Good EV home charger - Mustart 40A NEMA 14-50 charger

[dliunatic]

Just thought I'd share another EV charger option. First, let me start by saying I do like the Ford EV mobile charger and the fact that it has interchangeable plugs, but I wanted to get one that supports faster charging speeds / higher amperage so that I can just leave the Ford one in the car and have a dedicated one for home. I have a NEMA 14-50 outlet and wanted to get the most out of it, and not have a hardwired EV charger. Heard a lot about the Chargepoint, Grizzlee, and JuiceBox chargers, but they all were pretty expensive.

Ended up doing a bunch of research (aka Amazon searches) for other options, and landed on the Mustart 40A NEMA 14-50 charger.

Pros:
+ 40A on a NEMA 14-50 outlet so getting some great charging speeds
+ Nice long cable
+ Unlike the other more expensive chargers, it actually has a display on the charger box showing kwh consumed, current, and voltage along with the easy to see status lights
+ Easy plug and unplug from outlet
+ Comes with a nice storage bag
+ Has a nice attached charger plug cover
+ 2 year warranty
+ And most importantly, it's half the price as those other big guys

Cons:
- Cable is pretty thick (but I guess that's durable)
- They suggest not to leave it plugged in all the time (but people still do)

Here's some photos and videos of it, along with my charging experience so far in case anyone is interested. Anyone else got some good EV charger finds?

 

[shutterbug]

Just thought I'd share another EV charger option. First, let me start by saying I do like the Ford EV mobile charger and the fact that it has interchangeable plugs, but I wanted to get one that supports faster charging speeds / higher amperage so that I can just leave the Ford one in the car and have a dedicated one for home. I have a NEMA 14-50 outlet and wanted to get the most out of it, and not have a hardwired EV charger. Heard a lot about the Chargepoint, Grizzlee, and JuiceBox chargers, but they all were pretty expensive.

Ended up doing a bunch of research (aka Amazon searches) for other options, and landed on the Mustart 40A NEMA 14-50 charger.

Pros:
+ 40A on a NEMA 14-50 outlet so getting some great charging speeds
+ Nice long cable
+ Unlike the other more expensive chargers, it actually has a display on the charger box showing kwh consumed, current, and voltage along with the easy to see status lights
+ Easy plug and unplug from outlet
+ Comes with a nice storage bag
+ Has a nice attached charger plug cover
+ 2 year warranty
+ And most importantly, it's half the price as those other big guys

Cons:
- Cable is pretty thick (but I guess that's durable)
- They suggest not to leave it plugged in all the time (but people still do)

Here's some photos and videos of it, along with my charging experience so far in case anyone is interested. Anyone else got some good EV charger finds?

Personally, I would stick with a UL listed EVSE.

 

[generaltso]

I have the Mustart Travelmaster, and I love it. It maxes out at 32 amps, but the interchangeable plugs (and amperage) make it super flexible. I just leave it in the frunk in case I need to charge somewhere with a different type of outlet (like a dryer).

Amazon.com: MUSTART TRAVELMASTER Level 2 Portable EV Charger, 2-Gen, 25ft Cable, Intelligent Plug Identification Auto-Adjusts Maximum Safe Current 15A/25A/32A Electric Vehicle Plug-in Charging Station: Automotive

 

[RetiredDP]

Just thought I'd share another EV charger option. First, let me start by saying I do like the Ford EV mobile charger and the fact that it has interchangeable plugs, but I wanted to get one that supports faster charging speeds / higher amperage so that I can just leave the Ford one in the car and have a dedicated one for home. I have a NEMA 14-50 outlet and wanted to get the most out of it, and not have a hardwired EV charger. Heard a lot about the Chargepoint, Grizzlee, and JuiceBox chargers, but they all were pretty expensive.

Ended up doing a bunch of research (aka Amazon searches) for other options, and landed on the Mustart 40A NEMA 14-50 charger.

Pros:
+ 40A on a NEMA 14-50 outlet so getting some great charging speeds
+ Nice long cable
+ Unlike the other more expensive chargers, it actually has a display on the charger box showing kwh consumed, current, and voltage along with the easy to see status lights
+ Easy plug and unplug from outlet
+ Comes with a nice storage bag
+ Has a nice attached charger plug cover
+ 2 year warranty
+ And most importantly, it's half the price as those other big guys

Cons:
- Cable is pretty thick (but I guess that's durable)
- They suggest not to leave it plugged in all the time (but people still do)

Here's some photos and videos of it, along with my charging experience so far in case anyone is interested. Anyone else got some good EV charger finds?

