Recommend EV Level 2 Charger for home (US)

I'm finally going to move up from Level 1 to Level 2. I am upgrading my service to add a 60A circuit to ensure future ev compatibility. As I do not have a garage, I'd prefer a NEMA-4 box. I had been leaning toward the ClipperCreek HCS-50 but feel confident that the Grizzl-e will perform well up to 48A. I recently discovered that the Wallbox Pulsar Plus (40 or 48) is NEMA-4 certified but I have seen some critical reviews (particularly flaky WIFI). I don't need a smart charger but I like its small size (especially compared to the ClipperCreek). Does anyone have any recent experiences with the Wallbox?

 

I’ve been using the 40A Wallbox for a month. No issues. One of things that appealed to me is its small footprint. Also got excellent ratings from Tom.

https://insideevs.com/news/496826/wallbox-pulsar-plus-ev-charger-review/

 

I've been using a 40 amp wallbox for about 3 months to charge our Ioniq 5. I like the small size, nema 4 rating, and variable color "halo" light to indicate charging, idle, etc. I installed it by the garage door opening, to service both our cars when the SE comes in. Driving rain will sometimes come in, so it will not harm the unit.

We have not had a problem, but wifi / bluetooth / updates - can be flaky. In the end i was always able to get it updated after a minor struggle. Wallbox does have updates rather frequently. I've done 3 so far - not sure what they really do. Charging itself has always been bullet proof.

FWIW, the circuit is on a 50 amp Siemens GFCI breaker and it has never tripped with the Ioniq 5 and the Wallbox.

 

I appreciate the reports. I saw numerous Wallbox units while in France recently. The exterior placement led me to investigate. As much as I like the halo light, I was happy to see that a recent firmware update permits a user to disable the feature. My install will be visible from my neighbor’s kitchen window. They may be intrigued at first but . . .

 

One of the reasons I went with the Grizzl-e was the Nema 4 and rugged case that acts as a heat sink. There is a lot of chips inside of a EVSE that have to handle considerable current. That makes heat. Heat and electronics do not get along well. So Grizzl-e made the enclosure out of an aluminum casting to act as a stable heat sink. Also, the Avalanche is white. Less absorption from solar rays. If a manufacturer tries to make a compact unit, it suffers on the longevity and reliability end. Just my observations from years of working with industrial controls.

 

I got the Grizzl-e because of this photo (Grizzl-e on right, original JuiceBox on left). That is some mighty fine circuit design.



(Taken from Tom Moloughney's review of the Grizzl-E.)

 

I was surprised to find this 25 kW Bosch EV 2000 DC Fast Charger on eBay. I tried to find out what they cost new, but didn't find a vendor listing the price. One non-InsideEVs (therefore not guaranteed reliable) forum participant wrote these things cost $11K new. This one appears to be from a Chevrolet dealer who never hooked it up. Here is the PDF Installation Manual for this 95-lb, 65-Amp bad boy. I wonder how much less than $5K the seller would take?

 

Probably less. Maybe you can get it for $1,000 then donate it to a (nearby) charity at the appraised market value of $11,000 if you can boost your itemized deductions beyond the standard deduction significantly.

 

Rather than trying reduce my taxes, I was thinking how cool it would be to have my own DCFC EVSE. But not $5K cool.

 

Lol it needs a 160 Amp circuit!

 

I think the manual says 175A upstream breaker for single phase. Getting a service upgrade would probably cost more.

 

Oh ok. It says the input is 134 A so I used the 80% rule.

ETA yeah I see it now, section 3.1 under the cautions. Thanks

 

In the early days right after the SE was announced but there was nothing but muddled info on charging I seriously considered upgrading my home power for DC fast charging or three-phase AC charging (11 kW charging). Little did I know at the time there's no support for three-phase EV charging in North America, and I quickly ruled out DC fast charging because there's no way I could have found a charger for $5,000 and DC fast chargers are too noisy.

 

"Honey, I'm unplugging the refrigerator, stove, and air-conditioner for a few minutes."

 

My house is happier now that I've had a service upgrade to 200A. Not only did it allow me to install a Level 2 charger (I chose the Grizzl-e Avalanche for an outside location) but the upgrade made my older home much safer. So far, life with Level 2 is wonderful.

 

When we had our heat pump installed 13 years ago, I upgraded from a 60 amp fuse box to a 200 amp breaker panel, and it changed the way our household runs! It used to be if I were running the microwave and the toaster at the same time, I would blow a 15A fuse; now the same circuit on a 15A breaker is rocksteady with that ~1600 W draw. Some day I will gut this 60 year old kitchen and rewire everything to code just like I did in the garage.

 

Rather than spending $20k to upgrade to 200A (significant trenching required) I just put the money towards solar. I use a Thermolec DCC-12 to bypass the load requirements for a Level 2 EVSE.

 

I did our new underground last year with a 250A service, and the total price was $3900. And I had them install it in conduit as well as drop a extra 1 inch conduit for Cable. 150 ft to the pole.

 

Jealous!!

 

Jealous of both of you for having underground service! For me the cost was $1200 (Canadian) for the electrician and the panel, installed, plus $300 for the new drop from the utility. I also had them relocate the drop to mid-span (the corner of the yard to the corner of the house) instead of how it was from the pole (directly across the middle of the yard to the corner of the house). Underground would have been a whole set of new costs to meet code, including permits and surveyors.