Which home charger will you choose for your new Kona or Niro
- Thread starter EnerG
- Start date
- Replies 246
- Views 56K
EnerG
Active Member
In my opinion, the nicest looking chargers with the best cord management are the most expensive. A couple of these come to mind, the ChargePoints and Flo chargers. These guys also lack the capability of the less expensive Juicebox 40 amp model but Juiceboxes cord management is an afterthought.
EnerG
Active Member
Just read the specs in the manual (page 8-2) and am a bit disappointed that our OBC On Board Chargers only offer up to 7.2kW output. In light of this it would appear we would not benefit from anything larger than a 32Amp charger.
If our onboard chargers were more robust then a 75Amp unit like this Juicebox Pro75 I linked to below would be a great deal assuming one has a spare 100Amp breaker! Chargers like these would be ideal to have at a workplace where more than one vehicle could be charged in a work day without the cost of a Level3 charger. If my boss decides to go for a charging station at work I think I would point them to this unit as it seems somewhat future proof.
https://emotorwerks.com/store/residential/juicebox-pro-75-smart-75-amp-evse-with-24-foot-cable
If our onboard chargers were more robust then a 75Amp unit like this Juicebox Pro75 I linked to below would be a great deal assuming one has a spare 100Amp breaker! Chargers like these would be ideal to have at a workplace where more than one vehicle could be charged in a work day without the cost of a Level3 charger. If my boss decides to go for a charging station at work I think I would point them to this unit as it seems somewhat future proof.
https://emotorwerks.com/store/residential/juicebox-pro-75-smart-75-amp-evse-with-24-foot-cable
We recently did an EVSE buyers guide here on InsideEVs and the JuiceBox was selected as our top pick. If your cross shopping it with the ChargePoint here's the differences.
1) the JuiceBox is NEMA 4 rated, and the CHargePoint is NEMA 3. Both are outdor rated, but the JuiceBox is higher rated because it prevents ant moisture from entering the housing, even direct flow from a hose. The ChargePoint will allow moisture to enter the enclosure in some conditions, but drain out.
2) the JuiceBox Pro 40 delivers 40 amps compared to 32, and still costs less. If you opt for the JuiceBoc Pro 32, it
s more than $100 less than the ChargePoint and delivers the same power.
3)The JuiceBox has more features like power-sharing (if you ever add another one because you get a 2nd EV they can share a single power feed), You can also power de-rate the unit through the app, if you want it to charge slower and then increase it if you need to charge faster.
Both are good units, but the JuiceBox is slightly better and costs less, so...
https://insideevs.com/home-ev-charging-station-buyers-guide/
onthewaterfront
New Member
I’m going through ZapBC to get a free chargepoint charger, and they’ve quoted me close to $1200, even though I have existing wiring in place. Does this sound right?
Wildeyed
Well-Known Member
Depends what you mean by having "wiring in place." Costs vary widely but, for example, if you have a panel within a few feet of your installation location, if you have sufficient service (usually 200 amps for the household) and you are perhaps asking for the installation of a dryer plug and a 40 amp breaker then probably $300 to $500 is to be expected. It cost me $1700 to have an exterior installation involving installing a 60 amp breaker, the digging of a 30 foot trench and installation of the charger on a supplied cedar post. This included all hardware and 35 feet of armored cable suitable for in-ground use.
CJC
Well-Known Member
Yes what you are quoted is the going rate from them. Others suggest that you can do better by hiring your own electrician. We are having ours put in on Thursday. Bill MacDonald on this group is happy with his ZapBC installation. Read his posts on page one of this thread.
Bill MacDonald
Member
I used Zap but I had to run about 50 ft. of wire in my garage. Charger was free But I paid $1100 for installation. But they list the charger at $1100 value and if you check online you can probably buy it for around $800. So if you can get the install under $400 you don’t need Zap.
