What are /r/evcharging's favorite Products & Services?

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You can and should get a 16 or 24A EVSE, or one that can be manually set to 24A. I don't see any way for that one to be adjusted down to 24 amps. No, it doesn't know the breaker or wire size and could trip the breaker or make the wiring overheat or worse. https://www.amazon.com/Splitvolt-Portable-Compatible-Electric-Including/dp/B08GP81NY1/ is a budget-ish option, but it'll require either replacing the receptacle or a different adapter.

If you have the choice hardwiring is always best. reduction of connection points for these high amp circuits is a reduction in fire risk.

I believe juicebox is approved for smart EVSE rebate from PSEG NJ. Its another pretty solid offering for J1772 EVSEs https://www.amazon.com/JuiceBox-40-Next-Generation-Electric-Charging/dp/B07ZL41687

otherwise you're into FB marketplace and ebay to get a home flex asap.

Here’s a low-tech, inexpensive option I use:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LKCMV7D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

If you can find an EVSE that meets your power rating and UL/waterproof requirements, you could use a mechanical timer (as used in swimming pools, etc.) to control power to the EVSE. Set the on/off triggers to the TOU period(s) that the utility specifies.

An example: https://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-T104-208-277-Volt-Mechanical-Switch/dp/B000BQOX88

You would need to manually set the time in the timer if there is a power outage, but this is just rotating the dial. There is a manual override switch to turn the timer on or off as needed. You would need to mount the timer indoors and then have the outdoor outlet connected to the timer's 'load' side.

You won't find this. Every 'smart' EVSE uses WiFi, Cloud, App to configure it. There's lots that can be limited to 16 amps, but configuring the EVSE for time of use without app/cloud will likely not work.

As I see it you have two options.

1. Get a WiFi connected EVSE, and install a small hotspot that will provide Internet in the cabin. Tmobile has a plan that's like $10/mo for this. Has the advantage of letting you remote monitor temperature / camera / whatever.

2. Don't use the EVSE to schedule charging. Instead, wire the EVSE via some kind of timer to turn the EVSE's supply power on/off. There's a few ways you could go with this, but the simplest might be something like this-- it'll turn the power on and off per whatever schedule you set. Key is just make sure your EVSE will resume charging if power is cut and restored. I'd think most 'dumb' EVSE's would do this.

If Pion does not have enough plug options, check out the J+ Booster 2 (https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Charging-Electric-Vehicles-Certified/dp/B0B4PGMHK9?th=1). I've seen good reviews on Youtube. It also seems suspiciously similar to the portable EVSE that came with my Polestar 2.

Oh, sorry I linked an out-of-stock one. And actually worse--those only display real time power and don't log kWh. Bad choice on my part.

Another thing to consider would be an Emporia Vue. The basic unit is $84. https://www.amazon.com/Generaci%C3%B3n-Emporia-Monitor-energ%C3%ADa-electricidad/dp/B07R11H2Q2/

I was going to hardwire a Wallbox Pulsar Pro outside but ran into "issues" with my HOA. I'm going to put in 14-50 now and just use a Shell Portable charger.

It IS a Lectron. Good to know. It did say UL in the listing though: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079NTXNK7?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

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Luckily I can still take it back.

What EV charging station is that?

It looks very similar to a Lectron unit (although Lectron sells their products under several different brand names).

Lectron is known for:

1. Not complying with safety regulations.
2. Not getting any of their products certified by an NRTL (an NRTL is a company that is authorized by the US Gov't to issue safety certifications).
3. Not including important safety features.
4. Melting the car's charge port (and being a fire hazard in general).

If that is indeed the unit I think it is then my answer is no, it is not safe. I strongly recommend replacing that with a charging cable that is from a trustworthy brand (such as ClipperCreek).

I saw some other handhold styles that looked like they were "outdoor" rated, but digging deeper; the water table and drainage here would preclude them.

The problem with something like you suggested would be appearance. I'd have to get a "landscaping rock" camouflage cover or something.

I think I'll just settle for something like this if I can get away with it.

Yea 3D printed. Let me know what the OD of your charge cable is and I'll see what I can do.

It fits this RV hatch: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017KWL4IM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For future searchers: if you do want to do this, pair up something like this with the adapter. Then you won't have any issue with the adapter getting accidentally used for something else.

My previous reply was removed since I used a link shortener.

I posted the UL listed EVSE 16/24/32/40 EVSE UL Listed

and a converted for your plug 6-20P to 14-50R

The charge cord that came with your leaf is probably capable of running at 240V, search the model number. You would need an adaptor like: https://www.amazon.com/Power-T-Blade-Adapter-Extension-Conditioner/dp/B0B2F4162J

Now, big warning: adaptors like that shouldn’t exist, it will destroy anything else you plug into it. Also, because the adaptor shouldn’t exist it will not have a UL listing, so quality could be very poor.

