So I just got this 2023 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring literally three days ago and honestly I am kind of freaking out because I have never owned anything with a plug before. I thought it would be simple like charging a phone but it is definitely not. I am located in the suburbs of Chicago and our garage is pretty old and only has those standard three prong outlets that you see in a kitchen or something. When I plugged the car in with the cord it came with it told me it was going to take like 12 or 15 hours to finish charging which seems insane because I have to drive to work every morning and I really wanted to use the electric mode for my commute.
I tried looking on Amazon for faster chargers but I am so lost. There are all these words like Level 2 and NEMA 14-50 and 40 amps and I feel like I am back in high school physics failing a test. My budget is probably around 600 bucks but I can spend more if it means my house wont burn down because that is my biggest fear right now. I keep seeing things for ChargePoint and some brand called Grizzl-E? Is one better for a Lincoln specifically or do they all work the same for every car?
I really dont want to break the car because it was so expensive and I am worried if I buy the wrong accessory it might fry the battery or something. Does anyone else with a Grand Touring use a specific brand that is easy to set up? Do I need to call an electrician to change the wall outlet first or can I just buy a better cord? Im sorry if these are really stupid questions I just really dont want to mess this up and the manual is like a thousand pages long and makes no sense to me. Should I just stick to the one that came with the car even if its slow or is there something safe I can buy that wont make me worry every night...
I had that exact same panic when I first got my Aviator. Eventually, I got a 240v outlet installed and it changed everything. Honestly, Ive been really happy with the Grizzl-E Classic Level 2 EV Charger 40 Amp because its basically bulletproof. My neighbor uses the ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 EV Charger 50 Amp which has a fancier app, but both will get you fully charged in about four hours.
Just seeing this now and honestly you gotta be careful with that old garage wiring. Running a continuous heavy load on a basic 15-amp circuit that probably has old insulation is a legitimate fire risk. I went through a whole ordeal with my last house where the breaker kept tripping because the garage was daisy-chained to the outdoor lights... super frustrating. For your Aviator, you definitely need a dedicated 240V circuit installed by a pro before you buy any fancy hardware. Since the others mentioned the Grizzl-E, I would suggest looking at the Wallbox Pulsar Plus Level 2 40 Amp. It is super compact and has excellent safety certifications like UL listing, which is non-negotiable for me tbh. Another solid choice is the Enel X Way JuiceBox 40 Smart EV Charging Station. Both use the standard J1772 plug so they wont hurt your Lincoln battery at all. Just make sure the electrician uses an industrial grade outlet like a Hubbell if you go the NEMA 14-50 route, otherwise those cheap $15 ones can literally melt under the heat.
I went through this exact same panic last year. I kept trying to use that standard wall plug and it was just painful watching the miles crawl up... literally like watching paint dry. The biggest thing I learned is that the cord isnt actually the bottleneck, its your house wiring. Those standard kitchen outlets are only 120v and they just cant push enough juice for a car battery. I ended up calling a local electrician to run a dedicated 240v line to my garage. It cost a few hundred bucks but it was way safer than overloading an old circuit. Once I got that heavy duty outlet installed, charging went from 12 hours down to about 3. I just use a simple wall unit now that doesnt have any fancy apps. It just works. Definitely call a pro first tho... you dont want to mess with old garage wiring yourself.