Lectron Introduces Two New Portable Tesla Chargers
Original Post Date: October 24, 2023
Source: Torque News
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Lectron is among the first of the charger companies to offer a Tesla-style charging handle for its charger products. Here is a look at a Level 1 and a Level 2 Electric vehicle charger with this connection type.
A few years from now, electric vehicles from all brands will begin arriving with the Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector. For now, only Teslas have this connector style. With the writing on the wall, all electric vehicle charger manufacturers (EVSE makers) are starting to roll out NACS-equipped charger products. Lectron is ahead of the pack with two new portable Tesla chargers. These chargers are now available for immediate delivery, and as you will see, the prices are hard to ignore. The chargers discussed here will work with Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y.
Lectron Portable Level 2 Tesla EV Charger | 240V | 40 Amp | NEMA 14-50
Lectron’s Level 2 charger is priced at a crazy-low $279.99. This charger can deliver roughly 36 miles of range per hour of charging. Since it uses the ubiquitous NEMA 14-50 plug, it can be used at any location with such an outlet available.
Featuring a 16-foot cable, this portable charger has the length you need to reach a plug, but not so much extra that hauling it around becomes a burden. The control box is IP65-rated, and the charging handle is IP55-rated. The LED display shows the charging status clearly at a glance.
Lectron Portable Level 1 Tesla EV Charger | 110V | 15 Amp | NEMA 5-15
Among the most affordable chargers for any Tesla is Lectron’s new $189.99 Level 1 NEMA 5-15 charger. Working with a 115-volt, 15 or 20-amp circuit, this charger is the most versatile. This is a charger that will enable (slow) charging at any location with a common plug. That said, it is always best to use a dedicated circuit rated for continuous duty when charging any EV.
A portable level 1 charger can add 40 to 50 miles of range overnight when you visit friends or travel to locations without a proper charger or NEMA 14-50 outlet. This charger also features the same IP65-rated controller.
Both of these Lectronc chargers come with built-in protection against overvoltage, overcurrent, and short circuits. Both can be purchased at the company’s website directly, and Lectron also works with Amazon.
We asked Lectron if the new chargers can communicate with the Tesla vehicle to have the charger port door open automatically, and here is what Christopher Maiwald, CEO & Founder at Lectron told us. “Lectron’s Level 1 & Level 2 Tesla Chargers do not enable that feature to open the charging port on Tesla. The reason why the charger does not open the door is because that feature is not part of the official NACS charging standard, and since Lectron is making products for NACS vehicles for now and in the future, we decided not to include the feature.”
Torque News has not yet tested these specific Lectron chargers, but your author has purchased a Lectron charger for his own use, and we have also reviewed the following two charger products from Lectron listed below. All three impressed us with their quality, value, and simplicity.
Lectron Portable 40 Amp Portable EV Charger - Simple, High Value, High Quality
Lectron V-Box 48A EV Charger Review