I guess you may already have your charger set up, but there are some EVSEs that have RFID readers that can account for multiple users and assign costs based on usage.

I posted about this charger today and likely sound like I’m advertising for them. But this has that capability and I think it’s for these exact situations. Users would just need to get an RFID card. Autel Maxicharger Home

"submeter" is a goo term to search to - https://www.amazon.com/DAE-DEM720-2P-Electric-Submeter-Internal/dp/B01N2Y5P56 Technology connections had a video on this very subject last week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WuJtcgExa8

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z7N6QZX/

LEFANEV, which apparently is actually CSA listed to UL 2594, despite the all caps brand name and the broken English description, which usually goes with some weasel worded mention of UL without it actually being listed by anybody.

But the reviews to report it failing pretty early so I'm not ready to recommend it.

Thanks. Unfortunately that doesn't say what brand/model the receptacle is.

But from the second picture on this page it is branded Cooper and that is one of the good brands!

I recently (last week) had to replace my portable level 1 charger for my 2017 BMW i3. The first one I tried (Lectron) would not charge the i3 so I returned it and bought this one (Mustart) which works great. FWIW.

MUSTART Level 1 and Level 2... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077DC39J9?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Oh yes, UL is not as good as I would like it to be. UL has a pretty checkered history. Hot Connections is a good book about the history of aluminum wire and is pretty damning about UL's role in the fiasco. They are also responsible for continuing to allow backstab receptacles which fail regularly.

It's this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LMX4TJR but an older model that has a NEMA 5-15P on it with 12 gauge wire, rather than the NEMA 14-50P it ships with now. Obviously 16 amps is not UL-rated on a 5-15 plug, but the EVSE itself is built to handle much more current than that and so that part of it doesn't worry me at all.

The vast majority of modern 5-15R receptacles one comes across is wired with 12 gauge wire and is on a 20 amp circuit, so as long as I'm sure of this, I'm comfortable using the 16A setting. For example, at RV parks, the power poles often have a TT-30R and a 5-15R with two breakers right there in the box, a 30 amp breaker for the TT-30, and a 20 amp breaker for the 5-15. If I see that, then I know it's safe to draw 16 amps from the 5-15R (and keep my trailer plugged into the TT-30).

If you're looking for something fully UL-rated you're not going to find any L1 (110V only) chargers that support 16 amps, unless they happen to come with a NEMA 5-20P, which I haven't personally encountered.

For an outdoor install I would go ground up with the cord curved like shown in the top pic. This will prevent water from getting where it should not be. Of course you'd want to use an outdoor enclosure. That is actually how the professional electrician installed mine.

If you are installing indoors, I would not worry about it too much. Just do whatever is easier for the space you'll be mounting it in.

It's this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LMX4TJR. But they don't sell the 110V-only one with the NEMA 5-15 plug on it, likely because that configuration can't be UL-certified. I'm skeptical that the modern version sold on Amazon is UL-certified either; it's your typical Chinese engineering special.

That said, I really like it as an L1 EVSE. It's built well, with a long, soft cord that is easy to coil up. Even comes with a decent storage/carry bag I store it in. The box has an easy-to-read OLED display that is visible even in bright daylight. Operation is dead simple: just plug it in, and double-tap the capacitive touch sensor on the front to cycle between the charging power. Then plug into the car and it starts charging at that rate. While charging it displays useful stats like the current voltage, current, kWh delivered, time spent charging, etc.

For what I use it for, it's perfect. I am not sure I'd buy it again with the clunky 14-50 plug on it, though you might find that buying that model plus a 5-15P to 14-50R adapter (and perhaps also a TT-30P to 14-50R adapter) would be sufficient to cover all your bases no matter where you are. But as mine came pre-wired with a 5-15P plug, I can't say with any certainty how well this updated model with the 14-50 plug would fare when plugged into a 110V outlet. My gut says it would work just fine, though.

That's what I thought too, before I saw the meltdowns and the details of the construction compared to the better ones. It seems that the UL standard for them has worked fine for short-term usage such as stoves and RVs, but hasn't worked as well for the continuous operation such as charging.

UL listing is a whole lot better than nothing, but they aren't always as strict as you might want. For example, they are the ones that say backstab receptacles are fine, while residential electricians say that a good bit of their service work is replacing ones of those that have failed. And if you want to know more about UL's history of really irresponsible actions, read this book.

Yes you could do this. Use the extension cord entirely inside your garage, so the 6-20 plug and the box inline in the charger cord are both inside and kept off the ground, so the only thing that comes out is the after-box part of the cord and the j1772 handle. If you do that, you are safe.

