Many people ask this question and the answer is yes, all EV chargers are the same. There are two different types of charger that can be used to charge an electric vehicle. They are called level 1 and level 2 chargers. Level one chargers require a regular home outlet for power while level 2 chargers use 400-480 volts which would need to come from special equipment installed at your house or business. This means you are able to charge your car much faster using a level 2 chargers.

At first, all electric vehicles were only designed to use level one chargers but now most manufacturers offer an option for installing a level two charger at home or work.

What does Level 2 EV charging mean? Level 2 chargers are also known as 240-volt fast chargers, and they can charge an electric car in about 30 minutes. They offer a substantial time-saving advantage over Level 1 or 120-volt “level one” chargers which take around 4 hours to fully recharge your vehicle’s battery. So the question is: Is it worth spending the extra money on a Level 2 charger if you have a Level 1 outlet at home?

There are a few things to consider. Level one chargers come with the purchase of many electric vehicles, so you should double-check with your manufacturer about what type of charger they provide and whether or not this is included in the price. If it’s not, there will be an additional cost for installation as well. The good news? We stock a whole range of level 2 ev chargers.

There are three different types of EV charging plugs that you can use to charge your electric vehicle. What is the difference between them? The first type of plug, called a Type 1, is used by most cars and trucks made in North America. This is also known as an SAE J1772 connector. It looks like this:

The second type of plug, known as a Type 2 or Mennekes connector, is used by many Asian brands such as Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

Lastly there’s the Tesla Supercharger which allows for high-speed charging – delivering up to 120 kW from a single car charger with no reduction in battery performance or capacity over time.

Yes, all US electric and plug-in hybrid cars use a Type 1 connector. This is sometimes referred to as an SAE J1772. The Type 1 (SAE JA772) plugs support Level 1 and Level 2 charging standards. Using our EV chargers you will be able to charge all Electric cars and Plug Hybrids including Ford, Tesla, Nissan and Mercedes.

No.  Cars accept any EV chargers irrespective of source.  Many car manufacturers in fact recommend the use of 3rd party or the purchase of more powerful level 2 EV chargers

It is a smaller footprint, lighter and not affixed to a wall.  It can be moved if you your circumstance change or you seek to charge from a different location.

Yes, both offer maximum charging speeds of 40amp or 9.6 kWh.

Yes, portable EV chargers are available as 120-volt level 1 or 240 volt level 2 EV Chargers.

They generally cannot be hardwired directly into the circuit breaker so a 48 amp charge is not possible.  Most are not ‘smart’ providing charging data or connectivity, but most car manufacturers provide that via their app.

Yes, most portable EV chargers have an IP66 or IP67 waterproof rating.  The connector head that plugs into your car is IP55 and that is the weakest electrical link.  We recommend magnetic or other waterproofing of the charger head to prevent water ingress.

1. Generally a smaller footprint
2. Longer EV charging cables 
3. Flexibility to move more easily (if you rent, plan to move, stay at other residences)
4. No direct hardwiring into the circuit breaker required and so easier to relocate
5. Simpler EV charging solution

1. NEMA 5-15 (residential plug type) 6-8 miles per hour of charging
2. NEMA 14-30 (electric dryer plug type) Up to 15 miles per hour of charging