Am I missing something - I thought there was a sub forum here somewhere for charger reviews. But I'm not seeing it.
There isn't any sub-forum. You can see ones that Tom has reviewed here. https://insideevs.com/search/?q=charger+reviews
Good idea, maybe start one, as of now they are spread across all the different manufacture threads. A post/discussion in the general section may help bring all of them together. As an electrician, I can contribute my experiences as to durability, quality and ease of installation as well
I actually came here to seek insights and knowledge about EVSE/chargers. I've been slightly disappointed in the EV make and model chauvinism with little or no engineering understanding of why different EVs behave they way they do. But surely we could look at EVSE/chargers with an engineering eye. Happily "InsideEV" is head and shoulders of other forums on this subject. What I would like to see is J1772 adopt Tesla style, combined AC and DC functions. I'm not impressed by the 400 vs 800 VDC 'issue'. Yet it is like pulling teeth to find the peak DC charging rate and charging curve for any EVs (this means you too Tesla!) . . . end of rant. Bob Wilson
Well what I was thinking was a sub-forum for chargers reviews. That way different chargers could have their own thread. Tom could also get feedback on his reviews that way - not sure if he comes to this site though for the forums? The reason I was asking is because I ended up buying an Autel charger, same type Tom reviewed. In fact I watched Tom's review, and the Autel had a few issues. It didn't survive the drop test, and the cable had issues in the cold. However, the company stood behind the product and even is willing to send parts rather than junking the whole unit - something I REALLY like. Anyway, so far, the Autel charger has been great for me. The cable isn't an issue, as I'm in CA and its in a garage. I've seen my garage down to around 48f so far (outside around 25f) and the cable hasn't been an issue at all. So for those in warmer climates or garages, I think the Autel is just fine. I ended up doing the 40 amp with a NEMA 14-50 plug. Just under 10 kW is plenty for me. But if you hardwire it instead, it will do a sustained 50 amps. That then required a 70 amp breaker, which is another reason I stayed with the 40 amp - it only requires a 50 amp breaker. Out of curiosity - and something Tom doesn't do in his testing (?) - I used a temp gun to see how hot the cable and breaker was after 2 hours of charging, and it wasn't too bad either. The breaker was around 90f.
I went with the Grizzl-E Avalanche To qualify for my local utility credit on my utility bill, the EVSE needed to be UL listed and supply at least 7.5KW at the time. I had a 30 amp circuit already in the garage, so the adjustable Grizzl-E worked out great. Six hundred bucks off my utility bill. I pulled a permit, hardwired it myself, and had it inspected. What I like about the Grizzl-E is that you can open the cover and not void the warranty. Secondly, you can unscrew the cable that goes to the car from the EVSE and route it through a hole in the garage wall and then reconnect it. Being UL listed and adjustable makes it even better. I haven't noticed any issues with a stiff cable when cold, unlike the EVSE that came with the car.