You could also keep the J1772 handle and a bunch of cable outside with a hanger hook like this. Put that on the outside of the house, then leave the EVSE and extension cord plugged in inside the house, and you don't have to open the garage door every time you arrive or leave.

> So I was either thinking convert the standard plug that is outside the garage to a 240v (is that possible?)

Maybe. It'd be 240v only then, not 120v. You'd want an electrician to do this, and it'll only work if that outlet is on a dedicated circuit or you can run a new wire from the panel to it.
Since it's a PHEV you could just do L1 charging... although it looks like the BMW has a bigger pack than the average PHEV

> or figure out how to extend the NEMA 6-20 pigtail on the EV charger to get a little more extension

https://www.amazon.com/Parkworld-885774-Extension-Female-Adapter/dp/B07K2R513T/
Note this is NOT water resistant. Do NOT leave this plug outside the garage.

> or find a charger with closer to 30-35' in length
You won't. Safety specs limit it to about 25'.

From your post history I gather you're in the USA.

In the US, there's 3 main kinds of EV charging ports-

1. J1772 (Level 1/2, 120-240v AC, up to about 11kW depending on power feed)
   
2. J1772-CCS (also known as CCS Type 1), high voltage DC fast charge capable of 350+kW depending on the charge station)
   
3. Tesla Proprietary, supports Level 1/2 with 120/240v AC up to about 11.5 kW or DC Fast Charge up to about 250KW.
   

The beauty of CCS is that it has BOTH the J1772 (the round top part) and the CCS (the two big pins at the bottom) in the same plug. If you are at home or at a level 1/2 charge station, just plug the round J1772 port into the top of your CCS connector and your car will charge. If you're at a Level 3 DC Fast Charge station, then the larger plug will use all 3 ports. You don't need any adapter for this.

There is a fourth kind of charger called ChaDeMo, it's DC fast charge only, usually tops out around 50kW. It's on its way out and you shouldn't bother with an adapter.

The only adapter you MIGHT consider is a Tesla Proprietary to J1772 adapter. !!IMPORTANT!! This will NOT work on a Supercharger, and if you try it on a Supercharger BAD THINGS may happen!!!! But what it will work with is Tesla destination chargers aka wall chargers- places where you'll drive may only bother installing Tesla proprietary chargers and not J1772. This adapter will let you get a Level 2 charge off one of those, so for example if you drive to a hotel that only has Tesla chargers this way you can still charge overnight.

I'm confident, but cannot prove, that they are the same based on my experience with the supply chain. Some company will set up to produce these with no name on them and sell them to middlemen and dealers who sell them under whatever brand. You can even buy a POTATO brand EVSE. This is part of the strategy for cheap stuff coming from China generally- nobody can point to XYZ brand being garbage because it's sold under many names. When POTATO brand gets a bad reputation, the ownership folds that brand and makes new listings for the exact same products under a new name. The units themselves almost always show up without any brand name on them at all.

I use one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071G98371/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_B4SSNBCYFN8KKX3RJAP5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 paired with an EVSE I purchased on Amazon that can be configured for up to 16 amp draw from the 5-15 plug. I have not found an EVSE that can be configured for 20-24 amps on a TT-30 plug directly.

My use case is a little unique though, as I am at RV parks with my RV, so the splitter allows me to plug in the car and the trailer at the same time.

I bought an extension cord:

https://www.amazon.com/NEMA-14-50P-14-50R-Reverse-Polarity/dp/B09FLM1MCK/ref=sr_1_10?crid=2XW963WK46VGH&keywords=nema%2Bextension%2Bcord%2B14-50&qid=1651410639&sprefix=nema%2Bextension%2Bcord%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-10&th=1

Also, I goofed the brand name- it's not Bestek, it's Besenergy. However, this identical unit is sold under many names including Lectron, Mustart, Morec, and Lefanev. Mine doesn't actually have a brand name on it, just the number BS-PCD041, and it's marked as rated for 40A.

The unit I have appears to have been sold under this listing: https://www.amazon.com/BESENERGY-NEMA14-50-220V-240V-Upgraded-Compatible/dp/B0852Z3KDM

Also, I checked what my Bolt is reporting for the pilot signal using Torque Pro, even thought I know it's a bit inaccurate. It reads 9.6% when not plugged in and seems to just add 9.6% to any reading it displayed on any station- might just be a weird thing with my setup. It read 76.5%, so maybe 66%, which would be 40A. That'd be right, but it's worth noting that others have seen their EVs draw over 40A from this unit.

I have been playing around with EVSE's and I use a double pole 240vac 50amp relay made by struther/dunn relay.

example although this one is 24vdc:https://www.amazon.com/STRUTHERS-DUNN-450BXX40-12VDC-Power-Relay-Panel/dp/B079BLYYTM

Does this help?

