Best Home Chargers for Ioniq 5

Best Home Chargers for Ioniq 5

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 has a standard range battery of 58 kWh or an extended range battery of 77.4 kWh. The vehicle has a 10.9 kW on-board charger so it can accept up to 10.9 kW of power.

You don’t have to worry if you have a home charging station that can deliver more than 10.9 kW because the vehicle will only accept 10.9 kW, and won’t accept more power than it can safely take in. So you can get a charging station that delivers more power than the Ioniq 5 can accept.

If you’re searching for home charging stations, there are 40-amp home charging stations, like the JuiceBox 40, and there are charging stations that can deliver more power, like the ChargePoint Home Flex or the Autel MaxiCharger 50 which can deliver up to 50 amps.

A 40-amp home charging station will deliver up to 9.6 kW to the electric vehicle. Therefore, a 40-amp home charging station will deliver a little less power than the maximum charge rate that the Ioniq 5 can accept. To be honest, it’s plenty of power. The 9.6 kW will charge the vehicle nearly as quickly as if you get one that can deliver the maximum power, the 10.9 kW.

If you really want the Ioniq 5 to charge as quickly as it possibly can, you need to get a 48-amp charging station, like the ChargePoint Home Flex, which actually can deliver up to 50 amps, but then you need to hardwire it because home charging stations that plug in can only deliver up to 40 amps.

Okay. Let’s take a look at the top 7 best home chargers for Ioniq 5. Hope you can get the one that fits you best.

ChargePoint Home Flex – The Best Home Charger for Ioniq 5

ChargePoint Home Flex

The ChargePoint Home Flex is the newest addition to the ChargePoint lineup. It’s designed to grow with you as you upgrade your garage infrastructure.

It goes to either NEMA 6-50 or NEMA 14-50 from your standard wall outlet. It delivers up to 50 amps of power, which means that it can nearly charge any EV including the Ioniq 5 to its maximum charge rate because the Ioniq 5 has a 10.9kW on-board charger. However, you need to hardwire it if you want to get the full power to the Ioniq 5 because the version that plugs in can only deliver up to 40 amps / 9.6 kW.

The ChargePoint app allows you to schedule charging when energy is the cheapest. It can remind you to plug in your vehicle, track all of your charging, locate the nearest charge away from your home station and connect to your smart home via Alexa.

ChargePoint has built a reputation as one of the leading brand names in electric vehicle charging products and services.

JuiceBox Smart Charger – The Best Runner-up Home Charger

JuiceBox ev charger

The JuiceBox charger was set to pull 32 amps, 40 amps, or 48 amps on a 40-amp, 50-amp or hardwired. If you’re in an older house or if you’re not quite sure, you’re definitely going to want to check your electric panel, your circuit, and your wiring as best you can or either have an electrician coming to it.

The 48-amp version provides more power than your Ioniq 5 actually will be able to take, and the charger allows you to set the maximum amperage rating. It goes on with your standard J1772 connector right into your Ioniq 5.

The JuiceBox 40-amp charger plugs into a NEMA 14-50 outlet. It allows us to be charging at 9.6 kW which basically means it can refill your Ioniq 5 overnight.

It’s a Wi-Fi enabled unit. It allows you to monitor, control, and manage when your car charges based on the local grid demand, and how clean the local grid is. There are also neat features that allow you to set to charge your car to a certain capacity or a certain range and stop charging.

Compared with the previous generation of the Juicebox home charger, the newest version is a lot more stylish and smarter in its appearance.

Autel MaxiCharger – The Best Bang for the Buck Home Charger

The Autel MaxiCharger offers the 40-amp version that either plug into a NEMA 14-50 or NEMA 6-50 outlet. You get to decide which one of those plug configurations you want when you order it.

Autel also makes a 50-amp version, but that needs to be directly hardwired.

It has a 25-foot long cable, uses the North American standard J1772 connector, and has a NEMA 4-rated enclosure. The enclosure is good for outdoor use.

Autel makes the MaxiCharger in two different connector holster versions. It’s actually the only electric vehicle charging station that I’ve seen that comes like this you can order it, with either an integrated connector holster where the connector holsters directly into the body of the unit. You could also elect for the remote connector holster.

The MaxiCharger has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and internet connectivity. You can add a charging schedule as well as set the maximum amperage that the MaxiCharger will deliver to the Ioniq 5.

The MaxiCharger app is available for both Android and Apple users. The app can send you alerts. You can check your charging status, view past charging sessions and even see monthly totals for your charging. It gives you the exact amount of energy and money that it costs to charge your vehicle for that month. You can also adjust the amperage in the app.

There are three-year warranties that come with either version of the unit. They’re UL listed, and safety certified. They’re Energy Star certified. They’re efficient chargers.

Grizzl-E Classic – The Best Home Charger for Outdoor Use

Grizzl-e-classic charger

The Grizzl-E classic charger is available at a reasonable price on Amazon. It’s designed and made in Canada, best for outdoor uses because the out casing is made of aluminum alloy that could handle the elements.

It goes to a NEMA 6-50 or NEMA 14-50 outlet. You can adjust the amperage from 16 amps to 40 amps, which allows you to get a full battery (or 80%) overnight. You don’t want to charge to 100% all the time. Anyhow keep that battery in the 80% range. Go to 100% when you plan to take a long road trip.

The classic charger offers a 24-foot long cable that is designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and is more than sufficient.

The charger is UL listed and offers a three-year warranty.

The Grizzl-E classic is recommended for your Ioniq 5 if you don’t care about smart features.

If you don’t care about the smart features, and want to get a robust EV charger, the Grizzle-E classic is a great alternative to the higher-priced EV chargers.

Grizzl-E Level 2 Smart Charger – The Best EV Charger Value

grizzl e smart ev charger

The Grizzl-E smart is the Level 2 charger that could provide up to 40 amps (9.6 kW) of charging power to your vehicle. It has the ability to adjust the power output to be 16 amps, 24 amps, 32 amps, and 40 amps on a 20-amp, 30-amp, 40-amp, and 50-amp dedicated circuit breaker, respectively.

The smart charger is built with an industry standard J1772 charging cable that is compatible with the Ioniq 5 in North America. The charger offers a NEMA 6-50 or NEMA 14-50 plug.

It features not only a 24-foot cable, but also includes a connector holster.

The Grizzl-E smart home charger is a great and durable charger that allows you to schedule, monitor and optimize your charging via a mobile app (AmpUp, ChargeLab or its own app).

It is insured for its safety and reliability because the charger is featuring lightning proof, overvoltage, overheat and overcurrent protection. Plus, the NEMA 4, IP67 water- and fire-resistant enclosure adds extra protection against elements. So the charger can provide a 100% guarantee to your vehicle while charging.

Wallbox Pulsar Plus – The Most Compact Home Charger for Ioniq 5

wallbox Pulsar Plus

The Wallbox Pulsar Plus is one of the compact EV chargers on the market. They offer the 40-amp and the 48-amp versions. The 40-amp version is supplied with a NEMA 14-50 plug. If you choose the 48-amp one, the best install option is to hardwire the charger to get the full power for your Ioniq 5.

The out casing of this charger is NEMA 4 rated which withstands extreme weather. It offers a 25-foot long cable. It is also compatible with Amazon Alexa or Google Home assistant.

In terms of design, the Wallbox Pulsar Plus is one of the best-looking products on the market. It has a really nice finish with good build quality.

In terms of the app features, it’s an easy-to-use app. The Wallbox has spent a long time refining its app, making it really user-friendly. That’s something to take into consideration when looking at different units, making sure that the apps are user-friendly.

The Pulsar Plus comes with a three-year warranty. It’s UL safety certified.

The portability makes it a really nice prospect for people looking for a small, neat, smart charger.

Emporia Smart Home Charger – The Best Home Charger on a Budget

emporia smart ev charger

The Emporia EV charger with a 24-foot long cable can charge the Ioniq 5 in North America. The power output reaches up to 48 amps / 11.5kW if the charger is the hardwired version or up to 40 amps / 9.6 kW if the charger is installed with the included NEMA 14-50 adapter.

