Power 2 charger

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I bought my Niro EV EX three months ago and am loving it. This is my first EV so I asked several friends who own EVs for their recommendations. I ended up buying a Primecom Level-2 (220/240v) charger with the 30' cable and 6-50P plug. The cable length ensures easy access and it fits easily in an old gym bag so I can take it with me on longer trips. Although I keep my Niro in the garage, this charger is waterproof so I could safely recharge outside if needed. The cable also has a pretty good manufacturer's warranty. I didn't feel the need to access the charger status or control it with an app so I didn't opt for wireless connectivity.

Bottom line - most similar L2 chargers cost about the same so for me it came down to manufacturer reputation and recommendations from trusted friends.

By the way, I also occasionally use the 110v cable that came with the car if I'm not in a hurry. It should suffice while you do the research to find the right L2 for you.
 
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There's need and then there's, well, comfort...I like the idea that I can get charged faster after a longish trip.
 
I bought the least expensive level 2 charger I could find: a 16 Amp DUOSIDA on Ebay. Only cost $200. Only issue I've had with it is that the plug did not fit my car perfectly, so I had to file off a bit of the plastic that helps lock the charger in place when plugged in.

Edit: Just checked Ebay, I see there's a used one going for only $140 (including shipping) right now
 
ITown said:
I bought the least expensive level 2 charger I could find: a 16 Amp DUOSIDA on Ebay. Only cost $200. Only issue I've had with it is that the plug did not fit my car perfectly, so I had to file off a bit of the plastic that helps lock the charger in place when plugged in.
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Have you messed around at all with the max charging current options in the car menus? It has settings for 240V and 120V chargers but from my experience, those settings are completely tied to maximum current capability of the charger and not the charging voltage. As an example, if you plug in a 240V charger limited to 8, 10, or 12A, it will be treated as a 120V charger and none of the menu settings for 240V chargers will have any effect on charging speeds. The 120V charger menus will work to further reduce the 8, 10, or 12A coming from the 240V charger. Bizarre. I don't know what the exact maximum current cutoff is before the car considers the EVSE as "240V" and have not tested a 16A unit like yours. Can you try playing with those car menus while charging to see whether the 120V or 240V settings cause a change in charge rate? Also, please post what KW is reported on the instrument cluster with each of the charging current menu settings. Thanks.
 
wizziwig said:
Have you messed around at all with the max charging current options in the car menus? It has settings for 240V and 120V chargers but from my experience, those settings are completely tied to maximum current capability of the charger and not the charging voltage. As an example, if you plug in a 240V charger limited to 8, 10, or 12A, it will be treated as a 120V charger and none of the menu settings for 240V chargers will have any effect on charging speeds. The 120V charger menus will work to further reduce the 8, 10, or 12A coming from the 240V charger. Bizarre. I don't know what the exact maximum current cutoff is before the car considers the EVSE as "240V" and have not tested a 16A unit like yours. Can you try playing with those car menus while charging to see whether the 120V or 240V settings cause a change in charge rate? Also, please post what KW is reported on the instrument cluster with each of the charging current menu settings. Thanks.
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That sounds a bit complicated to me but if I remember, I'll do it some time. I just plug it in and walk away. Pretty sure it charges at 3.7 kW
 
Comparing the American market Niro EV menus to those of the European versions, I think I see where KIA screwed up. For some reason they renamed what used to be called "Portable" and "Station" in Europe to "120V" and "240V" over here. Problem is that the underlying software doesn't care about voltages at all so it just confuses matters. Under the hood it still classifies any EVSE advertising low maximum current (guessing anything below 12A) as "Portable" and others with higher maximum reported current (maybe 16A or higher?) as a "Station". Voltage has absolutely nothing to do with it and should not have been mentioned at all in the "Charging Current" menus of the car.
 
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