Size a home charger for an electric truck on the worst day, not the average one. A normal day in a pickup might use about 16 kWh, but a towing day can use two to three times that — and the charger has to hand it all back before morning. That is why towing households land on the largest standard home Level 2 size: 48 A, at about 11.5 kW.
Key Takeaways
- Size for the worst regular day: its energy divided by the parked hours is the minimum charger power.
- A towing day can need two to three times an average day’s energy back in one night.
- 48 A (about 11.5 kW) needs a 60 A breaker under the NEC continuous-load rule.
- If the math still fails at 48 A, the fix is a second point or DC charging.
Why the Average Day Is the Wrong Measure
Most sizing advice starts with the daily commute, and for a car that works. A truck breaks the pattern because its hardest days are not rare: a Saturday towing a trailer, a workday with a loaded bed. It comes home having used far more than the commute ever takes, and must leave full again next morning.
The test is simple division. Take the energy of your worst regular day and divide it by the hours parked overnight. The answer is the minimum power your charger must deliver. Above 10 kW, a 40 A charger is already too small. Our explainer on how many kW a Level 2 charger delivers shows where the sizes sit.
The Refill Math, Average Day vs Towing Day
These are labelled examples, built on a truck using about 40 kWh per 100 miles; check your own trip display for its real consumption. The pattern survives any inputs: a towing day is two to three average days of energy in one night.
| Refill job (example) | Energy needed | At 9.6 kW (40 A) | At about 11.5 kW (48 A) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A normal 40-mile day | About 16 kWh | About 1.7 hours | About 1.4 hours |
| A towing day, same miles | About 40 kWh | About 4.2 hours | About 3.5 hours |
| Deep refill, 20% to 90% of a 120 kWh battery | About 84 kWh | About 8.8 hours | About 7.3 hours |
Read the last row against a real night. Parked for ten hours, both chargers finish — but the 40 A unit leaves no slack for a late arrival. The 48 A unit finishes with hours to spare. Slack is what you are actually buying.
The Circuit Behind a 48 A Charger
EV charging is a continuous load under the National Electrical Code, so the breaker is sized at 125% of the charger’s current: 48 A of charging needs a 60 A breaker. At this size, hardwired is the standard route, and whether your panel can supply the circuit is a separate question. A licensed electrician should confirm capacity and do the installation. Our guide to what size wire an EV charger needs covers the circuit side.
The EV-ACT5006T as the Worked Example
The EV-ACT5006T 48A Level 2 wall charger is the size this math points to: up to 48 A and 11.5–12 kW on a single-phase 208–240 V supply, hardwired or on a NEMA 14-50P plug. Its connector is NACS, native to the growing list of NACS-port trucks, and its 7.6 m (25 ft) cable matters on a long vehicle: a pickup’s charge port can sit a long way from the wall. Rated IP65/IP66, it can live on a driveway-facing wall.
When 48 A Is Still Not the Answer
Two patterns defeat any home charger. If two trucks share one point most nights, the fix is a second point, not more power. And if the truck regularly needs a near-full battery again within an hour or two mid-day, that is a DC fast charging job — the U.S. DOT puts DC fast charging at 50–350 kW, a different class of equipment. For the household pattern — truck home every night, towing on the hard days — 48 A covers it (see is a Level 2 charger worth it).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a 48 A charger if I never tow?
Probably not. On average-day math, a 40 A or 32 A charger replaces a normal day’s driving in a few hours. The case for 48 A is the worst day.
Will a 48 A charger damage a large truck battery?
No. AC Level 2 is the gentle end of charging, and the truck’s onboard charger sets the rate it accepts — the wall charger offers power, the vehicle decides. See does Level 2 charging shorten battery life.
What if my panel cannot supply a 60 A circuit?
Then the choice is a smaller charger that fits the panel, or a panel upgrade first. Both are the electrician’s call after a load calculation. Never run a 48 A charger on a smaller circuit.
Related Reading
- How Many kW Is a Level 2 Charger?
- Is a Level 2 Charger Worth It?
- Can You Leave an EV Charging Overnight?
- Level 1 vs Level 2 vs DC Fast Charging: A Practical Comparison