It is Wi-Fi enabled. With an iPhone or Android app, you can schedule charging and grant authorization to whom to charge their electric cars with your EV charger.

The IP66-rated enclosure makes your charger safe from most elements outside, so it should be for both indoor and outdoor installation.

One of the coolest features is if you pair it with their home energy monitoring system, you can actually use the excess solar power instead of going back out to the grid.

The Emporia home EV charger is one of the most portable EV charging stations on the market for your Ioniq 5.

Everything You Need to Know About Charging the Ford F-150 Lightning

Everything You Need to Know About Charging the Ford F-150 Lightning

The Ford F-150 Lightning has a big battery. The Standard Range battery is 98 kWh of usable capacity, delivering 230 miles of driving range, and the Extended Range battery is 131 kWh of usable capacity, offering a driving range of 300 miles.

In this article, we will talk about the different levels of charging for electric vehicles in general, not specifically F-150 Lightning, different charging options for F-150 Lightning, how long to charge the F-150 Lightning on different charging types, Ford’s Intelligent Backup Power, etc. We’re going to assume that most F-150 Lightning owners are new to electric mobility, so they’re really starting at ground zero with charging. If you’re a sophisticated electric vehicle fan, you might want to jump to the next segment of this article. Down in the Table of Contents of this article, we have links to allow people to jump around and go to what section of this article they want.

First, let’s talk about general EV charging and three different types (Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 charging).

EV Charging Types

Level 1 Charging

Level 1 charging is regular household 120-volt AC charging. You can charge any electric vehicle from a simple household outlet. The problem is it takes a long time. Most electric vehicles will get between 2-5 miles of range per hour when they’re charging on Level 1, which depends on how efficient the vehicle is.

The Ford F-150 Lightning is a big heavy truck, so it’s not going to be as efficient as a tiny little electric vehicle like a BMW i3. The F-150 Lightning is on the lower end of how fast it will charge on Level 1, and you’re only going to get about 2-3 miles of range per hour.

The Extended Range battery pack has a 300-mile range which is Ford’s estimate. If you only get 2-3 miles of range replenishment per hour, it’ll take more than 100 hours to recharge a dead battery fully. Of course, most people will never plug in at a dead battery, not often at least.

You charge fully overnight and leave in the morning. If you drive 40 or 50 miles during the day, you only need to replenish those 40 or 50 miles. Some people don’t actually even recharge every day. They drive the vehicle a few days, then plug it in and recharge. However, if you were stuck charging on Level 1, you’d want to plug it in every day or every opportunity you could because it charges so slowly.

For that reason, most F-150 Lightning owners are not going to charge on Level 1, but you can in a pinch if you need to add some miles.

Level 2 Charging

Most people will elect Level 2 charging for daily charging, which is AC charging at home or on the road on a 208-240-volt source. It dramatically increases the speed at which the vehicle charges on a Level 2 charging source.

You can charge anywhere from 16 amps up to 80 amps, so there’s no real standard on Level 2 charging replenishing x amount of miles per hour because it depends on what equipment you’re using. Ford has a variety of Level 2 charging options for F-150 Lightning owners, which we’re going to get into later. There are also many excellent third-party Level 2 home EV chargers on the market.

DC Fast Charging (Level 3 Charging)

The third type of charging is DC fast charging (400-900 volts DC electric). Charging on Level 1 and Level 2 is Alternating Current (AC). That’s the type of electricity that you have in your household.

Direct Current is what you would get on high-speed DC fast chargers installed in public. You wouldn’t have a DC fast charger at your house. These are like the charging stations you see from Electrify America, ChargePoint, EVgo. Tesla has their own branded network of DC fast chargers, Superchargers which charge electric vehicles really fast.

Ford Charging Equipment

Dual-Voltage Ford Mobile Charger

The standard charging equipment that comes with every F-150 Lightning is Ford’s Mobile Connector that’s actually the same mobile unit that comes with the Mustang Mach-E.

The Mobile Connector has the J1772 connector which is the connector that all electric vehicles in North America use except for Tesla vehicles, but Tesla provides their customers with an adapter that fits on top of the J1772, so their cars can charge on a J1772 charging station.

The Mobile Charger is a dual-voltage charging station (120-volt & 240-volt) that can charge on Level 1 or Level 2 outlets.

When you’re using the 120-volt adapter, it takes a long time, and you’ll get about 1 kW while charging. The Standard Range battery pack is 98 kWh, and the Extended Range battery pack is 131 kWh. Depending on your state of charge, it’s going to take you quite some time to charge it, but you can use it in a pinch.

It takes 14 hours to charge the Standard Range battery pack and 19 hours to charge the Extended Range battery pack from 15% to 100% using the 240-volt adapter.

If you use the vehicle heavily and drive hundreds of miles a day, you probably need a little faster charging. The Ford Mobile Charger will work for some Lightning owners, particularly those with the Standard Range battery pack. However, it’s not going to work for all Lightning owners, so every Extended Range battery pack Lightning comes standard with a Ford Charge Station Pro, an 80-amp charging station, in addition to a Ford’s Mobile Charger. The 80-amp charger is going to charge a car significantly faster.

80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro

The 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro comes standard with the Extended Range battery pack Lightning. It can deliver up to 80 amps to the vehicle, and you need to install this charging station on a dedicated 100-amp circuit. However, many homes have a 100-amp service for the entire house, so check it with your electrician.

Many people who want to install the 80-amp Ford home Pro charging station will have to have a service upgrade at their house, which may cost $3,000 to $6,000 and higher.

All the Lightning vehicles with the Extended Range battery pack have dual on-board chargers, that is, two 40-amp chargers to equal 80 amps. The dual on-board chargers allow the vehicle to charge at up to 19.2 kW.

The on-board chargers can accept the 19.2 kW, while the output is down to 17.6 kW. That’s because there are always charging losses during the charging process.

The on-board charger inside the electric vehicle converts the electricity from AC that the charger receives from your house to DC, which is how electricity is stored in the battery pack. There are always charging losses when you do this conversion, so you don’t get the 19.2 kW into your battery that the charging station is delivering to the vehicle.

With the Ford Lightning, you might go from accepting 17.6 kW all the way down to like 7 or 8 kW for the last hour of charging. That’s why you can’t really just do the math and say it takes in this amount of kilowatts, and over this amount of hours, it should deliver that much to the vehicle. Charging isn’t linear, and there are charging losses.

The connector of the Ford Charge Station Pro is different from the connector on Ford Mobile Charger. That’s because the Ford Charge Station Pro utilizes the CCS connector, not the J1772.

You don’t need that to charge the Lightning because you’re only using the pins in the J1772, which is on the top of the CCS connector to charge the vehicle, but the reason why it has a CCS connector is for Ford’s intelligent backup power.

The Ford Charge Station Pro is required if you want to use your Lightning to power your house in the case of a power outage. That’s why it has the CCS connector because it has the two DC pins below the J1772 pins. That’s because those pins are utilized when the vehicle is providing energy to the house, not when the house is charging the Lightning, but when the vehicle is back feeding the house and powering your house in the case of a power outage.

48-amp Ford Connected Charging Station

The last option that Ford offers for home charging equipment is the Ford Connected Charging Station which is sold for $799.

If you get the Lightning with the Standard Range battery pack, and you decide to keep the Mobile Charger in the truck in the case of emergency, not for daily charging, or you just want to charge a little bit faster, Ford’s 48-amp Connected Charge Station might be an option.

It needs to be hardwired on a 60-amp dedicated circuit, and it’ll charge the vehicle a little bit faster than what the Mobile Charger will.

If you had an Extended Range battery pack Lightning with the Ford Charge Station Pro, do you still want to get a 48-amp charging station? The answer is you may want. What if you can’t install the 80-amp charger in your house because you have 60 amps available in your service panel, but you don’t have a 100-amp circuit available, and you don’t want to do a full-service upgrade either.

