[SparkE]

Out of curiosity, has anybody bought/used these lower cost EVSEs? Yes, I realize that they are 16A and limited to 3.3 kW, but they are also about half the cost ~$300) of most home 220V EVSEs AND they are portable and easily tossed in the trunk. A 12-hour overnight charge would provide around 35-40 kWhs, which is more than enough for a full charge for any car except a Bolt or Tesla (and would provide a better-than-half, ~150 mile charge even for those).

So, has anybody had occasion to use any of these?

EVI Portable Charger V5

Ebusbar portable 16A/220V

Duosida Portable EVSE


PS: As I was about to click on 'post', it occurred to me that there's also the 'juice' line of EVSEs. Anybody have experience with them?

JuiceCord (20A, WiFi enabled for control/monitoring) :

JuiceBox40 (40A, 'portable' only in that it has a plug and is thus movable - it's a box, not a 'charging cable')

{I originally provided links, but I'm too much of a newbie for that to work. Sorry, you'll have to search on amazon yourselves...}

 

[LeftieBiker]

Clipper Creek makes good, US-built charging stations, and their 20 amp models (they use the breaker rating so it would be HCS or LCS 25) run $395 or so. If you don't want bells or whistles, just reliability and a three year warranty, I suggest them.

 

[DrZip]

I have 3 times installed and used the widely available EVlink 30 amp home level 2 EV charging station made by Schneider Electric cost about $550 at both local big box lumber yards.

I like the 18 ft cord that can reach around the garage and charge either of my parked EVs. On the other wall I leave a long cord level 1 attached to the wall, so if I need to charge both vehicles I can choose which on gets the higher rated charge.

BTW I take advantage of the EV rate time of day electric rates, so I do all my charging during the cheap times, the level 2 Schneider has an easy push button delay function up to 8 hours making it easy utilize for any parked vehicle without playing with the on-board time of day functions.

This delay function becomes very handy because we not know which garage parked EV car needs the level 2 charge.

We have only one 2 car garage, 3 EVs, and 3 EV drivers at home, who come and go all times of the day, meaning that always one car is outside and often it is being charged too (by a level 2).

 

[DucRider]

I'll second the Clipper Creek (and also the eMotorWorks "Juice" products). Clipper Creek products are UL listed and eMotorWerks should have their approval shortly.
Both companies have outstanding reputations, stand behind their products, and you know where to find them for support.At least oneof the Amazon products you listed is based and built in China. Not all products from China are junk, but often the focus is on producing the cheapest possible product. Not always a good thing.

If you are in many areas of California, the eMotorWerks products can communicate with the power companies and adjust charging time and rate in response to grid demand:

Put simply, our JuicePoints Rewards Program allows you to charge your vehicle in a way that maximizes your use of renewable energy and minimizes your contribution to grid congestion – all while earning rewards for participating!

To expand on that, the Rewards Program is what’s known as a “demand flexibility program.” Normally, you come home, connect your vehicle to your charger, and leave it that way overnight. Your vehicle charges immediately, or during the pre-programmed times, and doesn’t do much else until you use it again. Once you’re enrolled in our program, this series of events looks essentially the same: You come home, connect your vehicle to the charging station, and view the time by which charging is scheduled to be complete. If you need your vehicle at some time earlier, you simply drag a slider bar to the time needed. Your charger then receives data from the grid that lets it know when congestion is low and when renewable energy reserves are high and, using that data, starts and stops (or slows) charging for the greenest, most efficient result.

It’s important to note that, above all else, our system is designed to ensure that your vehicle is ready for action by the time you need it. You also have the option to override the system and charge your vehicle right away, should your plans change.

https://emotorwerks.com/rewards

 

[DucRider]

I'll also add that tossing an EVSE in the trunk sounds attractive, but very few 240V outlets are accessible where you would park your car, and those that are may have different plug styles and you could find that you need to carry a set of adapters to utilize them.

 

[LeftieBiker]

I'll also add that tossing an EVSE in the trunk sounds attractive, but very few 240V outlets are accessible where you would park your car, and those that are may have different plug styles and you could find that you need to carry a set of adapters to utilize them.

RV parks are the main places you can find 240 volt outlets. They are rare in other commercial locations. When they are present they are usually outlets for welders.

 

[DrZip]

These days, I don't even carry the level 1 adapter with me, but even 5 years ago that would have be foolish. I stopped carrying it after years passed and it was never used, and I have never run out of charge, although I have had some anxious moments at times.

 

[SparkE]

RV parks are the main places you can find 240 volt outlets. They are rare in other commercial locations. When they are present they are usually outlets for welders.

The most common (easily available) 240V plugs are for electric dryers, and I would be using a 'portable' 240V either on one of those at a friend's garage, OR using the 110V option on the same EVSE if no 240 was available. (Yes, I would need a collection of 'dog bones' to make sure I could connect using other than a NEMA 14-50 plug, and the OpenEVSE products allow user selection of max amperage for use on lower-rated 240V circuits.)

I asked if people had used the other ones specifically because I am leery of random Chinese-manufactured goods. I would like to hear the opinion of people who have actually used them. I am starting to lean towards OpenEVSE's products as I know my way around a soldering iron, would do the work with an EE to advise, and it sounds like one of the better products - and is portable in a pinch (like on a road trip with a 'hole' in coverage but an RV park is available).

 

[Raymondjram]

I have a 16kW Level 2 EMW JuiceBox EVSE that I built from a kit in 2014 (I posted pictures at the "gm-volt.com" forum). It came with an aluminum "DuraCell" shaped black cylindric box, which I painted in the famous "Copper Top" colors. Its relay is rated for 80 Amps (over 18 kW). I replaced all of the internal cabling with higher amperage wiring so it can handle all 80 Amps. The external cables and the J1772 connector are rated at 30 Amps, so the EVSE is set at 7.2 kW, which by chance is the maximum rating for a L2 charge in the 2017 Chevy Bolt EV (somehow I saw the future!). Total cost was less than $250. If I even need a higher L2 charge, I just have to upgrade the external cables, circuit breaker, and J1772 connector.

EMW has many models of L1 and L2 equipment, and have DC chargers, too, up to 25 kW. They already have a CHAdeMO interface and are working on the SAE J1772 CCS standard for the future EVs. When the famous "Ice Bucket Challenge" was common, they did that challenge with a JuiceBox to prove it was watertight, dunking the powered Level 2 EVSE box and most of the cables insde a bucket of ice water while charging a Nissan Leaf for several hours!

Although I have no EV and my charging experience is zero, I recommend EMW as one of the best EVSE suppliers. I expect EMW to offer a 25 kW (or higher) SAE J1772 DC charger for the 2017 Chevy Bolt EV next year.

 

[Raymondjram]

I am starting to lean towards OpenEVSE's products as I know my way around a soldering iron, would do the work with an EE to advise, and it sounds like one of the better products - and is portable in a pinch (like on a road trip with a 'hole' in coverage but an RV park is available).

As an EE, I also support the Open EVSE recommendations, but not everyone has the knowledge and training (I do for over 42 years!) to collect the parts and assemble a working EVSE. In my case I prefered a pre-collected kit with just a few materials changed, even though I had to find and buy other tools, such as a crimper anvil for large electrical terminals (I bet many here don't know what THAT is!).

So I suggest getting a kit if you trust your skills, have the tools, and materials to build a Level 2 EVSE, but have difficulty to assemble the controller and other parts (including the relay) from scratch. If you do need some help, I can assist here.

 

[Bazinga]

Would Clipper Creek be willing to support Canadian buyers? Di they even ship their product north of the border?

 

[SparkE]

https://www.clippercreek.com/