Lectron - Tesla to J1772 Charging Adapter, Max 48A & 250V - Compatible with Tesla High Powered Connectors, Destination Chargers, and Mobile Connectors (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DCTJCTV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_025RPVQTYRZMJX6KZKTA?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Lectron - Tesla to J1772 Adapter, Max 40A & 250V, Compatible with Tesla High Powered Connector, Destination Charger, and Mobile Connector - White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V7V2QT8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_PD9XQAWQ209RTPKAMMK3?psc=1

The 240V 6-15r outlet has essentially the same electrical specs as a normal 120V 5-15 outlet. 12A continuous load limit applies to both. Not sure about the factory cable for the Ioniq 5, but the one for my Niro works at 240V with this adapter: BloomGrow 110V / 120V to 220V / 240V Plug Adapter for US (1 PC) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075FTC9RT/ (similar grow light ballast adapters available cheaper on eBay and AliExpress). If you're comfortable with using a heavy duty extension cord for the 120V factory EVSE, using the same extension with this adapter should be as (un)safe.

Hmmm. Ok. They do make a charger that seems to have the same specs as mine with a 10-30 plug - which made me think it would be fine. Thoughts?

Lectron Level 2 EV Charger (240V,16 Amp) with 21ft Extension Cord J1772 Cable & NEMA 10-30 Plug https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079NTNJ5C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_HTWMA26D6W30MX3H6X3B?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

It's been working great. I love my little L1 charger. I've already used it multiple times to charge up at RV parks that didn't have 14-50 outlets. I purchased one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071G98371/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00 which lets me plug into a 30 amp outlet and pull a full 16 amps using my EVSE, while still running the RV on a 5-15 plug.

I've heard of this product. no personal experience but i think it will give you the peace of mind you need at the end of the day. https://www.amazon.com/Emporia-Monitor-Circuit-Electricity-Metering/dp/B08G37ML2R/

my personal experience has been its easy for all 4 ac units to be on, pool pump on, wife has stove going and dryer. but thats my household. yours may be different on how things are.

another option that is cheap is to use a quad breaker:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Square-D-Homeline-1-15-Amp-2-Pole-1-50-Amp-2-Pole-Quad-Tandem-Circuit-Breaker-HOMT215250CP/311939373

https://www.amazon.com/Square-Schneider-Electric-HOMT1515215CP-Single-Pole/dp/B00DW46WSK

etc

this will get you a 50a circuit and all those on your sub panel.

To your second question about weatherproofing, just get one of these: https://www.amazon.com/TayMac-MM410C-Weatherproof-Receptacle-Protector/dp/B001JEPX44 and replace the receptacle cover with one that is weatherproof with a cord inserted.

Weatherproofing is more of the outlet than the cable itself. The cable should have a rating on it somewhere telling you if it's ok to use in the rain.

https://www.amazon.com/TayMac-MM410C-Weatherproof-Receptacle-Protector/dp/B001JEPX44

Enclosures like this offer additional protection for the wall plug end. The J1772(the round bit that goes in the car) is reasonable weather proof, iirc Ip44, so rating against rain and similar.

And yea the main issue with it is the slow speed. If your daily mileage is around that of the average American and you plug in every day, you would usually gain back slightly more than you use each day roughly overnight.

Minicooper's got the trouble of being on the lower end of range so you don't have a big buffer to play with on weeks where you have to do more driving than usual, but if you're in an area with a healthy amount of public chargers that might not be a big deal.

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Might also be worth asking your boss if it's cool to plug in at work.

I know you say there's no chance of a 240v but it might be worth asking the landlord about it anyway. If there's a outlet out there with a dedicated circuit turning a 120v 15amp to a 240v 15 is a pretty simple job(for a qualified electrician of course don't do it yourself). You'd need to buy a new evse but that'd be a big step up from any 120v.

I purchased this one: https://www.amazon.com/Megear-100-120V-Adjustable-Portable-Electric/dp/B08LMX4TJR

It is adjustable to 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 amps. I'm out camping and charging my e-tron on it right this minute. Solid construction, long charge cord. Short wall cord, plan to bring a 12 gauge extension cord with you.

It's not that complicated, thanks to smart device tech :-)Pickup a hub and high voltage smart switch like this one (https://www.amazon.com/GE-Appliance-Required-Works-SmartThings-14285/dp/B00YTCZZF0/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=220v+remote+control+switch&qid=1626860094&sr=8-6) - it has a recommended hub that works with it.Then either put a payment terminal in the house that notifies you when paid- or setup a mobile payment store through stripe/square. When the customer pays- you trigger the hub to allow power to the high voltage outlet that the charger is connected to. The hub the link requires even has automation setup- so you can trigger it based on the amount they paid for.
Edit- this will let you use a 'dumb' charger without the extra costs said frills incur.