You would prefer to charge at the 19.2 kW that the Ford Charge Station Pro can deliver, but you are not going to spend another $5,000 to upgrade your whole house, so you’ll just get the Ford Connected Charging Station and charge at 48 amps, which is a decent option for many people.

The on-board charger always has charging losses, and the on-board charger for the Standard Range battery pack on the Lightning can accept 11.3 kW, but its output power is 10.5 kW, so you’re only going to get 10.5 kW into the pack every hour of charging. That’s still much better than Ford’s Mobile Charger which is only going to give you somewhere around 7 kW every hour. So you have a good increase in power, and it’s definitely worth it if you can’t install Ford’s Charge Station Pro and you want to charge faster than Ford’s Mobile Charger.

Third-Party Home Chargers for the F-150 Lightning

You can use the charging equipment that Ford makes, but we want to make it clear that you don’t have to. Any Level 2 chargers sold on the market can charge the Lightning fine because they use the industry standard J1772 connector. They just come in different sizes, different shapes, different cost points, different power levels, etc., so it might behoove you to take a look at these home EV chargers and pick the best one for your needs if you’re going to buy a charging station for the F-150 Lightning.

DC Fast Charging the Ford F-150 Lightning

For DC fast charging, Lightning can accept up to 150 kW. If you’re traveling hundreds and hundreds of miles, you really don’t want to use Level 2 charging and don’t want to be stuck for hours waiting. That’s when you find DC fast chargers. The problem is there is a limited number of them at different rates (50 kW, 150 kW, and 350 kW) out there. You really want to try to find the ones that are 150 kW or more so that the vehicle can accept its maximum charging power.

How do you find them? Ford’s navigation system will route you to DC fast charging stations. In addition, some third-party apps, such as Plugshare and Chargeway, can also help you find public charging. These apps have all kinds of tips on whether the charging station is broken, how much the charging station costs, and if you can use that charging station because there are other charging standards. The CCS combined charging system that Lightning uses isn’t the only charging standard for DC fast charging. There’s a CHAdeMO which is a plug that some of the Asian manufacturers use. There are also Tesla Superchargers.

How Long Does It Take to Charge the F-150 Lightning?

How Long Does It Take to Charge the F-150 Lightning with the Ford Mobile Charger?

When using the 120-volt adapter of the Ford Mobile Charger, it takes a long time, and you’ll get about 1 kW while charging. The Standard Range battery pack is 98 kWh, and the Extended Range battery pack is 131 kWh. Depending on your state of charge, it’s going to take you quite some time to charge it, but you can use it in a pinch.

When using the Ford Mobile Charger at 240 volts, it takes 14 hours to charge the Standard Range battery pack and 19 hours to charge the Extended Range battery pack from 15% to 100%.

The Standard Range battery pack has a driving range of 230 miles, so if you take 85% of that, that’s 195 miles. It takes 14 hours to charge 195 miles of range, adding about 14 miles of range per hour of charging. For the Extended Range battery pack, it’s about the same, maybe a little bit slower, but right around 14 miles of range per hour.

Hence, If you’re using the Ford Mobile Charger and you’re plugging into the NEMA 14-50 outlet, you’re going to get somewhere around 14 miles of range for every hour you’re charging.

Most people come home at 5 or 6 p.m. They don’t leave for work the next morning until 6 or 7 a.m., so your vehicle could be charging anywhere from 10-12 hours a day. It’s going to be good enough to add back 140-200 miles of range every day.

How Long Does It Take to Charge the F-150 Lightning with the Ford Charge Station Pro?

On the Ford Charge Station Pro charging station, it can take about 10 hours to charge the Standard Range battery from 15% to 100%, which is faster than the Ford Mobile Charger but not that much faster. That’s because the Standard Range battery pack doesn’t come with dual on-board chargers, but a single 48-amp on-board charger, so it really can’t take advantage of the full power Ford Charge Station Pro can deliver.

Still, 10 hours is pretty fast. It adds up to about 20 miles of range added per hour, a pretty significant jump from the Ford Mobile Charger that was about 14 miles of range per hour.

The Extended Range battery pack F-150 has dual on-board chargers which accept the full 80 amps the Charge Station Pro can deliver. It charges the Extended Range battery pack Ford F-150 Lightning in only 8 hours from 15% to 100%, adding up to about 32 miles of range per hour. The Extended Range battery pack is 33 kW larger than the Standard Range battery pack, so you get 33% more energy, and it shaves two whole hours off the charging.

How Long Does It Take to Charge the F-150 Lightning with the Ford Connected Charge Station?

If you use Ford’s Connected Charge Station, it will take about 10 hours to charge a Standard Range battery pack from 15% to 100%. That’s a charge rate of about 20 miles of range per hour.

It takes 3 hours longer to charge the Extended Range battery pack, and that’s the same 20 miles of range per hour. That’s because when charging on the Ford Connected Charge Station, the Extended Range battery pack with its dual on-board chargers doesn’t have an advantage over the Standard Range battery pack because the Standard Range battery pack can already accept the full amount of power that the Ford Connected Charge Station can deliver, so there’s no advantage for the Extended Range battery pack. The battery packs about 33 kW bigger, and it takes about 33% longer to charge 10 hours to 13 hours.

How Long Does It Take to Charge the F-150 Lightning on a 150-kW / 50-kW DC Fast Charging Station?

It takes around 44 minutes to go from 15% to 80% to charge the Standard Range battery pack Lightning with a 230-mile estimated range on a 150-kW DC fast charging station.

For the Extended Range battery pack lightning with a 300-mile range, it takes around 41 minutes from 15% to 80% on a 150-kW DC fast charge station.

A lot of DC fast chargers in public today are limited to 50 kW. On Ford’s technical specification sheet, they did give us a line to show us how long it would take. It will take 91 minutes to charge the Standard Range battery pack F-150 Lightning from 15% to 80%. If you have the Extended Range battery pack, it takes 122 minutes to charge from 15% to 80%. If you take a road trip, it really takes time to charge your Lightning on the 50-kW charger, so it demonstrates how important it is to find a 150-kilowatt DC fast charge station.

FordPass Charging Network

There are a lot of different networks out there, Electrify America, EVgo, Greenlots, ChargePoint, Blink, etc. When using public charging networks either to DC fast charge or Level 2 charge, you need to join the network. Fortunately, Ford has made it easier for their customers, and they created what they call the Ford charging network.

What they did was they went out and made deals with all these different charging networks, so that way you don’t have to join all those networks. You just use your FordPass app, and you can authenticate a charging session on any of the networks that they made deals with.

It’s very convenient, and it really eliminates the need to go out and create some type of relationship with ten different charging networks. All you need to do is use the FordPass app, and you can charge on the vast majority of public charging networks available today.

How to Charge the Ford F-150 Lightning on Tesla Charging Stations

Tesla is the only manufacturer that doesn’t use a J1772 connector but a proprietary connector in the US. However, you can use some Tesla charging stations, such as Tesla Wall Connector, to charge the F-150 Lightning with a suitable Tesla to J1772 adapter.

It’s important that you pair the power that the adapter can deliver to the power that your electric vehicle can accept because these come in all different power levels. You don’t want to buy one that can’t accept the amount of power that the F-150 Lightning will accept.

Tesla also has a network of destination chargers around the country which are Level 2 charging stations available to the public. They’re at hotels, restaurants, public parking lots, etc. You can go to Tesla’s website, search their charging map, and you’ll see where they are. Tesla has done a fantastic job of putting these all over the country. You can use those charging stations to charge the F-150 Lightning if you have one of the suitable adapters.

Most of these destination chargers are free. They’re usually on private property, so you do want to get permission from whoever manages the charging system. They own and manage the stations, and Tesla just installs them and gives them to the property owner.