UL-Certified??? If not, that may be why they're telling you not to leave it plugged-in. BTW, "CE-Certified" is completely bogus...it means that the manufacturer "did their own testing".

 

[RockwallRick]

I’m still using the Ford Mobile EVSE but eventually will replace it for home use on our 240 Nema 14-50 outlet. I like this one better than any of the others that I have seen! Did the hanger come with it?

 

[Kabish]

Not being UL Listed and this from like the second Amazon review would leave me hesitant, granted Amazon reviews are flaky... I personally would rather pay the extra money for the UL Certification to have some peace of mind. I don't always believe in the saying "You get what you pay for" but for something like this, I'd much rather spend the cash.

I do like the LCD screen on the front of it though, allows you to easily see what is happening.

" there is a serious safety issue with this product . It is sold as a 40 amp charger but the cable is only rated for 30 amps. The local electrical safety inspector has IMPOUNDED the charger as being an unsafe product."

 

[Superfly-Vic]

https://www.costco.com/axfast-32amp-level-2-portable-electric-vehicle-charger.product.100540393.html

I got this one from Costco and I love it…
Best sub $500 charger out there

 

[dliunatic]

I’m still using the Ford Mobile EVSE but eventually will replace it for home use on our 240 Nema 14-50 outlet. I like this one better than any of the others that I have seen! Did the hanger come with it?

Nope, that was just a wall mount I was previously using for some other lawn equipment that got repurposed to be my EV charger. Works like a charm though! I think they have a listing that does include a wall mount though if you want to go that route.

UL-Certified??? If not, that may be why they're telling you not to leave it plugged-in. BTW, "CE-Certified" is completely bogus...it means that the manufacturer "did their own testing".

Not being UL Listed and this from like the second Amazon review would leave me hesitant, granted Amazon reviews are flaky... I personally would rather pay the extra money for the UL Certification to have some peace of mind. I don't always believe in the saying "You get what you pay for" but for something like this, I'd much rather spend the cash.

I do like the LCD screen on the front of it though, allows you to easily see what is happening.

" there is a serious safety issue with this product . It is sold as a 40 amp charger but the cable is only rated for 30 amps. The local electrical safety inspector has IMPOUNDED the charger as being an unsafe product."

As for the charger itself, I've had mine now for 6 months and it's working great as my primary home charger. The fact that it's 40A vs the Ford 32A EVSE has been pretty nice as it's a noticeable charge speed increase to me.

Can't speak for some of the negative reviews and I know some folks prefer that UL certification, but the cable is definitely significantly thicker than the one with the Ford EVSE and unit is a nice sturdy build quality for the one I received at least. I had read that they built it to UL standards, but haven't paid for the official certification yet or it was in progress. Dunno how much of that to believe, but it definitely works great for me and seems like there are mostly positive reviews.

 

[DynamiteD]

Ended up doing a bunch of research (aka Amazon searches) for other options, and landed on the Mustart 40A NEMA 14-50 charger.

Hey it has been 9 months how are you still liking the charger?

We live in the Dallas area as well, Little Elm specifically. Are you still getting the "275 mi Charge Target Level at 100%" during these winter months?

We have had our MME Premium RWD standard range battery a little over a week and have not seen the Target Charge Level over 175 MI at 100% charged. We also figured that may be our driving habits or the difference in the extended range.??‍

 

[SnBGC]

Hey it has been 9 months how are you still liking the charger?

We live in the Dallas area as well, Little Elm specifically. Are you still getting the "275 mi Charge Target Level at 100%" during these winter months?

We have had our MME Premium RWD standard range battery a little over a week and have not seen the Target Charge Level over 175 MI at 100% charged. We also figured that may be our driving habits or the difference in the extended range.??‍

You might find this article interesting.
That EVSE has a reputation for melting Charge ports.

 

[RickMachE]

We live in the Dallas area as well, Little Elm specifically. Are you still getting the "275 mi Charge Target Level at 100%" during these winter months?

