swap their EVSEs when the time comes.

 

[ajdelange]

The 32A limitation is there to protect Rivian from liability in the unlikely case of a 14-50R receptacle installed quite legally on a 40A circuit.

You can charge at up to 48A from a 14-50R receptacle (on a 50A circuit) but I am not going to describe how it's done in order to protect me from liiability. I hope that's enough to scare you off but if it isn't it requires the purchase of a rather expensive portable EVSE.

 

[Perk]

You can charge at up to 48A from a 14-50R receptacle (on a 50A circuit) but I am not going to describe how it's done in order to protect me from liiability. I hope that's enough to scare you off but if it isn't it requires the purchase of a rather expensive portable EVSE.

Ok, but the supplied Rivian portable EVSE will only pass 32A, correct? Or can it be convinced to pass 40A?

 

[Dark-Fx]

32A maximum for the portable Rivian ships. My Polestar ships with a 40A portable, but if I'm plugging in at an RV park, personally I don't think it's a big enough change to make much of a difference.

 

[ajdelange]

Ok, but the supplied Rivian portable EVSE will only pass 32A, correct? Or can it be convinced to pass 40A?

Correct and yes. The EVSE will pass as much current as the truck requests but the 14-50P adapter tells the EVSE to ask for no more than 32A. To get 40 or even 48A all you need is an adapter programmed for 40 (or 48)A.

 

[ajdelange]

32A maximum for the portable Rivian ships. My Polestar ships with a 40A portable, but if I'm plugging in at an RV park, personally I don't think it's a big enough change to make much of a difference.

40A is fine for a 14-50R unless it happens to be wired into a 40A circuit.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

The 32A limitation is there to protect Rivian from liability in the unlikely case of a 14-50R receptacle installed quite legally on a 40A circuit.

You can charge at up to 48A from a 14-50R receptacle (on a 50A circuit) but I am not going to describe how it's done in order to protect me from liiability. I hope that's enough to scare you off but if it isn't it requires the purchase of a rather expensive portable EVSE.

Yea but if the Rivian were to attempt to pull 48A on a 40A circuit, that installed circuit IF legally installed would trip the breaker, breaker has to be sized to protect the wiring. If not legally installed, Rivian would have no liability…what am I missing?

 

[Bigeasy70075]

Wonder if rivian would be able to charge at 80amp with a ford wall charger. My brother is getting his lightning in a few weeks and wonder if I would be able to use his charger?

 

[SANZC02]

Wonder if rivian would be able to charge at 80amp with a ford wall charger. My brother is getting his lightning in a few weeks and wonder if I would be able to use his charger?

You can use his charger but the Rivian onboard charger is limited to 48 amps.

 

[ajdelange]

Yea but if the Rivian were to attempt to pull 48A on a 40A circuit, that installed circuit IF legally installed would trip the breaker, breaker has to be sized to protect the wiring. If not legally installed, Rivian would have no liability…what am I missing?

You are missing the scenario in which Rivian ships a 14-50P adapter which allows 40A, and the owner of the truck plugs it into a 14-50R receptacle on a 40A breaker. It draws 40A. The breaker does not trip (or doesn't trip for hours) but during the charge an electrical problem occurs which sets the truck and house on fire. A clever lawyer....(fill in the rest).

 

[Yellow Buddy]

You are missing the scenario in which Rivian ships a 14-50P adapter which allows 40A, and the owner of the truck plugs it into a 14-50R receptacle on a 40A breaker. It draws 40A. The breaker does not trip (or doesn't trip for hours) but during the charge an electrical problem occurs which sets the truck and house on fire. A clever lawyer....(fill in the rest).

Unless I'm mistaken, 8 AWG should be used with a 40A breaker. The 8AWG is good for 50A, which would be fine even if it runs at 40A continuous. The only situation where I can see it being a problem is if someone improperly undersized it using a 10AWG and leveraged the next breaker up rule, but while the next breaker up rule may be allowed, it would still be non-compliant based on the calculated loads of a 14-50 and expecting it to run the full 50A.

I'm not trying to be a pain, I'm trying to understand the actual hazardous situation, or are you saying it's more so a litigious issue than a in reality issue?

 

[ajdelange]

or are you saying it's more so a litigious issue than a in reality issue?

100%

The 32A limitation is there to protect Rivian from liability in the unlikely case of a 14-50R receptacle installed quite legally on a 40A circuit.

 

[flightlevel]

the EVSE will pass as much current as the truck requests but the 14-50P adapter tells the EVSE to ask for no more than 32A.

For purposes of clarity, I think you meant "truck" or "charger" here. The EVSE doesn't "ask" for any current, the truck draws it with the built-in charger, up to the limit it's set for (either automatically by recognizing the plug, or manually on the screen).

 

[tiltedandsaltyaf]

Unless I'm mistaken, 8 AWG should be used with a 40A breaker. The 8AWG is good for 50A, which would be fine even if it runs at 40A continuous. The only situation where I can see it being a problem is if someone improperly undersized it using a 10AWG and leveraged the next breaker up rule, but while the next breaker up rule may be allowed, it would still be non-compliant based on the calculated loads of a 14-50 and expecting it to run the full 50A.

I'm not trying to be a pain, I'm trying to understand the actual hazardous situation, or are you saying it's more so a litigious issue than a in reality issue?

#8 -40 amps
#6 - 50 amps

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