Unfortunately, you can’t use one of the Tesla Superchargers. That’s Tesla’s network of DC fast chargers. However, the good news is that Musk has announced on Twitter that he will open up the Supercharger network sometime soon for other electric vehicles to use.

When they do that, you will be able to charge the F-150 Lightning on Tesla Superchargers, which will probably double the amount of DC fast chargers available to F-150 Lightning drivers.

However, Tesla really hasn’t announced all the details for that. We believe that they will sell an adapter that will allow you to plug in. For now, the adapters sold on the market are only good for 240-volt Level 2 charging, but none of these are rated to be able to handle DC fast charging. Therefore, Tesla’s probably going to be making an adapter to allow F-150 Lightning and any other electric vehicle owner to use the Supercharger network.

Plug&Charge Feature

The F-150 Lightning also comes with new technology for electric vehicles, called plug&charge. What plug&charge does is the vehicle communicates with the charging station when you plug the vehicle in. Basically, all you have to do is plug it in, then it authenticates and starts charging. You don’t even have to pull out your FordPass app and turn on the charging station, which you’d have to do without plug&charge. With plug&charge, that all happens automatically.

Currently, only the Electrify America network has plug&charge enabled across its entire network, but soon it’s going to be available on other networks. It’s going to make public charging a lot easier. You’ll just pull up to the charging station, plug in, and walk away. You don’t have to worry about authenticating it, turning on the charging station, fumbling with a credit card. The vehicle will communicate with the charging station and automatically start charging.

Ford Intelligent Backup Power Feature

The Ford’s Intelligent Backup Power Feature allows the F-150 Lightning to power your home in the case of a power outage or some natural disaster. It’s one of the first electric vehicles that have this Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) where you can actually draw energy from your battery pack to power your house.

The F-150 Lightning can deliver up to 9.6 kW to the house, which should be enough to power most homes completely. Although during a power outage, you probably want to conserve your energy and not waste energy because you don’t know how long the power will be out, and you want it to last a long time.

Ford estimates that the F-150 Lightning with the Extended Range battery pack can power home for about three days, but they also note that it could be up to 10 days if you use your power wisely and don’t waste energy. Of course, it will depend on how big your house is, do you have electricity as your heat, do you have electric cooking appliances. Things that use a lot more energy might limit the amount of time that the vehicle can actually sustain the house. Hopefully, you don’t have a power outage for more than a few days, but if you’re wise and don’t waste your energy, you can actually drag it out for many days.

The Intelligent Backup Power system requires Lightning owners to have an 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro and a transfer switch installed at their house. Ford’s partnered with Sunrun to provide the installation of the transfer switch.

A transfer switch is required for safety reasons, so you don’t back feed the grid, which would pose a danger to the line workers working to restore the power. It’s basically called islanding, where the transfer switch cuts power from your house to the grid. You’re operating as an island at that point, and you’re not connected to the grid anymore. The transfer switch physically disconnects your house from the grid.

In addition, you have to understand that these transfer switches aren’t inexpensive. They cost anywhere between $1500-$2500. Then you have to pay to have them installed.

FAQs

1. Does the Ford Charge Station Pro require a 100-amp dedicated circuit?

No, it doesn’t. It does if you want to supply the full 80 amps to your Lightning which is 19.2 kW delivered to the truck. It’s the fastest way to charge it at home on AC power.

The Extended Range F-150 Lightning has a 131-kWh battery pack; the Standard Range F-150 Lightning has a 98-kWh battery pack. Those are usable capacities that are how much energy you can pump into the battery. They’re big batteries, even the Standard Range Lightning has a big battery, so you really want to charge it quickly at home. That’s why Ford is providing this 80-amp charging station.

However, when you’re setting it up, you can reduce the power to match what you have available from your service panel. According to the National Electrical Code (NEC),  a charging station can only deliver 80% of the circuit current. Therefore, if you only have a 20-amp circuit, you can de-rate the Ford Charge Station Pro all the way down to 16 amps.

2. If I de-rate the Ford Charge Station Pro down under 100 amps, can I still use the Intelligent Backup Power?

Absolutely yes, you can. It does not matter what circuit you have the Ford Charge Station Pro on to charge the car because the charging side and the Intelligent Backup Power side of the Charge Station Pro are entirely separate. It does not matter how much power you have charging the Lightning; you can still use the Intelligent Backup Power at its full rate, the 9.6 kW, to power your home.

3. How long is the cable on the Ford Charge Station Pro?

It’s 25 feet long, which is the longest any cable on a charging station is allowed by the NEC. If you park your truck in the driveway, it will reach the charging station.

4. Is Ford Charge Station Pro a DC fast charger?

The Ford Charge Station Pro is a Level 2 charger which is one of the highest-powered Level 2 chargers you could find, not a DC fast charger.

The Ford Charge Station Pro uses the CCS connector, not the J1772 connector that you’ll see on pretty much every other charging station that you can buy. Ford Connected Charge Station and Ford Mobile Charger that comes with the Lightning both use the J1772 connector.

The Ford Charge Station Pro needs the CCS connector for Intelligent Backup Power, not for charging. When you’re charging your F-150 Lightning, the J1772 pins will be used, and the Alternating Current (AC) will be delivered to the truck. When the F-150 Lightning is back feeding the house, the CCS connector will be used, and the power’s coming out of the battery in Direct Current (DC).

5. Can I charge a Tesla vehicle with the Ford Charge Station Pro?

Even though the CCS connector has a J1772 on top, the Charge Station Pro with a J1772 to Tesla adapter can’t connect to the Tesla.

The CCS connectors are all slightly different from different manufacturers, but all the ones always have a little plastic that would prevent the Tesla adapter from snapping in.

6. Can my solar array power my house during a power outage with the Intelligent Backup Power System?

Maybe. Ford said if you have a Sunrun system that integrates into the Intelligent Backup System very well, the Sunrun system will allow you to do that, but if you have a solar array that was installed by a different company, Ford can’t guarantee if it’ll work.

7. Can my solar array recharge the F-150 Lightning during a power outage?

No, it currently can’t. Ford said they’re going to make some hardware integrated into the system to allow you to do that.

8. What equipment is necessary for Intelligent Backup Power?

It’s not like you just get your truck, drive it home, and plug it into your house. There’s equipment that needs to be installed

– Ford F-150 Lightning

– Ford Charge Station Pro

– Your dealer must activate Intelligent Backup Power for it to work.

– You need to order from Sunrun what they call the home integration system. It’s basically a kit that includes a transfer switch, an inverter, and a small battery.

9. Can I use another electrician to install the equipment, or are you forced to use Sunrun?

Yes, you can. You do not have to have Sunrun do the installation if you prefer to use your own company or if you yourself are a licensed electrical contractor; you can install it on your own. You are required to buy the equipment from Sunrun, but you are not required to have them install it.

10. Is there any version of the F-150 Lightning that does not qualify for Intelligent Backup Power?

No, no version can’t get it, so you can get Intelligent Backup Power on any Lightning, even the least expensive Pro model with the Standard Range battery pack, but you have to purchase an 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro.

11. Will the Intelligent Backup Power affect my battery warranty?

What if I use it all the time? What if I live in a really remote area and there are constant power outages, so I’m using Intelligent Backup System every week, sometimes for days? Is that going to affect my warranty?

No, it won’t. You can use Intelligent Backup System as much as you want. It’ll have no impact on your battery warranty, at least for now. Ford is going to monitor this and see how this works out.

12. Will the Intelligent Backup System turn on automatically?

No, it won’t. Ford will allow you to choose whether it will have manual activation or automatic activation. If you have it on automatic, the Lightning will automatically start to power your house when there’s a power outage.

If you have it on the manual, what will happen is you get a power outage, and your app will get a notification about the power being out. It’s going to ask you, do you want to turn on the system, and then at that point, you can turn it on, or you can elect not to. It depends.

13. Can I set a limit so the Intelligent Backup System doesn't completely drain my battery?

Yes, you can set a low limit, and the Intelligent Backup Power won’t exceed that. It’ll shut off. You can set it in miles of range.

