Why is EVSE so expensive?

[bshaw]

Your two statements don't tie.

I get that the Grizzl-e was less than the difference in price.

But your final statement doesn't match up.

And yes, as stated, the 30% credit is back.

Apologies, I did not mean to include that text above the quote. I will fix it now to clarify and not be contradictory.

Sponsored

 

[DYohn]

As someone who deals with construction projects every day, I can confirm that the cost of a typical home ESVE is not expensive at all. Indeed, they are likely selling at a loss.

 

[superdave80]

Probably the same reason a Hubbell NEMA 14-50 receptacle was going for over $150 on Amazon earlier this year, whereas 5+ years ago they would only cost $50. They went up dramatically after Tesla started recommending them for home installs.

Wow, only Tesla owners would pay $150 for a $10 part just because Lord Musk said so...

 

[mkhuffman]

Does it still sell for $250? If so, this tells me that ChargePoint can charge (charge?) $700 for theirs just like Apple can charge $1000+ for an iPhone. People will pay it.

It appears that product is not UL Listed, which could explain some of the cost difference. Also, higher current EVSEs definitely cost more, as expected. This one is only 32 Amps, the same as the Ford portable EVSE (which is a piece of crap IMO).

I don't think most of the difference is marketing (i.e. Apple), but definitely marketing is included in the cost of selling a product. And that company probably has a very small marketing budget based on their web site.

 

[4sallypat]

Emporia was not UL certified six months ago.

Correct, when I ordered mine in June 2022, I had a choice between the non UL ($399) and UL version ($449).

$50 difference, so I chose the UL version for $449.

From my discussion with Emporia, the non UL version is the same exact parts as the UL version, just not certified version off the assembly line.

 

[dj_stang]

I would say materials, tooling, R&D, and of course certification fees. Then they usually build in their profit margin which is usually around 3 times the cost of the unit. Gotta pay people's salaries too. For example the Grizzl-e chargers are "Made in Canada" (with what I assume is globally sourced parts) so the product has to sustain a staff.

There is also some liability in these products - if they sell you a cheap junky charger that bursts into flames, then they are going to get sued.

Nitpick but its nice that they actually source the chips from Canada too.

 

[1969Mach1Mike]

I would say materials, tooling, R&D, and of course certification fees. Then they usually build in their profit margin which is usually around 3 times the cost of the unit. Gotta pay people's salaries too. For example the Grizzl-e chargers are "Made in Canada" (with what I assume is globally sourced parts) so the product has to sustain a staff.

There is also some liability in these products - if they sell you a cheap junky charger that bursts into flames, then they are going to get sued.

Correct. Certifications are not cheap. Plus, they have to fund the next version of the products as well.

 

[Triggerhappy007]

Wow, only Tesla owners would pay $150 for a $10 part just because Lord Musk said so...

It's not a $10 part, you're paying for an industrial quality part. You don't have to pay $150 though. Get a Bryant from Grainger for $50. Don't get a $10 14-50 outlet from Lowe's/HD. Those cheap commercial outlet were not made to pull 40A continuously for 6+ hours.

 

[breeves002]

UL certification is expensive

And an absolute SCAM a lot of times.

 

[breeves002]

Those cheap commercial outlet were not made to pull 40A continuously for 6+ hours.

It's odd because with them being rated 50A you'd expect it to be designed to pull 40A continuously....Sucks they're junk.

 

[DYohn]

And an absolute SCAM a lot of times.

Scam or no, try collecting from your insurance company if you use a non-listed device (or wire) in your home and it causes a fire.

 

[superdave80]

It's not a $10 part, you're paying for an industrial quality part. You don't have to pay $150 though. Get a Bryant from Grainger for $50. Don't get a $10 14-50 outlet from Lowe's/HD. Those cheap commercial outlet were not made to pull 40A continuously for 6+ hours.

The one I got works fine. I don't see any spec differences between the Hubbell and the $10 version. So, other than the price, what makes one 'industrial' vs. 'non-industrial'?

The cheap one had a spec showing it can accept 40 amps continuous, and 50 amps for up to four hours. Are there even any plug-in portable chargers that exceed 40 amps? The Ford mobile maxes out at 32 amps.

 

[theo1000]

It's not a $10 part, you're paying for an industrial quality part. You don't have to pay $150 though. Get a Bryant from Grainger for $50. Don't get a $10 14-50 outlet from Lowe's/HD. Those cheap commercial outlet were not made to pull 40A continuously for 6+ hours.

Wait what! Thats what I have and have used for decades. Never an issue. I do make sure I have solar grade circuit breaker, couple of bucks more but it is a simple $10 Nema 14-50R outlet from lowes.

They are industrial grade and rated for dryers and washing machines which in my house run 20 hours a day, way more than the EVSE, ever!!

This is sort of mission creep is unnecessary and needlessly causes cost escalation.

TBH if TSLA says so, I do the exact opposite, been a good strategy...

 

[VirgilBoy21MME]

Nitpick but its nice that they actually source the chips from Canada too.

Nice bit of information from that video. I chose the Grizzl-E because it's made close to home at a reasonable price.

 

[Triggerhappy007]

The one I got works fine. I don't see any spec differences between the Hubbell and the $10 version. So, other than the price, what makes one 'industrial' vs. 'non-industrial'?

The cheap one had a spec showing it can accept 40 amps continuous, and 50 amps for up to four hours. Are there even any plug-in portable chargers that exceed 40 amps? The Ford mobile maxes out at 32 amps.

It's much beefier, see the comparison:

https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/master-thread-definitive-14-50-nema-outlet-guide.140694/

https://www.google.com/search?q=14-...-us-revc&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#ip=1

Sponsored