getting an extra level 1 portable charger

I'd like an extra portable level 1 charger to keep at home and keep the Toyota-supplied one with me in the car (in case I need to park next to your house and plug into one of your outdoor outlets). Anyway, I only see the Leviton one for sale through Amazon or Home Depot for around $900. Are there any other choices available (especially online)? Legrand makes a big deal about their portable charger that cost $500 but I don't see it for actual sale anywhere. Might Toyota Parts sell them?

most of my garage is, let us say, "occupied" right now and there is no real place to put a level 2 charger at this point. I'd rather have the flexibility. The $900 is for a level 1 portable charger.

Toyta dealers quote $1200 for a spare level 1 charger (this is with an employee discount)

Talk about a markup, for an EVSE, cord, and J1772 plug!

I'm looking at the evseupgrade.com new unit for $979 + $48 Upgrade (for full 16A) + $20 shipping + $25 120v adapter.
This unit will work on 120v or 240v.

When looking at cheaper units, look at what current they will run at. Make sure it will go up to 16 amps.

Give it a year and they will be available for a couple of hundred $.

Home Depot and Menards both sell Legrand.

Mark I'm taking your good example and doing the same thing, but my level2 charger will be outside on my driveway fence, the same way my level1 is for now. After the new unit gets installed the one that came with the PIP will go in the car.

Or as i've stated on the other thread, build your own 120/240 capable 30A max EVSE for under $500, using the OpenEVSE google project. You can get the control board assembled for $100, then you need a 30A DPST relay ($11 at Digikey), a $30 12VDC 90-270VAC PS, a case, some 10AWG wiring & power cord/L6-30p plug (about $30), and the most expensive part, the J-1772 male end w/20' of cable attached ($261 from Avnet)

The EVSE you build will be capable of 120V or 240V, up to 30Amps, it will last through the next generation of EVs with 6.6KW onboard chargers... Money well spent.

Give it a year and they'll be available from MonoPrice (or some other inexpensive distributor) for under a hundred.

Don't expect EVSE prices to drop until EVs and PHEVs are selling in the hundreds of thousands, there simply isn't enough volume to get the manufacturing cost of the single most expensive part down in price, and that's the J-1772 cable and connector, the rest is peanuts.

It might be worth checking with a Nissan dealer parts department or two to see if you can order the LEAF 120v charge cord. They may be cheaper and more available than the Toyota one since the LEAF has already been out for over a year.

The LEAF cord is made by Panasonic and seems be well-built. The only trick is that in these early days there may be slightly different interpretations of the J1772 spec. While almost all charge cords and cars work together there have been a few interoperability problems. In particular, the early LEAF cords did not work with the Volt although the Volt cord works with the LEAF. This may have already been fixed with newer LEAF cords but it's worth researching its compatibility with the PiP first.

Would this work on the Prius? $695
PCS-15, Portable Level 1 EVSE

Yes, but for a little more you can get a Nissan EVSE, and get it upgraded to handle 240V @ 16A, so you could charge in 1.5 hours.. It will work on 120V or 240V, with different AC adapter cables.

see this site:

EVSE Upgrade - Products

The Volt units should work on a Pip (if you only want 120v charging).


Only $360 at
Volt Battery Charger Cable - 110V - 22809287 - - by Gm - Keep One Battery Charger Cord at Home and

The Chevy Volt 120v charger was recalled on March 15 and is short supply. I would hold off getting a Volt cable until someone can determine what the part number of the new charger it.

It seems there have been three versions of the cable so far 22781210 (recalled), 22809287 (unknown), and now 22865050.

The link above to ShopChevy goes to cable 22865050.

I am guessing if you order one make sure you get the latest version.

New designed 110volt charger just released

From EVSEUpgrade.com, they have this FAQ on their front page:

So, if the old units were heating up, is it possible the wiring was upgraded on the newer Volt EVSEs to 12 gauge versus the old 16 gauge?