If you don’t set a limit, you will drain the battery to “zero”. Actually, all batteries have buffers, low-end buffers, and high-end buffers, so when it runs down to “zero” of the state of charge and an Intelligent Backup Power shuts off, the battery’s not completely drained. At that point, you want to plug it in as soon as possible because you can damage your battery if you let it drain down to the real zero or a very low state of charge, and then you let it sit for a while, that’s really bad for all electric vehicle batteries.

Best Jaguar I-Pace Home Chargers

Best Jaguar I-Pace Home Chargers

The Jaguar I-Pace is an all-electric luxury SUV that was announced in 2018. It has a 90 kWh battery pack and an 11 kW on-board charger, which means that you can charge the I-Pace using a 40 amp or even a 48 amp EV Charger. So let’s go over the Top 6 best Jaguar I-Pace home chargers on the market.

Top 6 Best Jaguar I-Pace Home Chargers

1. ChargePoint Home Flex Smart Home EV ChargerTop Pick for I-Pace Home Chargers

The ChargePoint Home Flex was chosen as our top pick for Jaguar I-Pace home chargers. It is the company’s newest residential charging station, which has more power, great features and is the smartest way to charge your EV at home.

ChargePoint Home Flex works with any electric vehicle on the road in North America and charges your car up to 9 times faster than plugging into a regular wall outlet. One of the best things about it is that the amperage is adjustable so you can set it at the speed you need from 16 amps all the way up to 50 amps.

It future-proofs your purchase, so you never need to buy a new charging station. Car batteries are getting bigger and bigger, and you may only need 32 amps today, but you might need more in the future. You don’t need to buy a new charging station. You can just turn up the amperage on ChargePoint Home Flex.

It’s also Energy Star certified, which means it uses 40% less energy than other charging stations when it’s not in use. With Home Flex and the ChargePoint app, drivers are able to track all of their home and public charging in one place since ChargePoint is the world’s leading EV charging network with the ChargePoint app. 

You can schedule reminders so you never forget to plug in, and you can schedule charging for when electricity is the cheapest.

The company can even help you find the best time to charge if you tell them who your energy provider is. They’ll automatically tell you what time you should start charging. Just plug in when you get home and schedule Home Flex to start charging your car when the rates drop.

PROS
  • Professional-looking

  • Built-in Wi-Fi

  • 50 amps of power

  • Compatible with Amazon Echo / Alexa

  • Energy Star certified

  • UL safety certified

CONS
  • Sometimes the communication problems occur

2. JuiceBox Smart Home EV ChargerBest Smart I-Pace Home Charger

If you’re looking for an alternative to the Tesla charging station or just in general, a very good quality charging station that puts out a lot of power and charges your EV really quickly, the JuiceBox EV charger is the one to get.

The 40-amp version is the more powerful one and delivers eight more amps than the 32-amp. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but it actually cuts down your charging time by quite a bit pretty much. The JuiceBox 40 is about 30% quicker.

It needs to be plugged into a 220-volt or 240-volt outlet. Of course, you can use the charger to work with the 120-volt outlet, but it’s not going to be as fast as you would imagine, and you’re defeating the entire purpose of getting this unit. Therefore, you’ll need a NEMA 14-50 outlet or have to have an electrician install it.

The JuiceNet app the charger comes with helps you track the charging, how much electricity you’re using. Even if you’re away from the house, you can set it to charge, stop charging as well.

The other feature that the JuiceNet application has is the ability to share two charging stations on a 50-amp power supply, meaning you can share a single 50-amp circuit with two charging stations to charge more than one electric car.

The 25-foot long cable allows you to use the charging cable to the end, and leave the car in the garage without moving stuff around to get your car charged.

PROS
  • Built-in Wi-Fi

  • 40 amps / 10 kW of power

  • Compatible with Amazon Echo / Alexa

  • Compact size

  • Energy Star certified

  • UL safety certified

CONS
  • Some users report problems with the Wi-Fi

3. Wallbox Pulsar Plus Smart Home EV ChargerMost User-Friendly I-Pace Home Charger

The Wallbox Pulsar Plus is a 40-amp, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-connected smart home EV charger with a 25-foot long cable.

The charger is a strong proposition for those who want a compact, stylish EV charger that has a simple and easy-to-use app for scheduling. Not to mention products’ attractive price point, Wallbox is one of the few companies that has made an easy-to-follow and intuitive app interface, making setting up charge schedules very simple.

It has a nice curvaceous style to it, while the glossy finish adds to the overall high-quality look. The logo is prominent, and you also have a LED ring that will glow green when charging or change color depending on the status.

The Pulsar Plus has the ability to power share, which is an excellent feature. You can have multiple Pulsar Pluses in your garage. Let’s say you have two electric cars, and you buy two of these; you can have them share a single circuit, and they’ll intelligently communicate between the units so they don’t overload the circuit.

The app allows you to remotely lock and unlock the charger and change the power output from 16 amps to 40 amps. It will also show your charging history, including the amount of power used and for how long the vehicle charges.

PROS
  • Great functionality

  • Well-designed

  • Well-engineered

  • NEMA 4 rated

  • Small, neat, smart charger

CONS
  • Bugs with software and charging issues do occur from time to time

4. Emporia Level 2 Smart EV Charger – Budget Choice I-Pace Home Charger

The Emporia smart charger is compatible with all electric cars in North America because of its J1772 connector, except for Tesla vehicles. But with a suitable adapter, the charger can also deliver power to the Tesla cars.

Up to 48 amps of power delivery with a good price point, the Emporia smart EV charger becomes one of the best overall value smart EV charging stations.

The charger comes with a J1772 connector, a NEMA 14-50 plug, and a charging cable of 24 feet long, which makes it convenient for you to charge your EV either in your garage or on the driveway.

The charging station allows you to monitor, manage and control your charging process With an iPhone or Android app. You can schedule charging when the the electricity is cheapest as well.

The IP66 rated enclosure can withstand elements from -22 °F (-30 °C) to 122 °F (50 °C), so the charger can be installed for both indoor and outdoor uses.

PROS
  • Up to 48 amps of power

  • Compact design

  • NEMA 4 rated

CONS
  • Sometimes the communication problems occur

5. Shell EV ChargerBest Backup I-Pace Home Charger

The Shell EV charger comes with a 25-foot long cable for most driveways or garages. EV charging is fast and effortless with this EV Charger that offers up to 40 amps of power delivery. It works for any electric car on the market in North America.

Adjustable current mode allows you to set the amperage that your vehicle can accept.

The LCD display shows the charging status, such as the current temperature of the charger, maximum AC charging current, electricity consumption, charging time, actual AC charging voltage, current, and power output.

The IP67 waterproof rating of the charger and the connector makes the charger can keep working on rainy days.

An intelligent chip inside the charger can detect and repair automatically. The S-Protech safety technology provides safety protection functions, including overheating, over-current, over-voltage, and leakage protection so that you can charge your vehicle safely.

PROS
  • Portable

  • Affordable price

  • Well-crafted

CONS
  • No Wi-Fi connected smart features

6. Grizzl-E  Level 2 Smart Home ChargerHighly Recommended I-Pace Home Charger

The Grizzl-E smart charger is a Wi-Fi enabled device that can deliver the maximum power of 40 amps (9.6 kW). This EV charging station can complete the charging process faster than other normal outlets up to seven times.

In addition, the amperage can be flexible (16 amps, 24 amps, 32 amps, and 40 amps) based on the power you need.

About the installation, it can be done in plug-in form or can be a hardwired connection. Either way, the charger works perfectly with a 24-foot charging cord.

Moreover, with an app, you can charge your vehicle more conveniently and faster in a smarter way with this charger. You will get the notification of the suggested schedule to use the charger when the electricity is affordable. You will also be able to monitor and manage real-time energy consumption.

It’s quite easy to install, set up, and use for both indoor and outdoor uses.

