Recommendations for an affordable 24A portable charger?

[RetiredDP]

You might want to look at the Autel MaxiCharger. Currently available on Amazon with a 10% discount, which comes to $503 plus tax. It'll do 40-32-24-16 amps, software selectable. My Alpha charger (uses the Grizzl-E motherboard, same mfgr.) kept shutting down in high ambient heat of 90° or higher. The Autel unit, also a smart charger, is rated to 135°. It has a big heat-sink on the back to shed heat.

And an update!!! Enter the Option Code AUTELSAVE20 in your Amazon checkout page, and get a 20% discount. Takes the price down to about $447! This took effect TODAY (8-25-22).

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[awp0]

And an update!!! Enter the Option Code AUTELSAVE20 in your Amazon checkout page, and get a 20% discount. Takes the price down to about $447! This took effect TODAY (8-25-22).

Looks like a good option for a selectable amperage charger that goes up to 40A. Thanks!!

 

[Maquis]

Bike:

Sorta, but sorta not. The key is the EVSE has to be set to match the NEC approved output of the circuit it's plugged into, and then it sends what's known as a Pilot Signal to the OBC. I doubt you'll ever see an OBC able to be user configured to pull whatever with a matching EVSE that was passive. The entire J1772 standard just doesn't work like that.

It could call for anything below the EVSE, and can of course call for times.

That’s not correct. Ford is one of the few manufacturers that doesn’t allow a user-selected charge rate in the car.

 

[i8iridium]

I'm a fan of the stock Tesla Gen 2 Mobile connector. It can be had on ebay for around $200 and then you can get whatever extra nema adaptors you need. It'll auto switch to whatever max amps of the connector you use. Of course you need a Tesla to J1772 adaptor as well, though that should already be in your charging toolbox. Another pro is it doesn't overheat like the ford one ?

Specs: https://www.tesla.com/support/home-charging-installation/mobile-connector

 

[kennethjk]

You might want to look at the Autel MaxiCharger. Currently available on Amazon with a 10% discount, which comes to $503 plus tax. It'll do 40-32-24-16 amps, software selectable. My Alpha charger (uses the Grizzl-E motherboard, same mfgr.) kept shutting down in high ambient heat of 90° or higher. The Autel unit, also a smart charger, is rated to 135°. It has a big heat-sink on the back to shed heat.

I’ve been looking at the Autel. It seems not to be UL certified.

 

[awp0]

I'm a fan of the stock Tesla Gen 2 Mobile connector. It can be had on ebay for around $200 and then you can get whatever extra nema adaptors you need. It'll auto switch to whatever max amps of the connector you use. Of course you need a Tesla to J1772 adaptor as well, though that should already be in your charging toolbox. Another pro is it doesn't overheat like the ford one ?

Specs: https://www.tesla.com/support/home-charging-installation/mobile-connector

Very interesting, thanks!! I do in fact have the Lutron Tesla-J1772 adapter already (though I haven't actually used it yet). That setup looks pretty sweet, especially with the kit of pigtails and auto-amperage switching.

 

[MachLovin]

This is great. Thanks guys! Sounds like I should take a serious look at the Grizzl-e.

Heres a quick article Car and Driver did for the EVSE's.

I have a Juice Box 40 and I love it.

 

[dafish]

That’s not correct. Ford is one of the few manufacturers that doesn’t allow a user-selected charge rate in the car.

There is no J1772 compliant vehicle on the planet that can exceed the current level set by the EVSE pilot signal/negotiation. The OBC can, at best, elect an amount equal to or below that level. At a guess perhaps you're interpreting the ability of some cars to enter a requested rate as the arbiter. It is not. Again, the OBC may not ever draw more current then the EVSE pilot signal and associated negotiation. Equal to or less.

Ergo regardless of what Ford or somebody else does (or does not) allow for cabin settings of the OBC, the OBC cannot (and will not) exceed the EVSE capability.

Converely an EVSE can, assuming it's capable, be set to whatever value the circuit it's connected to can tolerate. That then becomes the new maximum value the OBC may draw.

These rules are why J1172 EVSE's are interchangable from vehicle to vehicle.

 

[Maquis]

There is no J1772 compliant vehicle on the planet that can exceed the current level set by the EVSE pilot signal/negotiation. The OBC can, at best, elect an amount equal to or below that level. At a guess perhaps you're interpreting the ability of some cars to enter a requested rate as the arbiter. It is not. Again, the OBC may not ever draw more current then the EVSE pilot signal and associated negotiation. Equal to or less.

Ergo regardless of what Ford or somebody else does (or does not) allow for cabin settings of the OBC, the OBC cannot (and will not) exceed the EVSE capability.

Converely an EVSE can, assuming it's capable, be set to whatever value the circuit it's connected to can tolerate. That then becomes the new maximum value the OBC may draw.

These rules are why J1172 EVSE's are interchangable from vehicle to vehicle.

I know that. But many allow you set a lower rate than the EVSE’s rating. Geez….

 

[RetiredDP]

And an update!!! Enter the Option Code AUTELSAVE20 in your Amazon checkout page, and get a 20% discount. Takes the price down to about $447! This took effect TODAY (8-25-22).

New update: Amazon price $475.15 for the next TWO days only (starting 8-26-22)...(15% off). I lucked out and bought mine yesterday at 20% off, after cancelling the shipment for the one I bought two days ago at 10% off...ain't Amazon grand?

 

[awp0]

New update: Amazon price $475.15 for the next TWO days only...

Thanks! Sounds like the price. ounces around on this one. It seems like a good deal, but I'm having a little trouble wrapping my head around safety certifications. Some products are "UL Listed", which generally only comes with more expensive units, and I believe it's the safest option (?) .

This one states (in the Q&A): "The entire Autel ev charger is CSA certified, which is UL compliant." Is that wording that I should trust, or is it just trying to talk around the fact that it's not UL Listed?

 

[RetiredDP]

Thanks! Sounds like the price. ounces around on this one. It seems like a good deal, but I'm having a little trouble wrapping my head around safety certifications. Some products are "UL Listed", which generally only comes with more expensive units, and I believe it's the safest option (?) .

This one states (in the Q&A): "The entire Autel ev charger is CSA certified, which is UL compliant." Is that wording that I should trust, or is it just trying to talk around the fact that it's not UL Listed?

I read somewhere that CSA certification is a little stricter than UL, and takes less time to get. Less bureaucracy or backlog in Canada than the U.S.?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSA_Group

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