During the recent Amazon sale, I picked this gem up for a total of $215.99: The carry back measures 14" diameter by 4" thick making it carry-on. I need one for my 2017 BMW i3-REx. It comes with a NEMA 5-15 to NEMA 14-50 adapter! Not shown, the wall mount holster and a somewhat cheesy NEMA 14-50 socket. Written in proper English, the manual is clear and unambiguous: As the Chinese adopted EVs, their skills in design and implementation of affordable, EVSEs has improved. Bob Wilson
Here are my early test results: 240 VAC, 32 A Charging Initial rate: Hours later: COOLING CABIN Here is the parked car: The internal temperature: Early cooling load: 120 VAC AT 10 A Bob Wilson
Pretty sure these all run the same chips/electrics inside. What you are really buying is the cables, the wire is bloody expensive. Probably $5-10 worth of components inside the thing, circuit board, a sensor and a relay. The charging rate is controlled by the onboard unit in the car, based on communication with the 'charger' which simply engages a relay throwing the power at the car's onboard. I'm about to be on my 3rd China unit. Oddly, I had a Clipper Creek 30/24 that gave out about a month ago, I've had it since 2018. I've had two of these cheapo > 16A Chinese units, the first one lasted three days. The one that died *today*, started acting flakey Saturday/Sunday. I've had for a year or two, used sporadically as a travel unit, then pressed into full time use a month or so ago when the CC died. I actually shifted my in-car keepers to 120/240v 16A units with gender benders, one of which I used today. The cars will let me kick down the draw as low as 8A, but I can still get 3500W+ from a fat 240v plug, which is generally adequate for an overnight charge. Those units have seemed to hold up rather well, but they don't get much use. I'm charging from solar inverters now, so my charging window moved from TOU 8PM-1PM overnight, to 10AM-4PM in the heat of the day, and the power is not as stable. I have no idea if that is causing any of the issues, the clipper creek just starting throwing a fault and the 40A china unit, appears to drop communication with the vehicle. I just ordered a similar unit from amazon with the Asurion warranty. It runs around 110F in the garage, I think they are just cooking, but I'll get my money back this time if it pukes in the next three years.
And I can't understand why the charge rate isn't a simple rotary switch. The soft-switching thing is kind of dumb, you bump the button and you are tripping a breaker or charging at some ridiculously low rate.
Speculation, the push button may be easier to make water proof than a rotary switch shaft. Also, a less expensive part. Actually, I've been thinking about an automatic current limiter: Measure open circuit voltage Step from low amp up until a significant voltage drop is observed Back down to previous step Monitor voltage changes for any potential, additional loads Bob Wilson
