3rd party wall chargers ok or not?

[DD4ST]

+1 on Wallbox. No issues whatsoever and it provides a nice night light for the garage. You can also set the amperage lower than the max. I set mine at 32A as the extra time needed is inconsequential for a night charge. Reduces stress on the wiring and circuit panel. Midpriced. Got mine at Costco on sale.

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[Birdowin]

I like the Tesla charger since my wife drives a Tesla. It works great with my Rivian and gives me more charge than the old NEMA 15-50. Cost was less than the Rivian charger. I use a Tesla tap mini with it.

 

[Stevetom84]

Grizzl-E mini, 40A, 50A breaker, comes with multiple adapters for 120V-240V outlets, built tough. Zero issues so far over a year. Bring it along to different locations on the go. For overnight charging my max pack I often only need to use 20-30A. Happy with it.

The mini is awesome. It's so small, but solid and well built. The cord diameter is small and flexible in different temperatures. Being able to use it as a portable charger with the case and adapters is a bonus.

Grizzl-e did have a dual with a NACS and J1772 for awhile for people that need both. Looks like that option is no longer available.

 

[jrmbadger]

Another vote for the Tesla. Good quality and decent pricing.

You can also get them off Ebay new for cheaper as people get the referral credits and buy the wall chargers to sell. Just make sure you get Gen 3 and get the 24 foot cord (I think Tesla had shorter cords at first for Gen 3?)

If you have any plans to (in the future) get a second EV, I would recommend the universal wall connector over the regular wall connector because: 1.) it has the J1772 adapter (which may be good depending on the EV you get) and 2.) as stated previously it allows daisy chaining.

Daisy chaining means you can chain another Tesla charger to the UWC by simply connecting some additional wires from terminals already in the UWC. There is no need to have a junction box. That might not sound like a big deal, but you really don't want to use wire nuts in a junction box to connect three #4 or #6 size wires. That means you will likely have to buy Polaris or other heavy duty connections and have a large junction box.

Linked Tesla chargers (UWC and regular non universal Gen 3 WC) can also "power share" - which means that the chargers communicate to prevent the total draw from exceeding the amperage you set. Note: this needs to be configured, but is relatively easy to do. That means you can use two chargers on a same circuit which saves costs and may allow you to avoid electrical service upgrades.

I have a UWC daisy chained to a Gen 3 regular wall connector and it works great.

A couple of notes on the Tesla: Set the charger to compatibility mode - this skips the wall charger trying to communicate first using the proprietary tesla protocol which can cause some initial delays or errors when initially plugging in that are usually cleared automatically, but sometimes take unplugging and replugging.

Finally, the tesla energy graph in the app that shows usage/etc... sucks. The reporting is spotty so don't expect to get good data out of it.

 

[skyguyscott]

I purchased a "like new" Tesla Wall Connector (the universal model) from eBay and saved quite a few bucks. It works fine, the only hiccup was contacting Tesla to "re-register" the charger to a new owner -- a security feature so if someone steals your charger, it won't work for them.

Now, what I would really like is a charger I could mount to the ceiling with a retractable cable and rotating swing arm so that regardless of how I pull into the garage, or if I got a second BEV, one charger would reach without having a cable lying on the floor. When I was looking, I couldn't find such a beast, but Amazon evidently had a third party wall mounted swing arm available at one point

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https://www.amazon.com/EV-Hover-Management-Extendable-Installation/dp/B0BKJS8DC9

 

[portdirect]

+1 on Wallbox. No issues whatsoever and it provides a nice night light for the garage. You can also set the amperage lower than the max. I set mine at 32A as the extra time needed is inconsequential for a night charge. Reduces stress on the wiring and circuit panel. Midpriced. Got mine at Costco on sale.

Another +1 for Wallbox : I’ve got a pair of them along with a current clamp on our houses main feed to enaure the total power draw never goes above 180A (we have a 200A service). Works fantastically well, I see it kicking in a couple of times a year when the dryer, oven, hob, pool and AC are all active - it drops charging down from 48A as low as 6 if it needs to.

Fantastic bit of kit.

Had the Rivian evse at our last house but it really didn’t get on with our WiFI and every three months or so I’d have to power cycle it to get it to supply after dropping the network (which is just the worst) - there’s nothing Rivian about it other than the box - it’s just a lite-on under the covers.

 

[Zoidz]

As others have said, third party is fine, but avoid anything that requires internet connectivity to a remote host to set it up and manage it. I have an OpenEVSE (open source) at my primary home that has been flawless. It's a build it yourself kit, so it's only downside to some is that it uses UL components but the finished assembly is not UL since you build it yourself. Doesn't bother me in the least.

I have a Fiskers private labeled Wallbox Pulsar Plus at my vacation home that I bought at fire sale online when Fiskers shut down, I think I paid $300 for It. It's also been flawless.

Both of these can be set up locally without requiring connecting them to the internet.