PROS
  • 40 amps of power

  • NEMA 4 rated

  • Safety certified

  • Easy to install and use

CONS
  • The smart features are not fully functional yet

Best Audi e-tron Home Chargers

Best Audi e-tron Home Chargers

The Audi e-tron is a brand-new model, a purely electric SUV manufactured by Audi, designed to compete with the Jaguar I-Pace and the Tesla Model X.

It is featured with a 95 kWh battery pack, of which 86.5 kWh is usable. The Audi e-tron is fitted with a standard 11 kW on-board charger in North America, so a 40-amp plug-in charger or a 48-amp hardwired version can be used to charge the Audi e-tron. So let’s look at the Top 8 best Audi e-tron home chargers that are available on the market.

Top 8 Best Audi e-tron Home Chargers

1. ChargePoint Home Flex – Best Audi e-tron Home Charger Overall

ChargePoint Home Flex is one of the best smart home chargers for Audi e-tron on the market. It is a 240-volt, Level 2 EV charger which can deliver up to 50 amps of power, which means that you can add up to 37 miles of range delivered per hour to your car.

Understanding that not all EV owners have the same electrical set up at their house. The ChargePoint Home Flex is configurable to deliver various levels of amperage depending on your home’s electrical panel setup.

The ChargePoint home flex is a wall-mounted charger that is compatible with virtually all leading electric vehicles on the market because it uses the industry standard SAE J1772 plug.

The charging station is easily mounted to any wall and includes a 23-foot charging cable for the wall plug. You can choose between either a NEMA 6-50 or 14-50 plug based on your knee.

The ChargePoint Home Flex is a Wi-Fi enabled connected device with a smartphone app that is compatible with both IOS and Android.

ChargePoint Home Flex has an aesthetically pleasing design, ergonomic handle and makes charging a simple and enjoyable experience. In addition, it has been tested to be both safe and reliable. It is UL listed for safety, Energy Star certified for efficiency, backed by a three-year warranty and 24 / 7 support is available by phone.

PROS
  • 16 amps ~ 50 amps of power

  • 23-foot cable

  • Energy Star certified

  • Safety certified

CONS
  • Sometimes it may error out

2. JuiceBox EV Home Charger – Best Audi e-tron Smart Home Charger

The JuiceBox 40 is a high-powered smart EV charger that can offer up to 10 kW of power to an electric car. Enel X gives you two options of installation: Plug-in and hardwired. This home charger is rated for both indoor and outdoor uses.

The JuiceBox smart home charger is Wi-Fi enabled and responds to grid signals to charge when electricity is cheaper and cleaner.

You can reduce your electric bill by participating in your utility smart charging programs and by leveraging utility rebates that cover the cost of the station and installation.

This also has an app that will charge when it’s the cheapest. The JuiceNet app even reminds you if you forgot to plug in. It’s easy to save time and money with this smart home charger.

PROS
  • Compact and solid charger

  • 25-foot long cable

  • Easy to use

  • Energy Star certified

  • Safety certified

CONS
  • Sometimes it may error out

3. Wallbox Pulsar Plus Smart Home Charger – Ultra Compact Audi e-tron Home Charger

The Wallbox Pulsar Plus is one of the most popular chargers on the market. It’s compact, stylish and pretty affordable. At this price point, it’s probably the best looking.

There are two power outputs to choose from, 9.6 kW or 11.5 kW. The 11.5 kW version is obviously more powerful and can charge your vehicle quicker, but it does cost more. Most properties and vehicles can’t take advantage of this.

Most of you will be opting for the 9.6 kW version which is about 7 times faster than a standard domestic outlet and that’s plenty fast enough for those overnight top-up charges where really you’re just recovering the miles that you’ve used that day to enable those overnight charges.

The Wallbox Pulsar Plus has a scheduling feature built into the app so you can tell the car when to start charging and when to stop. Why would you do that? You obviously want the vehicle charged before you set off each day, but setting up a charging window also allows you to take advantage of lower electricity prices if your energy provider offers them.
PROS
  • Ultra compact

  • Power adjustable

  • 25-foot cable

  • Great value

  • High-quality charger

CONS
  • Sometimes it may error out

4. Grizzl-E  Smart Home Charger – Best Audi e-tron Home Charger on the Budget

The Grizzl-E smart home charger offers 16 amps – 40 amps of power at 208 volts – 240 volts for an estimated charge rate of 10 – 30 miles of range per hour, which means you do not need to wait so long to start your new journey.

The smart charger comes standard with a 24-foot Premium cable.

It’s Wi-Fi enabled. You can connect the charger to some OCPP apps, such as AmpUp, ChargeLab and its own app, to monitor, manage and control your charger. You can tell the charger which hours you want the charger to charge your car, so you can get better rates in the middle of the night. Real-time charging data is also obtainable.

The Grizzl-E smart has a NEMA 4 rated outer casing which is meant to protect it from server rain and extreme weather conditions, so it can be installed both indoors and outdoors.
PROS
  • Adjustable power

  • NEMA 4 rated enclosure

  • Wi-Fi enabled

  • UL listed

CONS
  • Sometimes it may error out

The Emporia smart EV charger can offer up to 48 amps if hardwired or up to 40 amps with a NEMA 14-50 plug at 208-220 volts. The 24-foot cable almost reaches every corner of your garage

It can charge any electric vehicle sold in North America including Tesla via an adapter. Pairing with an Emporia Vue Energy Monitor, the Emporia EV charger allows you to monitor your home energy usage, set a Peak Demand goal, and charge your electric car when your solar system is producing excess energy.

The smart charger with an iPhone / Android app allows you to monitor, control energy use and charging sessions, schedule charging at off-peak times when the electricity rate is low.

With an IP66 rated enclosure, the charger can be installed both indoors and outdoors.

The company offers a 3-year warranty.

PROS
  • A cost-effective charger

  • Up to 48 amps of power output

  • 24-foot long cable

CONS
  • Sometimes it may error out

The EVoCharge Level 2 is one powerful EV charging station designed for your residential use. The adjustable power output (32A / 24A / 16A) gives you the flexibility to charge your vehicle at different amperage based on the power your vehicle can accept.

The UL safety certification guarantees that your charger can work safely.

The NEMA 4 rated enclosure allows you to install the charging unit both indoors & outdoors because the NEMA 4 rated can withstand the elements under severe weather conditions.

The included mounting bracket & cable holster allows you to store your charger and its charging gun conveniently.

The EVoCharge EVSE comes with a NEMA 6-50 plug, which means that you need a qualified electrician to install a NEMA 6-50 outlet so you can charge your car at 240 volts and get the full 32 amps.

PROS
  • Adjustable amperage

  • NEMA 4 rated

  • UL listed

CONS
  • Only NEMA 6-50 plug

  • No Wi-Fi accesses

The Shell Recharge portable EV charger comes with a standard J1772 connector, a NEMA 14-50 plug, and a converter from NEMA 14-50 to NEMA 5-15 (compatible with the regular 110-volt outlet), packed in a solid carrying case.

The 40-amp of power (9.6 kW at 240 volts) is the maximum that you can set to. Besides, the amperage rating is adjustable automatically or manually to meet your specific needs.

If you don’t have a NEMA 14-50 outlet yet, you can use the converter and charge your vehicle at a lower amperage at 110 or 120 volts for the moment.

On the back-lit LCD screen of the Shell charger, you can see the current temperature of the unit, how long it’s been plugged in, how much voltage it’s getting from the actual power grid, how much power (voltage, kW, kWh) have been delivered to your vehicle.

In addition, the IP67 rated main unit and the charging gun ensure that you can charge your vehicle outdoors with this charger even on rainy days.

PROS
  • Portable

  • Lightweight

  • 25-foot cable

  • Durable and solid

CONS
  • No Wi-Fi accesses

The Blink HQ 150 EV charger delivers 32 amps of power and charges your vehicle up to 4 times faster than a standard Level 1 charger.