Canada Dan
Member
I paid $1062.30 for the ZapBC installation including tax, and my electrical panel is about 6 feet from where the charger went. It's just their going rate. You don't have the option of choosing a different installer. It's still likely your best bet, but just barely. The Chargepoint charger is frequently on sale for around $800 as Bill mentions, but then add in tax and you're not left with much for installation to come in under $1100 total.
onthewaterfront
New Member
Thanks for all the responses. I guess I’m just confused over a comment I read where a person described what he was charged: “The installation charges were $430 before taxes which is the minimum possible charge.” What else confuses me is that my initial quote was for $1376, which included cutting out drywall, wall penetrations, wiring a 40 amp breaker and 40’ of wire. I emailed back and explained my house is a new build and in anticipation of a car charger I had the wiring installed from the carport to the panel. It’s just tucked behind the panel and requires a 40amp breaker to connect it. They sent a revised quote which now included the ferry cost, travel time, 10’ of wire and labour for installation of home charger and it came to $1256. I guess connecting a wire to a panel on one end, outlet on the other, mounting and setting up a charger costs that much? Oh plus materials, travel time and $40 return ferry. If an electrician is, say, $150/hr with a 4 hour minimum and materials and ferry are $200, then I guess $450 is the cost of doing business? I’m just making up numbers at this point but I cannot wrap my head around it. Going rate it is, and I’ll be doing it.
CJC
Well-Known Member
We felt more comfortable with ZapBC as their electricians are familiar with doing this job. Heaven knows we have had electricians here to install a large chandelier and motion detector lights and it was a gong show and twice the price as quoted. ZapBC got the permits and looked at all the pictures of our panels etc. We measured the distance to panels to where charger will be installed and relayed that to the electrician.He will make some decisions once here about our current usage i.e. electric stove, any electric heat, electric hot water tank etc. All of that will play into his installation.
Wildeyed
Well-Known Member
What's left to say except "Hey, it's government work."
Brennan Raposo
Well-Known Member
Amazon Canada had it for $100 off. $849 plus free shipping if you have Prime. This was last week - haven’t checked this week yet!
Please don't categorize electricians nor refer one due to affiliation to a government process.
As a BC FSR A and Master electrician myself, I keep current and comply with current electrical codes and it sounds like the one you selected knows how to deal with your situation and calculated load.
CJC
Well-Known Member
Oh dear I have offended you. Sorry about that. I am a Registered Nurse and I know that not all Registered Nurses are good competent nurses. That doesn't offend me. Same with any profession imo.
Apology accepted
Your quote sounds pretty comparable to others, even with them ferrying. At the end of the day they are a business and trying to make money. Just remember that the person that quotes you might not be an electrician, but does follow a checklist with set prices. When the electrician comes, they also complete a checklist of what they did. If you have everything set up it will still come to around $600, whereas if you don't somewhere closer to $1000+ (Permit, load calculation, 40amp breaker, J box, receptacle, wire, charger, labour). The good thing is if they don't need/use everything they quoted you, they will refund you. I went with ChargePoint and ZapBC just for the peace of mind of having someone install it who should be experienced with chargers, the cost savings over buying a unit and having it installed, and the peace of mind that they promise to fix or replace it for 3 years. I also have the ChargePoint app and the home charger works on it, so one less app I needed to add to my phone.
At the end of the day if you can get it cheaper from elsewhere and properly installed, go for it. With ZapBC you have to agree to them being able to see all your charging details, the reason for their credit. I would call in an electrician and get a quote for them hooking up your 40AMP breaker, and anything else you need to have it ready for the charger, and compare to see if it is worth it. ChargePoint uses a Nema 6-50 plug so you would need the matching receptacle. With brands like Juicebox and ClipperCreek, they have units that work with other types of plugs you might have, such as a Nema 14-50. As for the Charger itself, if you already have all the electrical set up then anyone can mount it themselves. Only 3 holes to drill, make sure it's level, plug in power cord and charging cord (both color coded and snap in easily), and you are ready to go!
Here's a link if you haven't read about it, https://www.chargepoint.com/files/home/home-install-guide.pdf
GPM432
Active Member
EVoCharge EVoInnovate,
Sorry for the caps This is the one I got here In BC from Amazon.CA. I read reviews and thought this was the simplest, good price and easy to install no bells and whistles. I have had an Leaf EV before and I think all the chargers that offer options etc. are over rated. All I do is plug my car in at night come out in the morning and it's ready to go. it's that simple. I don't need to know what its doing while charging..
Sorry for the caps This is the one I got here In BC from Amazon.CA. I read reviews and thought this was the simplest, good price and easy to install no bells and whistles. I have had an Leaf EV before and I think all the chargers that offer options etc. are over rated. All I do is plug my car in at night come out in the morning and it's ready to go. it's that simple. I don't need to know what its doing while charging..
Last edited: