One of the joys of owning an electric vehicle is that you can charge at your convenience by installing a home charger. It allows you to charge when you want and for how long you want. However, to enjoy the home charging experience, you need to have selected the best charger that suits your needs.
In this article, we have rounded up the best Level 2 chargers you can get in the US.
Siemens VersiCharge Home Charger
Siemens offers the VersiCharger in three variants; Hardwire, Universal, and Smart Grid. As the name suggests, the Hardwire must be wired into the electrical panel, meaning it has to be fixed in one place. However, it is the least costly of all three.
The Universal variant is mobile and can be carried around, making it more flexible than the Hardwire. The Smart Grid is only an upgraded version of the Universal, spotting a WiFi connection to allow your Android or iOS device to control it remotely.
Whichever variant you select supplies 7.2 kW to your car. However, the Universal and Smart Grid have 20-foot long cables, six feet longer than the Hardwire.
These chargers work with any car that uses the J1772 plug and also Tesla cars with an adapter. You will get a three-year warranty.
JuiceBox Smart EV Charger
The JuiceBox also has three variants but with different power supply capacities. A 32 amp version supplies 7.7 kW, while a 40 amp version supplies 9.6 kW. The third version, 48 amp, gives 11.5 kW to your electric vehicle.
The 48 amp version comes as hardwired only, while the other two could be plug-in or hardwired. Each of them comes with a 25-foot cable.
All variants of the JuiceBox are WiFi-enabled, meaning you can schedule charging from a mobile app or website. You can also monitor metering, receive notifications and control the LED charging light indicators. With integration with Amazon Echo/Alexa and Google Home, you can use voice input to control your charger.
These chargers will charge any electric car, including Teslas but with an adapter. They are weatherproof and dust-tight.
Pulsar Plus EV Charger
Pulsar has tried to miniaturize the Pulsar Plus, making it as unobtrusive as possible. However, the small size does not affect its performance as it can supply 40 amps of power through a 25-foot charging cable.
The model has WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity to allow you to monitor things remotely. You can schedule your charging to off-peak periods and get notifications.
The Pulsar Plus has in-built power management that lets you connect two of the charger to the same electrical circuit.
Bosch EV Charger
With Bosch, you are in tested and trusted hands. The brand is quite high-end, but you will appreciate the compact and sleek design that can work indoors and outdoors.
Bosch gives the options of plug-in and hardwire, with the former spotting a NEMA 6-50 plug.
A thermal sensor makes sure the charger never overheats, and LEDs indicate the charging and power status. Bosch offers a three-year warranty on its EVSE.