It features a 25-foot long cable that can reach any corner of your garage and even allows you to charge your vehicle on the driveway.

The charger is compatible with all EV models, including Tesla vehicles. The included NEMA 6-50 plug allows you to charge at 240 volts.

PROS
  • Reliable

  • Sleek and compact

  • 25-foot cable

  • $50 of free public charging

CONS
  • Only NEMA 6-50 plug

  • A little pricey

  • No Wi-Fi or Bluetooth accesses

Best Home EV Chargers

Best Home EV Chargers

If you’re an EV driver, one of the most convenient places to charge is on your house because your car is parked there for eight hours overnight. So you can install a Level 2 home EV charger to have the confidence that you’re going to wake up in the morning with a full charge.

Level 2 chargers can charge your EV up to nine times faster than Level 1 EV chargers and are becoming the standard for home charging.

Best Home EV Chargers in Different Categories

Best Overall Value Home Charger – ChargePoint Home Flex (240V, 16A~50A, 23ft)

ChargePoint Home Flex

ChargePoint Home Flex was chosen as our top pick for overall value home chargers. It’s flexible on how you figure the charger electrically. This charger will charge all the way up to 50 amps. Even though your car is only capable of 16 amps, you may go buy a Tesla or other EVs in the near future. It could charge a lot faster than what a Level 1 charger does. You buy this for future growth.

You can plug it directly into a NEMA 14-50 or NEMA 6-50 outlet, or you can downgrade it into a different configuration because you may not have 50-amp service in your garage. If you have a 20-amp breaker, configure the charger for 16 amps.

In the future, if you buy another car, you can upgrade the service to your garage.

The actual charge cable from the unit is 23 feet, so that’s pretty long to use on any corner of a standard garage.

It’s Wi-Fi connected with a ChargePoint app that has smart charging features available on the market. The app allows you to set reminders, view past charging sessions, track cost and usage, etc. 

This home EV charger is Energy Star certified, meaning it’s energy-efficient. They have a three-year parts replacement warranty.

If you’re in the market for a home Level 2 charging system, the ChargePoint Home Flex should definitely be considered as a top option.

Best Smart Home Charger – Enel X JuiceBox (240V, 32A & 40A, 25ft)

JuiceBox ev charger

The JuiceBox home EV charger has more smart charging features than any other smart home charger.

It’s Wi-Fi enabled and comes with an app. You can view your past charging sessions, adjust the current, and schedule it to charge from your app.

How long the car has been charging and how much energy it took can also be viewed from your mobile.

You can pair the station with Amazon Alexa or Google Home and take advantage of voice commands.

The JuiceBox allows you to pair your charger with your local utility through a service called JuiceNet Green. You can schedule your charging station to charge your car when the cleanest energy is available during the day, which is important for a lot of EV drivers who want their cars to be zero emissions.

The JuiceBox is one of the only chargers that allow you to actually select when you charge your car based on how clean the grid is.

Honorable Mentions go to the Wallbox Pulsar Plus and the ChargePoint Home Flex.

Grizzl-e-classic charger

The Grizzl-E 40-amp classic home charger has the best value in the non-smart home charger category. It’s a dumb charger without smart charging features, so it doesn’t pair with Wi-Fi. You can’t select an app.

The Grizzle-E EV chargers are made in Canada, which are built to withstand severe weather conditions. They offer up to 10 kW of the maximum power output that is adjustable, so you could set it to deliver the power that you want (16 amps, 24 amps, 32 amps or 40 amps) based on what your circuit can supply.

It used to be $399, but it jumped up to $459 (as of 9/21/21) recently because of the semiconductor chips shortage and so forth.

However, even at $459 (as of 9/21/21), this home charging station is still our best value choice for a non-smart EV charger.

Best Home Charger for Tesla Owners – Tesla Wall Connector (240V, 16A~48A, 24ft)

tesla-wall-charger-gen-3

Tesla uses a different connector than all of the other electric vehicles in North America. They use a proprietary connector, while every other electric vehicle uses the J1772.

If you own a Tesla, the official Tesla Wall Connector is the most convenient way to charge it at your home or office, with the fastest charge speeds available. Simply plug your electric car in overnight and wake up to a fully charged EV every morning.

The Wall Connector can be purchased online from the Tesla store or Amazon, and the price is similar to the majority of other high-quality home charging stations.

Compatible with 208 and 240-volt power supplies, this charger can give you an output of up to 48 amps, the right amount to juice up the Performance and Long-range Models 3s in a matter of minutes.

In addition, you could use one of the other charging stations to charge your Tesla with the adapter that’s provided by Tesla.

Most Compact Home Charger – Wallbox Pulsar Plus (240V, 16A~48A, 25ft)

wallbox Pulsar Plus

There are smaller units like Wallbox Pulsar Plus that you could carry around with you in your car. A lot of people like to have charging equipment in the back of their EV in case they need to plug in on the road.

Some EVs come with a nice portable EVSE, a Level 2 unit that can charge the car relatively quickly. But some cars come with very weak charging equipment as standard, a Level 1 unit that trickles charges. You only get about three to five miles of range per hour. Those owners prefer to go out and buy a nice Level 2 charging unit.

Unlike other portable home chargers, the Pulsar Plus has smart charging Wi-Fi enabled features, so it allows you to schedule charging, view and track your charging data and set reminders. Plus, you’ll be able to update your station remotely with any software upgrades.

It’s really one of the most compact home chargers you’re going to find on the market today.

Most Suitable Home Charger for Outdoor Use- Grizzle-E Classic EV Charger (240V, 16A~40A, 24ft)

Grizzl-e-classic charger

When we talk about home charging, it’s always inside the garage, but a lot of people either don’t use their garage or don’t have a garage. They would probably install their home chargers outside, so we need to consider different aspects in charging equipment for outdoor use.

If you’re going to buy one to mount it outside, there are a few things about the cable that you need to look at:

  • How well is the cable if you live in a cold weather area?
  • How does that hold up in really frigid cold weather conditions?
  • Does it remain nice, bendable and pliable or does it like a frozen rope, and you can’t even bend it?

You also need to know what the NEMA waterproof rating is.

Some of these units have better NEMA ratings if you’re going to mount your unit outside. If you live in an area where it frequently rains or snows, you should look for a NEMA 4 rated unit. These units are the best for outdoor.

United Chargers makes absolutely fantastic products, some of which are the most durable and robust units available.

Honorable mention goes to the ClipperCreek chargers that are also super tough units.

Both units are the best if you’re going to mount them outside and use them as an outdoor charging solution.

How to Pick a Home EV Charger?

A Level 2 home EV charger is a good option between Level 1 charging and commercial DC fast charging stations, and is a must-have for any electric car owner. But how to choose a home EV charger?

Power Output

When you’re looking for an EV home charger, you mainly want to have an amperage at 40  amps or higher. These home charging stations provide some of the fastest home charging for your EV.

Hardwired or Plug-In

Choosing a hardwired or plugged version is up to you. Hardwired EV chargers are a more permanent solution than installing an outlet. Plug-in chargers allow you greater flexibility for travel and can be less expensive to install.

Typically, a 48-amp powered charger is recommended to be installed using a hardwired connection. Either way you go, there’s a chance that you’ll need an upgraded circuit breaker to get installed. So check with your home charger manufacturer to see the recommended amperage to install properly.

Cable Length

Now that you have chosen a plug or a hardwired connection, you’ll want to look at the cable length of a home EV charging station. A cable longer than 20 feet can save you on installation and service panel upgrade costs, especially if you plan on charging multiple vehicles outside or in your garage with the same charger.

Indoor or Outdoor Use

Whether installed indoors or outdoors, look for a device with a weatherproof case that is rated for outdoor durability.

If you live in mild weather areas, a home charger with a NEMA 3 rated enclosure can be installed for outdoor use, while a NEMA 4 rated unit is needed if you are under harsh weather conditions.

