What is the top Level 2 EV Charger available today? Which delivers the best value? Which delivers the most features?
Here, we examine EV Chargers from Emporia, ChargePoint, Juice Box, ClipperCreek, Wallbox, Blink, and Grizzl-E. For convenience, we offer the following comparison table. Read on for a detailed description and review for each charger.
Overview
Over 80% of all EV Charging takes place at home or the work place. Why? It’s simple, convenient and very cost effective. No waiting around or searching for a public charging station. Simply plug your vehicle into a home/work charger and your vehicle charges while you go about your day.
Smart chargers improve the EV charging experience even more, with time-of-use scheduling your smart charger will choose the optimal time to charge to insure you are charging when energy prices are at their lowest. You can control charge sessions from your phone, schedule charges, get notifications if your charging session was interrupted, and some smart chargers even take advantage of excess solar production with solar charging or offer demand charge management parameters that can save you a lot of money.
You may have already realized that Level 1 wall outlet chargers are quite slow. Level 2chargers can charge an EV 3 to 10 times faster than a Level 1 charger, which increases your car’s availability. This typically is worth the investment. You can also check with your electric utility for rebates, tax credits, and other incentives available in your area for EV chargers.
At nearly $750, the ChargePoint station anchors the high price point and is often seen as the bar against which other options are judged. At the other end of the spectrum, in the sub-$450 range, Blink offers more affordable pricing for more basic systems. However, typically as prices are reduced, so are the amps the charger delivers, the length of the cable, and availability of smart features. That’s why it is important to look at the entire value proposition.
Level 2 EV Charger Market Review
1. Emporia Smart Home EV Charger: The Best Level 2 EV Charger
The Smart Home EV Charger from Emporia offers 48 amps of charging for only $399, that’s $8.31 per amp, making it the best value on the market. Add in a 24 ft charging cable and smart features such as Utility Rate Schedule Integration and Time-of-Use scheduling and Emporia is the clear winner. Paired with the Emporia Smart Home Energy Management System, Emporia offers Solar Charging, the charger will automatically turn on when your solar system is producing excess energy, and Demand Charge management, the charger will pause when other load in the home/building turns on, like air conditioning or your oven, limiting peak energy usage. These automated energy management tools are not available from other chargers, making it easy to see why Emporia is the best Level 2 EV charger on the market.
- A fast 48A Level 2 Charger
- Plugged-in NEMA Type 14-50P or hardwired installation
- 24-foot charging cable with an SAE J1772 connector compatible with any vehicle
- A rugged watertight NEMA Type 4 enclosure suitable for indoor or outdoor installation
- Smart charging features that allow you to track energy usage and schedule charging through the Emporia iOS or Android app.
- Additional smart features that automate charging with excess solar production, managing demand charges and TOU pricing are available to ensure you’re charging when energy costs are lowest.
2. ChargePoint Home Flex
The Home Flex from California-based ChargePoint is often cited as the leading EV charger. Many drivers may be familiar with the name, since ChargePoint operates the largest network of independently owned public charging stations. Their home charger is a compact 50-amp smart charger, has NEMA plug-in or hardwired options, and comes with a 23-foot cable. The ChargePoint app allows you to control and schedule charging and offers scheduling based on your utility's time-of-use rate plan. It comes with a 3-year warranty and customer support. However, all of these top-of-the-line features will set you back almost $749 ($14.98 per amp), which may be outside the budget of many drivers.
3. JuiceBox 40
Manufactured by Delaware-based Enel-X, JuiceBox is also frequently mentioned as one of the leading EV chargers. They offer a 40-amp smart charger that can be hardwired or installed with a NEMA plug. Its hips with a 25-foot cable and a 3-year warranty. The JuiceNet app can control charging, scheduling, notifications, and time-of-use plan management. Much like the ChargePoint offering, the JuiceBox charger’s premium features are expensive. At $699 ($17.48 per amp), it’s $50 less than the ChargePoint, which again, can be prohibitive to some drivers.
4. Wallbox Pulsar Plus
ThePulsar Plus EV charger is the entry from Spanish energy technology company, Wallbox. This charger is available with either a $649 40-amp NEMA plug installation or a $699, 48-amphardwired installation. It comes with a 25-foot cable, the longest along with JuiceBox. Wallbox offers a smart mobile app that allows scheduled charging, charge history, and manually setting energy cost. The Pulsar Plus also offers a solar charging solution with an additional power meter available from Wallbox for $279. Like most EV chargers, the Wallbox offers a 3-year warranty. All of these premium features are reflected in the Pulsar Plus's price of $699 ($17.48 per amp).
5. Grizzl-E Smart
The Grizzl-E Smart from United Chargers in Canada is one of the mid-range-priced chargers on the market that offers a higher output than other similarly priced chargers. The Grizzl-E is a 40-amp charger that comes with a 24-foot cable. This smart charger can be controlled by any OCPP 1.6 App like Charge Lab. It comes in either a NEMA plug-in version or it can be hardwired and offers a 3-year warranty. The Grizzl-E Smart Charger is priced at $459 ($9.88 per amp).
6. ClipperCreek HCS-40
Based in California, ClipperCreek has been making EV chargers longer than any other company. The 32-amp ClipperCreek HCS-40 claims to be the most popular EV charger. It is a hardwired charging station with a25-foot cable. While durable and well-built, it is not a smart charger. It has no mobile app or any way to schedule or automate the charges. The ClipperCreek comes with a 3-year warranty. At $648 ($20.25 per amp), this charger is the highest priced non-smart charger on the market. It’s over $100 more than other chargers with similar features. It's also the highest cost per amp of any charger on this list.
7. Blink HQ 100
The HQ100 from Florida-based Blink is a 30-amp charger that comes only as a hardwired option. It comes with a modest 18-foot cable. While the Blink offers a button on the front of the charger to allow you to delay the charge by 2, 4, 6, or 8 hours, this smart charger offers scheduling through the Blink mobile app. The Blink only offers a 1-year warranty. The Blink’s lower 30-amp charge, short 18-foot cable, and non-smart feature are priced affordably at $449 ($14.97 per amp).
Conclusion
Emporia truly has designed and built the best level 2 EV charger at a price point to make it the best value on the market! Additionally, Emporia doubles down on saving you money by supplying smart features that ensure EV charging has the lowest impact possible on your electric bill. Finally, when paired with Emporia's Smart Home Energy Management System, Smart Plugs and Home Battery System, Emporia offers an experience and cost savings unmatched by the competition. And, now Emporia is hard at work on developing it's Bi-directional V2X EV Charger! So, take your EV charging to the next level and face the energy transition head on by purchasing your Emporia Smart Home EV Charger now.
