Sorry, another Level 2/electrical,charger question....

Discussion in 'Clarity' started by Rick2112, Jul 16, 2018.

To remove this ad click here.

  1. I have an older house with an unused dryer plug (NEMA 10-30) that I would like to use to charge the Clarity, hoping to keep charger/electrical work costs low.

    I am looking at a Zencar or Maxgreen charger which are able to use the NEMA 10-30 plug. Does anyone have any experience or opinions about these brands?

    They indicate that these chargers are 240V, 16A. The breaker in my electrical box shows 30A. Will it be safe to use these chargers with that electrical supply for the Clarity ?

    I am not a daily commute driver, so I do not need 2.5hr/100% recharge capacity, but I would like something faster that the 120v provided stock with the Clarity. Will the 16A chargers provide faster charging? Can anyone estimate the charging rate I would get with either of these 16A chargers?

    As always, many thanks for the help. Obviously, I am new to the Clarity, and on top of that, I don't know much about electrical stuff.

    Regards,

    Rick
     
  2. To remove this ad click here.

  3. bpratt

    bpratt Active Member

    The maximum charge rate for the Clarity is 32 amps which will fully charge the battery in a little less than 2.5 hours. A 16 amp charger should be able to fully charge the battery in under 5 hours vs 12 hours for the 120 volt charger. The 30 A outlet with a 30 Amp breaker is great for a 16 amp charger. Sorry, I don't have any experience with the two chargers you are looking at.
     
    Rick2112 likes this.
  4. qtpie

    qtpie Active Member

    We got one from Ebay with 10-30P dryer plug for under $200. Brand is Duosida. It’s been working well for us. Full charge from empty takes 4.5 hours. We used HondaLink app to schedule charging to start at 2:00 am. By morning, car is ready with battery fully charged.


    Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
     
    Rick2112 likes this.
  5. Thank you for the information. For an electrical neophyte like me, this explanation is perfect!
     
  6. Odobo

    Odobo Active Member

    I bought the zencar on Amazon and it has been fine without issue. I use it to charge our Prius prime and it finish charging 8kW in 2.2 hours or so, so charging the clarity will take about 5 hours with it.
     
    Rick2112 likes this.
  7. To remove this ad click here.

  8. qtpie

    qtpie Active Member

    We also got a splitter called Dryer Buddy which allows both dryer and charger connected to same outlet, but only one can be used at a time.


    Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
     
    Odobo likes this.
  9. Thanks all! Just ordered.
     
  10. Kendalf

    Kendalf Active Member

    Just for future reference, to calculate the charge rate of an EVSE multiple the voltage by the current. So for the 240V, 16A device described, the max theoretical charge rate is 240V*16A = 3840 Watts or 3.84 kW.
     
    AnthonyW and Rick2112 like this.
  11. rickyrsx

    rickyrsx Active Member

    I'm looking at buying a Level 2 charger but I'm confused by the difference in price for the Zencar one on Amazon and, let's say, a ChargePoint one. The ChargePoint is more than double the price! Is it just the amperage that's the difference?
     
  12. To remove this ad click here.

  13. Odobo

    Odobo Active Member

    The one from zencar only support 16A so it isn't really a level 2 charger. The one from charge point goes up to 30A I think? So it will cut your charging time in half of what you will need with the 1 from zencar.

    And it got all the bells and whistles too
     
  14. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    The ChargePoint is a true Level 2 EVSE at 32 Amps. It is WiFi connected and has a very good app to track cost and kWs. It’s heavy duty, warranted, comes with excellent tech support, and looks sleek and high tech (looks great). You get what you pay for.
    7BC4F1BA-4A5A-4FA2-B06E-EECA6D1D072D.jpeg
     
  15. Tacoma Soccer Dad

    Tacoma Soccer Dad New Member

    I bought the zencar charger through amazon (plugged in to 30 amp dryer outlet) and am very happy with it. It charges the clarity 2.5 times faster than 120v. I couldn't justify paying a few hundred extra dollars for a faster charge (24 amp) and some bells and whistles.
     
    rickyrsx likes this.
  16. qtpie

    qtpie Active Member

    the amperage makes a big difference in price:

    16amp: $200-$300, ~$250
    24amp: $300-$500, ~$400
    32amp: $500-$1000, ~$650
    40amp: $1000-$2000

    Higher amperage requires thicker/heavier cable and heavy-duty circuitry to handle the load, thus cost increases significantly.
     
    rickyrsx likes this.
  17. Kendalf

    Kendalf Active Member

    I believe the distinction between Level 1 and 2 EVSe is that L1 is 120V whereas L2 is 208-240V AC. So the Zencar is still a level 2 EVSE, just not as high amperage (and hence slower charge rate).
     
    qtpie likes this.
  18. bpratt

    bpratt Active Member

    I use a Jekayla Level 2 charger. It does not communicate with your phone, but it will fully charge my car in 2 hour 5 minutes, it always works and it is $399. For the first few weeks, it is a little more effort to plug in and remove but it gets much easier with time. It also has a KWh meter built in.

    https://www.amazon.com/Jekayla-Portable-Electric-Vehicle-Charging/dp/B071K874MG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1531845401&sr=8-2&keywords=240%2Bvolt%2Bcar%2Bcharger%2Bstation%2B40%2Bamp&dpID=41t5KUMdfOL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1
     
    dstrauss likes this.
  19. rickyrsx

    rickyrsx Active Member

    I completely understand your point and that's why I asked what the difference is between the Zencar and a ChargePoint. Do the features justify the cost or is it a matter of reliability and warranty? Do cheap things break down faster than expensive ones? Is the reason why the Zencar is cheaper because they use cheaper components?
     
  20. KentuckyKen

    KentuckyKen Well-Known Member

    Some thought for your consideration:
    1. You get what you pay for generally speaking.
    2. How risk adverse are you in putting a cheaply made high voltage electrical device in your house with your loved ones?
    3. How much is it worth to you to do business with a reputable company who has been in business a long time and will be around for a long time?
    4. How much is it worth to you to have great customer and technical service, and a long warranty?
    Your call.
     
  21. dstrauss

    dstrauss Well-Known Member

    Another happy Jekayla user here...
     
  22. rodeknyt

    rodeknyt Active Member

    Me too. And the day I bought mine (in late March), Amazon had a $20 coupon on it, so it only cost me $379.
     
  23. I received the Zencar charger (240V 16A) from Amazon, and oddly enough, what arrived was labeled Dousida (a brand mentioned by another poster). The outside box and documentation said Zencar, but it seems that it is a Dousida.

    No complaints though. It came in a nice carry case with cloth covers for the plug-in connector and the wall plug, bubble wrap and boxed new. Hooked it up in 1 minute and started charging, with no problems at all, indicator lights glowing brightly.

    Thanks all again for the info.
     

Share This Page