Recommended brand for level 2 plug in

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brentac

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we are going to have a ChargePoint level 2 hardwired into our garage for use with my wife’s leaf and my clarity. The 12 hour charge time has burned me a few times with not being able to have long enough to charge up. But with her car being all EV it’ll get priority.

We are going to have the electrician install an outlet for the level 2 that could be a plug in one so that if we decide to get one we have that option. We figure better to do that now while they are doing the other work. If we go that route does anyone have a recommended brand for the plug in charger?
 
If you just want a straight charger without fancy wifi and app features, I use the Siemens one. It is one of the cheaper options that is 32 amp and a long charge cord.
 
I've been looking at Chargepoint chargers since there is an Earth day sale on all of their EV chargers until April 22. This makes them the cheapest and best option if you factor in the 20% off all of their products, then the government rebate.

However i don't think government rebates apply to home chargers that support charging 2 vehicles. Unless you weren't looking for that for both of your cars then disregard this.

There have been reported issues with Juicebox brand chargers. I would look at Sun country (Clipper creek brand in canada, they're known for some of the most reliable chargers), and Chargepoint.
 
johncl said:
I have a ClipperCreek, 25P. It is a portable Level 2, so if I ever move to a different place I can take it with me.

https://store.clippercreek.com/lcs-25p-nema-6-50
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No, I would not recommend this model since it's older and the plug is not popular. They have a newer 24 Amp model for not much more. Plus get the 14-30 connector since it's the same plug as a dryer. You can plug it into any house that has a newer dryer outlet. Also, when you hire an electrician, ask him to install a dryer outlet in your garage. You won't be charged with an "EV surcharge" that some electricians seem to charge.

I've had my CC 20 Amp 14-30 for almost 3 years and haven't had any problems. I love that it's portable and plugs into people's dryer outlet. Get the newer 24 Amp version.

https://store.clippercreek.com/level2/level2-20-to-32/lcs-30p-nema-14-30
 
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I've been testing and comparing EVSEs for about six years now and have written many reviews (some posted here on InsideEVs) and I can definitely say that there isn't a one-size-fits all solution. People need to think about what features, if any that they would like to have before shopping price.

FWIW, I love to have the WIFi capabilities and smart charging features and I'm willinig to pay a couple hundred dollars more for those features. I just posted a review of the JuiceBox Pro 40 (I have three of them) and it's definitely very high on my recommend list. Heres the review if anyone is interested:

http://bmwi3.blogspot.com/2018/04/ev-charging-product-review-update.html

IMG_20180118_155146 (1).webp
 
I have the Siemens too. It is very basic no-frills but it just works. (And is pretty cheap. The big box orange store is where I got mine.)
 
On a related note, I just had an electrician come by and give me an estimate for installing the hardwired Siemens Level 2 model (I get a better rate from utility if the charger is hardwired). The panel is in the basement and the dedicated wire needs to be run from there to the garage (about 60ft). Also, need to add a dedicated meter for the line so that the utility can track my usage for EV charging. I was quoted a price of $1500 for the work and materials (I buy the charger). Does this sound reasonable? I understand that each project/areas are different, but just want to make sure that it is within reasonable variance.
 
Sounds high to me. We are in Los Angeles. There are programs in place that offer rebates. Residential customers can receive a rebate of up to $500 toward their out-of-pocket expenses for an EV charger. The rebate does not cover the cost of installation. Customers who choose to install an optional dedicated time-of-use (TOU) meter will qualify for the LADWP’s EV discount of 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), plus receive an additional $250 bonus. This dedicated service will add additional cost to the installation process but will yield lower electricity costs for off peak charging.

I would get more estimates.
 
That sounds a bit high, but honestly, as you mentioned, there's a lot of factors that can influence the cost. If you get three estimates, you'll have a better idea of a fair price for the work.
 
aperson said:
On a related note, I just had an electrician come by and give me an estimate for installing the hardwired Siemens Level 2 model (I get a better rate from utility if the charger is hardwired). The panel is in the basement and the dedicated wire needs to be run from there to the garage (about 60ft). Also, need to add a dedicated meter for the line so that the utility can track my usage for EV charging. I was quoted a price of $1500 for the work and materials (I buy the charger). Does this sound reasonable? I understand that each project/areas are different, but just want to make sure that it is within reasonable variance.
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It's on the high side, but given that they are adding a fairly long run of line plus a dedicated meter, it doesn't seem too outlandish to me. Mine was $250 for a plug right next to the existing breaker box, so a much simpler setup!
 
I had recently purchased a JuiceBox Pro 40.

I had a few electricians quote me to install 75ft of 6/3AWG romex from my main panel, through the attic (Vaulted ceilings). Everything was installed in wall with a Flush Mount Nema 14-50 plug in the garage. They also ran a 20amp idle circuit to the garage for future. It was $900 for the install. I am in Southern California, and on TOU so my electric rate at night is $0.13 winter/$0.12 summer.

From empty, The Juicebox pro 40 takes just under 2 hours to charge and takes about 14.2KW total electricity. Charge rate is 7.2kWh. The included Level 1 charger would take 12.5 hours to charge and would take about 15KW total electricity. Charge rate is 1.2kWh.
 
Thanks everyone for weighing in. I do plan to get a few more estimates before deciding. A second electrician quoted me about the same ballpark, so perhaps that is the going rate in my area (Minneapolis). I do get a $500 rebate from the utility to offset about 30% of the cost.
 
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