We have had our MME Premium RWD standard range battery a little over a week and have not seen the Target Charge Level over 175 MI at 100% charged. We also figured that may be our driving habits or the difference in the extended range.??‍

Your figuring is wrong.

There are dozens of posts asking the same question. The first answer is WINTER. Cold weather lowers the range of the car. The second answer is that the range displayed by the GOM (Guess-O-Meter) isn't worth much. What matter is how many miles per kWh you are getting.

My GOM said up to 277 in the summer. It's now showing 163. That's a reduction of 41%.

Have not looked at my miles per kWh in a while, but the other day I drove 25 miles, and the car took 14.74 kWh to charge back up. That's 1.7 miles per kWh. That's also about 40% lower.

 

[dliunatic]

Hey it has been 9 months how are you still liking the charger?

We live in the Dallas area as well, Little Elm specifically. Are you still getting the "275 mi Charge Target Level at 100%" during these winter months?

We have had our MME Premium RWD standard range battery a little over a week and have not seen the Target Charge Level over 175 MI at 100% charged. We also figured that may be our driving habits or the difference in the extended range.??‍

@DynamiteD nice to see another DFWer on the forums! I'm actually pretty close and over in The Colony so probably will see you around! The 40 amp must start charger has been great for me personally. Charges fast and reliably each time. That being said similar to what other folks have mentioned, winter range is definitely a lot less. I just had to reset my battery range recently but currently it's about 240 mi on a full charge. We were seeing up to 300 mi or so during non winter times.

You might find this article interesting.
That EVSE has a reputation for melting Charge ports.

Interesting presentation. Thanks for sharing! The one I have is a 40 amp mustart but actually looks quite different than the one depicted in the presentation. Potentially that's an older model? Mine has been operating completely fine but I do unplug it after every charge from the wall outlet as recommended in the instructions.

 

[Scooby24]

You might find this article interesting.
That EVSE has a reputation for melting Charge ports.

Great post. Don't buy cheap chinese crap when dealing with something that can burn your house down, fry your car or you.

 

[Illinibird]

@DynamiteD nice to see another DFWer on the forums! I'm actually pretty close and over in The Colony so probably will see you around! The 40 amp must start charger has been great for me personally. Charges fast and reliably each time. That being said similar to what other folks have mentioned, winter range is definitely a lot less. I just had to reset my battery range recently but currently it's about 240 mi on a full charge. We were seeing up to 300 mi or so during non winter times.


Interesting presentation. Thanks for sharing! The one I have is a 40 amp mustart but actually looks quite different than the one depicted in the presentation. Potentially that's an older model? Mine has been operating completely fine but I do unplug it after every charge from the wall outlet as recommended in the instructions.

Just bought the same one you have. It is the newer model and shouldn't have the heat problem the older one did. The LED screen shows the temperature of the unit and I'll be watching that to see if it goes too high. I may end up unplugging it after each use too (I know that is what they recommend). EDIT 1-24-2022 Canceled order with Amazon after carefully reading the review on this EVSE. I don't want to risk having a problem; I don't like that they tell you to unplug if it is not being used; and I don't like that it is neither UL or CL certified (messaged them and asked and they replied no they aren't certified). I am now thinking of the Girzzl E charger that is 40,36,24 or 16 amps (set with dip switch internally) as I have a 50 amp GFCI breaker with #6 AWG hot (2) and neutral (1) wires and a #10 AWG ground (1) wire. I'll set it to 40 amp which will charge the car a little faster then the current 32 amp Ford Mobile Charger.

 

[SnBGC]

@DynamiteD nice to see another DFWer on the forums! I'm actually pretty close and over in The Colony so probably will see you around! The 40 amp must start charger has been great for me personally. Charges fast and reliably each time. That being said similar to what other folks have mentioned, winter range is definitely a lot less. I just had to reset my battery range recently but currently it's about 240 mi on a full charge. We were seeing up to 300 mi or so during non winter times.


Interesting presentation. Thanks for sharing! The one I have is a 40 amp mustart but actually looks quite different than the one depicted in the presentation. Potentially that's an older model? Mine has been operating completely fine but I do unplug it after every charge from the wall outlet as recommended in the instructions.

I don't know. Would have to see both J1772 connectors side by side opened up to see if they corrected the issue. ??
The Chinese do like fireworks though......

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