With a small local business designing and installing electric car charging systems, we are often approached by private customers for advice on the selection of this or that equipment. As our customers are interested, new customer reviews are published here based on real customer feedback.
The most common choice of interest is between corded and portable electric car chargers. Both product categories are featured in the buyer’s guide on this site. However, it should be noted that from a professional point of view, a hardwired connection is considered safer. With this type of connection, there is also an advantage in the maximum power allowed (over 40A available in a NEMA 14-50 outlet) of the connected home charger, as opposed to the plug chargers connected through any socket.
The idea of using an existing socket in our own home to connect an EV charger comes to our customers quite often. Our position is that for a temporary connection this is an acceptable solution that allows you to test out EVSE or, rarely, to do some unexpecting charging of a guest’s electric car. There are two types of cables available on the market. One is the popular NEMA 14-50 extension cord, and the other is the J1772 extension cable. A comparison of these different types of cables is described in detail in the review on the website.
Despite the highly developed infrastructure of charging stations, some of our customers are concerned about the risks of being left without the ability to recharge in emergency situations. The solution is portable generators that can slowly but steadily charge an electric vehicle’s depleted battery. It has happened that people have brought in their generators bought by mistake, asking for help in connecting to the Tesla. It’s important to know that not all generators are capable of charging an electric car’s battery. The in-depth guide is devoted to the requirements for generators. A comparison of recommended models is given so you can charge your Tesla by pulling your spare generator out of the trunk.
In the trunk of every new Tesla is a J1772 adapter. This small but useful device allows you to use a J1772 charger connector designed for non-Tesla cars. Does this mean that when choosing a home device for your Tesla you can buy a charger with J1772? Our answer is yes. That said, owners of a Chevy Bolt or Nissan Leaf are showing up among our customers who we’ve helped install a Tesla charging wall box. And the good news for them is that, using the Tesla-to-J1772 adapter, they can easily charge their non-Tesla car. Features of different adapters, their comparison, and recommended models are described in our materials on the website.