HUB 04 · Charging Costs
Ford Mach-E & F-150 Lightning: Home Charging Time and Cost
The Mach-E charges like most EVs; the Lightning is one of the few that can pull 80 amps at home. Here is the time, the cost, and the charger each one needs.
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Ford's two EVs charge at home very differently. The Mustang Mach-E tops out at a normal 48 amps (10.5 to 11.5 kW), like most EVs. The F-150 Lightning is one of the few vehicles that can pull up to 80 amps (19.2 kW) at home - with the right charger and circuit - which nearly doubles the speed and, on the extended-range truck, matters a lot because the battery is huge.
Mustang Mach-E: a normal 48-amp EV
The Mach-E accepts up to 10.5 to 11.5 kW (48 amps) on AC, so a 48-amp Level 2 charger on a 60-amp circuit is the fastest useful option; a 40-amp plug-in unit is only slightly slower. With a 70 to 91 kWh battery depending on trim, a 10-to-80-percent overnight top-up runs about 5 to 6 hours at 48 amps and adds roughly 28 to 34 miles of range per hour. Any charger on our best 48-amp list fits.
F-150 Lightning: the rare 80-amp truck
The Lightning's onboard charger goes up to 19.2 kW (80 amps)- double the ceiling of almost every other EV. To actually get it you need an 80-amp charger (Ford's Charge Station Pro ships with the extended-range truck) on a 100-amp circuit. That is a real electrical job, but on a 98 to 131 kWh battery it is the difference between an all-night charge and a half-night one.
F-150 Lightning, extended range (~131 kWh):
- At 48 amps / 11.5 kW: 10 to 80 percent in about 8 hours
- At 80 amps / 19.2 kW: 10 to 80 percent in about 4.5 to 5 hours
- The 80-amp setup needs a 100-amp circuit and an 80-amp charger - budget for the electrical work
What it costs
Same formula as any EV - energy into the battery, divided by ~0.90 for losses, times your rate. The Lightning's big battery just means each full charge moves more energy:
- Mach-E, 10 to 80 percent (~55 kWh): ~55 / 0.90 x $0.16 = about $9.80
- Lightning ER, 10 to 80 percent (~90 kWh): ~90 / 0.90 x $0.16 = about $16
- Still a fraction of gasoline for the same miles - run your own rate below
Run it for your car
Cost-to-charge calculator
Put in your electricity rate, your battery size and your car's efficiency. The math is the same one shown above, with a 10% charging loss included so the number is realistic.
- $8.09
- A 10% to 80% charge
- $11.56
- A full (empty to 100%) charge
- $0.05
- Cost per mile
- $5.08
- Cost per 100 miles
Estimate only. Actual cost depends on your exact utility rate (including any time-of-use pricing and fees), your car's real efficiency, temperature, and charging losses. Check your electric bill for your true rate.
Connector and charger
Both Fords use a J1772 port today, so any J1772 Level 2 charger works directly - see the best chargers for a Ford. To use a Tesla-style (NACS) charger, add a NACS-to-J1772 adapter. Lightning owners who want the full 80 amps - or the truck's home-backup power feature - generally run the Ford Charge Station Pro on a dedicated 100-amp circuit.
Questions
Frequently asked
Can the F-150 Lightning really charge at 80 amps at home?
Yes - it is one of the few EVs whose onboard charger accepts up to 19.2 kW (80 amps). You need an 80-amp charger (Ford's Charge Station Pro comes with the extended-range truck) on a 100-amp circuit. Most homes will need an electrician to add that circuit, but it roughly halves charge time on the big battery.
What charger does a Mustang Mach-E need?
Up to 48 amps (10.5 to 11.5 kW) - the onboard limit - so a 48-amp Level 2 charger is the fastest useful option, and a 40-amp plug-in is only slightly slower. The Mach-E uses a J1772 port, so any Level 2 charger fits directly.
What does it cost to charge a Ford EV at home?
About $10 for a Mach-E 10-to-80-percent top-up and about $16 for an extended-range Lightning at the US average rate - the Lightning costs more per charge only because its battery is far larger. Your electricity rate is the main variable; use the calculator above.
Keep reading
Related
Receipts
Sources
- US EIA - average price of electricity (residential rates)
- US DOE / fueleconomy.gov - EV charging basics
- US DOE AFDC - charging at home
We do not run a testing lab, and we do not pretend to. Where a measured number came from someone else's lab, we name them and link them. Where we could not verify something, we say so on the page rather than quietly leaving it out. Read our full method.