Portability

Home charging stations vary greatly in size. Avoid bulky ones that consume too much space in your garage, and a portable plug-in station can easily be packed to go on a road trip or move to a new home. 

Smart or Dumb

Smart chargers connect to Wi-Fi and let you schedule charging, track history, set up alerts and reminders, limit charger rates and even take advantage of off-peak electricity rates. But not all smart chargers work well when Wi-Fi is not available.

Dumb chargers just regulate the charge to the vehicle at a cheaper price point.

Reputation and Safety

Lastly, make sure you’re buying from a reputable brand that produces UL or cUL listed or safety-certified home charging stations, so you don’t damage your vehicle or have the charger stop working. 

FAQs

1. What’s the difference between “charger” and “electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE)”?

The “charger” is built into every electric car. Every electric car has what’s called an on-board charger that’s the device that actually charges the car.

The EVSE or charging stations just supply energy to the vehicle safely.

2. Which one is the fastest home EV charger on the market?

It’s not a good way to go. The car always dictates how fast it charges on AC Level 2 charging. There are plenty of charging stations that can deliver up to 48 amps which is really the maximum power any EV can accept today.

It’s not fair to pick one of those home EV charging stations because there is a bunch of them available on the market that can deliver up to 48 amps.

3. Why can’t I charge my car as fast as I do it at the Supercharger or DC fast charging stations?

Because there are two types of charging: AC (Alternating Current) and DC (Direct Current) charging.

At home, Level 1 charging is on a regular household 110 or 120-volt outlet. Level 2 charging is at 220 or 240 volts.

Energy is stored in a battery as a DC, so when you charge a car from AC, either Level 1 or Level 2, it has to be converted to DC. That’s basically what the on-board charger does.

Imagine that the electricity coming from these home EV charging stations has to go through the on-board charger that converts the energy to DC and stores it in the battery. That’s why the on-board charger is the bottleneck. It restricts how fast the car can charge.

When you do DC fast charging or Supercharging, energy is taken directly from that charging station and goes right into the battery. It doesn’t have to go through the on-board charger. That way, the battery can accept a lot more energy and charge a lot faster.

Best Home Chargers for Polestar 2

Best Home Chargers for Polestar 2

The Polestar 2 is fitted with an 11 kW on-board charger. When you get your Polestar 2, it comes with a charging cable for use as a public AC charger or a home AC charger. However, the charging cable allows you to charge at 10 or 16 amps, basically the slowest way of charging.

The Polestar 2 has a 78 kWh battery, of which 75 kWh is usable. So it takes almost two days to fully charge the Polestar via a Level 1 charger, which is relatively long.

Level 2 chargers can charge your car a lot quicker because they can deliver more current than what a standard Level 1 charger can do. 

We’ve picked the 5 best Level 2 home chargers that are available on the market for your Polestar 2.

1. JuiceBox 40 Smart EV Charger – Best Option Polestar 2 Home Charger

The JuiceBox home charger is one of the most compact home EV charging stations available on the market. It can charge your electric car at 32 amps (7.7 kW), 40 amps (9.6 kW) and 48 amps (11.5 kW). The 32-amp and 40-amp versions can either be plugged or hardwired, while the 48-amp one should be hardwired for safety.

The JuiceBox EV charger works with any electronic vehicle on the market, so you don’t have to worry about compatibility. It’s designed simple, but it works perfectly.

With the NEMA 4 rating, the JuiceBox home charger can be used indoors or outdoors. It goes with the JuiceNet app that’s web-based for iOS and Android systems. The app allows you to control your charge, such as scheduling charging at off-peak hours when electricity is cheaper. Once your electric car is plugged in, the charger will automatically schedule your car to charge during those hours to save more on electricity.

PROS
  • 25-foot long cable

  • NEMA 4 rated

  • Capable of sharing power

CONS
  • Expensive

  • Cable is not very pliable

2. Pulsar Plus Compact Smart EV Charger  – Smallest Polestar 2 Home EV Charger

The Pulsar Plus is Wallbox’s best-selling product in Europe. It’s a super-connected product that is connected with Google Home and Amazon Alexa, so you can set it to charge.

It’s available in 40-amp and 48-amp versions. The 40-amp unit is capable of 9.6 kW of power output, while the 48-amp one delivers up to 11.5 kW of output. The company does all of the design, the development and they manufacture it in-house in Spain. They focus a lot on aesthetics and design. They want to make it super compact because they use less material and get the price point lower. By using less material, it’s more sustainable.

As of 9/21/21, the Pulsar Plus is at a very economical price point and super high-tech for the price.

It’s both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled. Through a mobile app, you’re allowed to access all the smart features, including scheduling, reminders and analytics.

PROS
  • Ultra compact

  • 25-foot long cable

  • Capable of sharing power

  • NEMA 4 rated

  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection

CONS
  • Expensive

  • Remote connector holster

3. Grizzl-E Classic EV Charger – Best Non-Smart Polestar 2 Home Charger

The Grizzl-E Classic Level 2 charger comes from United Chargers in Canada. The home charger package includes the mounting brackets with the attachment screws, the cable management holder called Easy EV Plug for holding the connector. 

The Grizzl-E classic is doing what it’s supposed to do. It is well built and is a robust charger to give you up to 40 amps of power output. The power is also adjustable to be 16, 24, 32, and 40 amps.  

A Wi-Fi charger is not always perfect in all situations, especially if you have weaker Wi-Fi, so if you don’t need Wi-Fi and want a charger that charges your Polestar 2, this is the ONE to get.

A nice quality unit will last a long time. You won’t have any problems with connectors melting or plugs burning out. Get this good solid EV charger, and you won’t regret that decision.

PROS
  • Power adjustable

  • NEMA 4 rated

  • 24-foot long cable

CONS
  • Without smart charging features

  • Remote connector holster

ChargePoint is a California-based company, a leading innovator of EV charging infrastructure as well as home and business EV charging stations. The ChargePoint Home Flex Electric Vehicle Charger is one of the most popular Level 2 models in the market. 

The ChargePoint Home Flex unit is available both as a plug-in (NEMA 14-50 and NEMA 6-50) and as a hardwired version. The home charger features the flexibility to be set to charge at 16-50 amps. You can choose between going with a hardwired station outdoors or with a plug-in cord indoors. 

The ChargePoint Home Flex unit has one of the best charging speeds compared to other brands. It is able to deliver up to 37 miles of range per hour of charging, which is 9 times more than what you would get from a regular 110V or 120V charger. 

This home charger has a beautiful design. The colors, the size and beautiful LED status lights are all combined into an elegant look unit. With the ChargePoint app, you can track your electricity usage, get detailed reports, and schedule charging on hours when electricity costs less money. 

PROS
  • Easy installation

  • Fast speed of charge

  • Great Wi-Fi features

CONS
  • Expensive

  • Not capable of sharing power

The EvoCharge charging stations offer custom options that can fit your specific needs. The universal connector works with all EVs and PHEVs sold in North America, including Tesla, when a Tesla supplied adapter is used.

The station is a 32-amp 240-volt unit that offers 7.6 kW of power output. It can either be hardwired or plug into a 240-volt outlet. The charging station is UL listed, which is the nationally recognized standard for safety.

The LED display indicator provides charging status. When selecting your charging station model, there are several types of options to select from: EVSE Non-Networked model (18 ft and 25 ft charging cable) and iEVSE Wi-Fi Enabled (18 ft and 25 ft charging cable) which provides smart charging features.

The charging stations are NEMA 4 rated for indoor and outdoor use from -22 °F (-30 °C) to 122 °F (50 °C) and complies with OSHA and ADA regulations.

The charging station has open charge point protocol or OCCP capability that allows connection to any central management system. The central system allows communication between EV charging infrastructure, third-party networks in the power grid, controlling charging statistics, processing, payments and more.

PROS
  • Safety certified

  • Robust construction

  • NEMA 4 rated

CONS
  • Only NEMA 6-50 plug option

  • Expensive

  • Remote connector holster