Original Post Date: October 16, 2024
Source: Wirecutter
Read the full article here

Whether you’re a longtime electric vehicle owner, or you’re still waiting for your first EV to leave the factory floor, you should consider investing in a Level 2 charger for your home.

Most modern EVs ship with a Level 1 charger, which you can toss in your trunk (or frunk) and plug into any standard wall outlet. But the fastest way to juice up an EV at home is to use a Level 2 charger, which can add four or more times as many miles per hour of charge.

After 58 hours of research and 95 hours of testing, we found the Emporia Level 2 EV Charger (J1772 version) to be the best at-home charger for EVs with a J1772 port, whereas the Emporia Level 2 EV Charger (NACS version) is best for Teslas and other EVs with a J3400 connector (also called the North American Charging Standard, or NACS).

In either configuration, it’s powerful, easy to use, and equipped with a long cord. And thanks to its streamlined shape, it doesn’t take up much space in the garage.

The Emporia Level 2 EV Charger (both the J1772 and NACS versions) supports up to 48 A charging, allowing you to fully charge most EV batteries in five to eight hours—a claim that we confirmed in our testing. It has a 24-foot cord (nearly the longest that safety regulations permit) and supports either a hardwired or plug-in installation, though the latter limits charging speeds to 40 A.

It’s UL listed for safety and compliance, and since it’s rated NEMA 4 (similar to IP66), it has total protection against dust and can withstand strong sprays of water. At this writing, it costs $400 and has a three-year warranty.

Maximum current rating: 48 amps
Weatherization rating: IP66 (fully dustproof and mostly waterproof)
Installation options: two (hardwire, NEMA 14-50 plug)
Warranty: three years

If you’re on a tighter budget and don’t mind waiting an extra hour for your battery to charge, the United Chargers Grizzl-E Classic 40A offers many of the same capabilities as our top pick at a typically lower price. It has a J1772 connector, and an optional holster (sold separately for $20 at this writing) makes it easier to pair with an NACS adapter in comparison with most models.

The Classic supports up to 40 A charging, allowing you to charge most EV batteries in six to nine hours. It has a 25-foot cord, and it’s available in either a hardwire or plug-in configuration.

Like the Emporia charger, this Grizzl-E model is UL listed, and its IP67 rating indicates that it’s totally protected against dust and can withstand shallow water immersion. At this writing, it costs $350 and comes with a three-year warranty (or a five-year warranty for an additional $100).

Maximum current rating: 40 amps
Weatherization rating: IP67 (fully dustproof and waterproof)
Installation options: three (hardwire, NEMA 14-50 plug, NEMA 6-50 plug)
Warranty: three years (or five years for $100 more)

The United Chargers Grizzl-E Duo is one of the few Level 2 chargers that can simultaneously charge two EVs. It has two J1772 connectors, and like our budget pick, it has an optional holster for easy pairing with an NACS adapter to charge a Tesla or any other NACS vehicle.

When charging one car, the Grizzl-E Duo supports up to 40 A charging, allowing you to charge most EV batteries in six to nine hours. When charging two cars at once, it splits that power between them (up to 20 A apiece), and as a result, charging each car takes about twice as long.

The Grizzl-E Duo has two 24-foot cords, and the charger can plug into either a NEMA 14-50 or NEMA 6-50 outlet. It can’t be hardwired, which doesn’t affect the charging speed in this case since it’s already limited to 40 A, but that is a slight drawback if you want your charger to be permanently installed.

Like the Grizzle-E Classic, the Grizzl-E Duo has an IP67 weatherization rating, and it’s UL listed. At this writing, it costs $800 and has a three-year warranty.

Maximum current rating: 40 amps (or 20 amps apiece when charging two vehicles)
Weatherization rating: IP67 (fully dustproof and waterproof)
Installation options: two (NEMA 14-50 plug or NEMA 6-50 plug)
Warranty: three years

If you want something that offers more power than most Level 1 chargers but is just as compact and portable, get the Lectron Portable Level 2 Charger (either the J1772 or NACS version). Like the Grizzl-E Classic and Grizzl-E Duo, it supports up to 40 A charging, allowing you to charge most EV batteries in six to nine hours.

This Lectron charger has a 16-foot cord, which is shorter than the cords on our other picks but still practical for a portable model. It can plug into a NEMA 14-50 outlet, but it can’t be hardwired, which makes sense for a portable model.

It’s less weatherized than our other picks—its IP65 rating means it’s totally protected against dust and can withstand light sprays of water—but still ruggedly built. And its two-year warranty is shorter than the coverage on many of the chargers we tested. But it’s typically the least expensive of our picks, costing $260 for the J1772 version and $275 for the NACS version at this writing.

Maximum current rating: 40 amps
Weatherization rating: IP65 (fully dustproof and moderately waterproof)
Installation options: one (NEMA 14-50 plug)
Warranty: two years

How to charge a Tesla with a non-Tesla charger (and vice versa)

To charge a Tesla or any other NACS vehicle on a non-Tesla charger (not including CCS fast chargers), get the Lectron J1772 to Tesla 60A Charging Adapter. At this writing, it’s one of the least expensive and most widely available options—even in comparison with Tesla’s own version.

This adapter is small and lightweight, so it’s easy to pack in a trunk or even a glove compartment. It supports up to 60 A charging, it’s UL listed, and it has an IP54 weatherization rating, so it’s highly protected from dust and can withstand light sprays of water. Plus, it’s backed by Lectron’s one-year warranty.

The Lectron Tesla to J1772 48A Charging Adapter allows EVs with a J1772 charging port to juice up at most Tesla chargers (except Superchargers). This is helpful if your J1772 EV’s battery is running low and a Tesla charging station is the closest option, or if you’re at a friend’s house and you want to top off your battery with their NACS charger.

This adapter is small and compact, and in our testing it supported up to 49 A charging speeds, slightly exceeding its 48 A rating. It makes a satisfying click when it snaps into place, and a simple press of a button releases it from the plug after charging. It’s also UL listed, rated IP54 for weatherization, and backed by a one-year warranty.

This adapter is the best option for charging a Tesla or other NACS EV with a CCS (non-Tesla) fast charger. It has a lower amperage rating than the Tesla and A2Z versions we tested (300 A versus 500 A), but it’s otherwise identical and more widely available at this writing.

Its UL certification is pending, but that’s currently true of all adapters of this type. It has an IP54 weatherization rating and comes with a one-year warranty.

The Lectron Vortex Plug Tesla Supercharger NACS to CCS 500A Adapter is the best option for charging a J1772 EV with a Tesla Supercharger. It supports up to 500 A charging, and it’s more widely available than the A2Z version we tested (Tesla doesn’t currently sell an adapter like this). Its UL certification is pending, but that’s the case for all adapters of this type right now.

It has an IP65 weatherization rating, so it’s totally protected against dust and can withstand light sprays of water. It comes with a one-year warranty.