Portable mobile charging cord options for your F-150 Lightning

If you’re in the market for a new Ford F-150 Lightning, you might notice now on the build and price tool that the charging cord is $600 add-on and not included with the vehicle. This is a trend happening with many new EVs, as more and more people have access to home charging and the company wants to save a few bucks.

Compared to the price of the truck, an additional $600 isn’t a significant cost increase. But you can save a bundle by not checking the box and going your own way.

If you want a reliable, solid charging cord, there are a few options out there.

Emergency use only

If you’re looking for just a cable to carry along in case you run out of juice somewhere, or want to be able to add a few miles in a pinch, a standard level 1 charging cord can do the trick. It’ll add a few miles an hour of range, so it’s not the fastest, but it will work on any regular wall outlet anywhere in the country.

Some people use their EVs exclusively on a cable like this, because you can add 30 to 40 miles of range overnight, but odds are you’ll be able to get a free level 2 installed at home with your Lightning (if Ford is still offering its Ford Power Promise), so this would be something you’d use in a pinch.

We’ve used Lectron products before with success, and they have a regular level 1 charging cable that would fit the bill for well under $200.

Preview	Product	Price
	Lectron Level 1 J1772 Charger (WiFi Version) – 120V, 15 Amp, NEMA 5-15 Plug, 16 ft Extension Cord…	$159.99	Buy on Amazon

You’ll still need the NACS adapter that comes with the Ford bundle if you want to be complete, and we do think you should have a NACS adapter with you to open up access to Tesla’s Supercharging network. For that, we again go to Lectron for our recommendation. We have one of their adapters in our review kit so we can charge our test cars anywhere, and it’s been reliable.

Preview	Product	Price
	Lectron NACS to CCS Electric Vehicle Adapter – 500 Amps / 1,000V – Compatible with Tesla…	$183.85	Buy on Amazon

Going this route, you’ll save several hundred dollars over the Ford bundle and will have a similar experience.

Regular mobile charging

Maybe you travel regularly to a summer home, a campground, or somewhere where you can plug in to a dryer port-style NEMA 14-50 outlet. In that case, you’ll want a mobile charging cord that can charge at level 1 and level 2 speeds. One of these cords performs nearly as well as a hardwired, dedicated home unit, but gives you the flexibility to take it with you.

This one from Lectron is ONLY a NEMA 14-50 connector, so you’ll need the 240-volt plug available to use it, but it’s cheaper than a combined cable option.

Preview	Product	Price
	Lectron Level 2 EV Charger – ETL Certified, 240V, 40 Amp, NEMA 14-50 Plug, 16 ft Extension Cord…	$249.99	Buy on Amazon

If you want the flexibility of both plug types, here’s the option for you.

Preview	Product	Price
	Lectron Level 1 / Level 2 EV Charger (12 Amp / 40 Amp) with Dual Charging Plugs (NEMA…	$339.99	Buy on Amazon

If you want the NACS adapter, you’ll still need to get that separately. The price is closer to the Ford bundle price if you do the level 1 and level 2 capable cord with the adapter, but depending on when you shop, you could still save $50 or more.

Bought used with no cord

If you picked up your Ford Lighting used, and it didn’t come with any charging solution, the Level 2 Lectrons above can be a good option. You can use them at home to regularly recharge your truck, but also take them with you if you want to. It offers a bit more flexibility than hardwiring a home charger in case you decide to move and want to take that charger with you.

Final thoughts

The Ford bundle isn’t a particularly bad deal at $600, considering it includes the NACS adapter. Some automakers are shipping NACS adapters for free with their new cars (and Ford has in the past) to help support the changeover from CCS plugs to built-in NACS plugs on all new EVs.

But if you want to save a few bucks, buying them separately can probably save you some cash.