Extra Level 2 charger deal ($250)?

average to good from what i've read, but i haven't researched them in a long time.

 

looks decent enough.
one guy said he took it to his friends and charged. unusual for people to have a 240v source handy, with the correct outlet.
next guy says his was doa.

 

20amp breaker - so it'd max @ 3.6kW's. Bare minimum nowadays & leaving no room for future proofing. Still - beats the heck out of OEM L1's provoding one measly KW per hr (after AC - DC conversion).
whacky-est uber cheep price for a 9.6kW unit?
from Texas;
MUSTART Level 2 Portable EV Charger (240 Volt, 25ft Cable, 40 Amp), Electric Vehicle Charger Plug-in EV Charging Station with NEMA 14-50P [PB5W808G] - $69.99 : prcedo.com

i duno how the do it!!
all you'd need is a 50/30 adapter . . . . . . .



and . . . . . . . . a 50/20 adapter;



there's even 50amp 240 to 120 adapters too.
.

 

An Amazon version: www.amazon.com/POTATO-Electric-Charging-NEMA6-20-Compatible/dp/B07MHK9YF9

It reads as if, if you owned a 5-20R outlet and a 6-20R to 5-20P jumper, it could charge at 16 Amps at 120 volts, as well as 240 volts, usually 120 volts is 12 Amps. But if you are going to run a dedicated outlet, go 240 volts.

 

I just Tested this unit, this EVSE failed with 1 minute & 20 seconds of operation.

But what I found worse than that was how incredibly TIGHT the white charge handle was while trying to plug it into the Prime, the Prime or the white handle would have broken within a short period of time IMO.


Rob43

 

I tested the "white" handled EVSE unit that forum member "hill" pictured, that's why I quoted that post.

That white handle was very very tight, even if the unit had not failed, I would have still returned it based on that.


Rob43

 

One thing that may be of interest and even a requirement for some consumers is that neither devices is apparently UL listed.

 

How can you go wrong with a device marketed with this description?

“The Acell Dual-Voltage AxFAST Portable Electric Vehicle Charger (EVSE) Level 2 is the result of extensive consumer market research and artisan workmanship. It delivers convenient features, premium material quality and cost effectiveness.”

In other words, made in China with the cheapest components we could get.

 

For most Prime drivers, L1 has an adequate charge rate. It appears that L1 was selected as default because every home has at least one garage outlet and one exterior outlet in the house. No electrical upgrades required - the charger works with the house you have.

As noted in other posts, if you have 240 in the garage it is simple enough to build or buy the adapter to run the factory charge cable on 240, and if you don’t, then spend the bucks to put in an L2.

If the default was 240 only, then most owners would have to do some wiring instead of using what already exists.

Pretty simple. They buy the cheapest crap components and slap this thing together.

 

The Amazon unit is a UL Recognized Component in the US and Canada. This article explains that power supplies and power converters are never 'Listed' they are always "Recognized"

What is the Difference Between UL Listed and UL Recognized? | CUI Inc

 

So, the power supply meets a standard but the connected wiring and plugs do not have to? That kind of defeats the purpose of ensuring the whole assembly meets established standards.

 

Appears to be good quality, well constructed, works fine for the intended purpose of charging the car. I would give it a A. On mine, every component has the UL mark for US and Canada (120V plug, cables on both sides of the brick, the car plug, etc).

 

The UL seems to feel that power supplies and converters are never products that a consumer would buy, they are components in a larger product. It would be pointless to have an EVSE if you did not have an EV that needed it. I believe the entire EVSE is a single component in this scheme. (I do not make these rules)

[OK, I googled more and the certification number E364477 is on a lot of EVSEs with the brick made by the same company, so it is only the brick that is UL recognized with that number.]

The Handle is also UL Recognized, while the cable has TUV marks.

https://www.justrite.com/media/techtalk/TT-TUV-meaning-approvals.pdf

 

The OEM cable has UL marks on all the components that are visible. I didn't check the back of the brick because it is screwed to the wall.