 

[hudesigns]

As others have said, third party is fine, but avoid anything that requires internet connectivity to a remote host to set it up and manage it. I have an OpenEVSE (open source) at my primary home that has been flawless. It's a build it yourself kit, so it's only downside to some is that it uses UL components but the finished assembly is not UL since you build it yourself. Doesn't bother me in the least.

I have a Fiskers private labeled Wallbox Pulsar Plus at my vacation home that I bought at fire sale online when Fiskers shut down, I think I paid $300 for It. It's also been flawless.

Both of these can be set up locally without requiring connecting them to the internet.

All models of Grizzl-E chargers can operate in “dumb” mode automatically when offline. In this case vehicle takes full control communicating with charger.

 

[jeeden]

Coming in here to recommend the Autel Maxicharger. I have had it since 2022 and it has never failed me and I would buy another one tomorrow. Some points I would make about it:

• Often on sale at Amazon, middle of the road pricing
• Looks good, colors available
• Hardwired or plug in available. Also downrate via software or dip switches
• All weather
• Remote holster if you want it
• Solid app with scheduling, counting of charging costs etc. They have kept it up to date
• Option for load sharing if you have more than one unit
• As mentioned in this thread as a want, you can secure it via software to lock it down from unauthorized use. You can provide people a pin to use it or you can issue RFID cards to allow use

I just can't say enough good things about it. I did a self install and it had very nice directions and components.

 

[DD4ST]

Another +1 for Wallbox : I’ve got a pair of them along with a current clamp on our houses main feed to enaure the total power draw never goes above 180A (we have a 200A service). Works fantastically well, I see it kicking in a couple of times a year when the dryer, oven, hob, pool and AC are all active - it drops charging down from 48A as low as 6 if it needs to.

While I have never had issues with current that I know of, I am intested in increasing safety with all the high current devices our homes have. I’m familiar with current clamp meters, but not familiar with a permanently installed current clamp that can adjust the Wallbox charging current. Would you mind elaborating on your setup?

 

[Yossarian]

Second the suggestions of going with any reputable, well-reviewed EVSE.

I hardwired an Emporia at my home location when I got my R1T about 18 months ago and it has worked pretty much flawlessly since. I qualify that a bit because it has some funky wifi issues that are annoying, but don't really interfere with charging. I actually ordered a Grizzl-E and was very impressed with its construction. I ended up returning it only because hardwiring required the use of non-standard size - or the modification of standard - connectors due to the sizing of the Grizzl-E internal terminal block. I understand that the company has since changed their design, so this may longer be an issue, and this is the case, I wouldn't hesitate to get the made-in-Canda Grizzl-E.

As to the question of hard-wiring or using a 14-50R, there is more than just convenience to consider. Others have pointed out some of the merits of hard wiring, but I don't think anyone mentioned that it can be somewhat less expensive.

It is imperative to use a high-quality 14-50 receptacle, like one from Bryant or Hubbel, along with an appropriate enclosure. Neither is inexpensive. An outdoor installation of a 14-50R, or in some locations even its location on an exterior wall, usually requires the use of a GFIC breaker. This is an expensive piece of kit in 60 amp version, often over $150 (will vary by box type), but is not needed in a hard-wired setup. Even with the waterproof conduit, couplings and connectors required in a hard-wired installation, the cost is usually a bit less for what is arguably a more reliable setup.

 

[mkhuffman]

+1 for the hardwired Emporia. I have Emporia sensors on all my circuits in the breaker box and it is very cool to know just how much power each circuit uses. I don't use the smart capabilities in the EVSE except for monitoring power.

 

[mkhuffman]

If you go with the 14-50 receptacle, it is imperative that you get a quality socket such as Bryant or Hubbell - not the $20 box store socket. And torque the connections.

The torque rating for these terminals is pretty high. I used a torque wrench on my Tesla UWC to tighten the hex-head terminals. The cheap 14-50R that melted used phillips screws, and gutentight wasn't quite gutenough.

In addition to the Bryant/Hubbell receptacles, Leviton makes a 14-50Rs rated for EVSE use. But coupled with the requirement for a more expensive GFCI breaker (no GFCI needed for hardwired EVSE) and the extra conductor for the neutral line (wire is expensive!), it can be noticeably more expensive to put in a good receptacle.

Home Depot sells the Leviton 14-50R outlet for $41 and it is just as robust as the ones sold by Bryant and Hubbell. It's the real deal.

 

[godfodder0901]

Home Depot sells the Leviton 14-50R outlet for $41 and it is just as robust as the ones sold by Bryant and Hubbell. It's the real deal.

No, it isn't. It's only rated to 60C, while the Hubble is rated to 75C.

 

[mkhuffman]

No, it isn't. It's only rated to 60C, while the Hubble is rated to 75C.

Well, heck. It is very robust, though. Not like the cheap $15 ones.

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