An alternate Level 2 EV charging solution

Level 2 Charging.

I’ve been an EV driver for 5 years and knew about Level 1, 2, and 3 chargers, which, oversimplified, are slow to fast charging options. But I’d never heard of a “portable” Level 2 charger and it was a game changer for me.

I live in a “right-to-charge” state, but as a renter my qualification was sketchy at best. I have a dedicated parking space, which is required, but not where a charger could be best installed. And my landlord was not happy about the idea at all.

A question to an AI agent provided the surprising answer. Could I plug directly into a 240V to charge my model EV? This was the first mention of a portable charger I’d run across, as the answer came back that the Kia Niro could not plug directly into a 240V wall receptacle without hardware explicitly built to handle 240V. A compatible Level 2 charging unit or a 240V-rated portable EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) is necessary.

A shared driveway runs along the building and an entrance to the basement area where the washer and dryer assigned to my unit resides. As is true with permanently mounted Level 2 chargers, the portable unit includes a 25 ft cord, which just happens to reach a handy spot in the driveway. A bit of timing coordination with my very accommodating neighbors and I now get to charge at home.

It’s here that I have to add that, while portable units are generally available at same amperage as hard wired units — up to 50 amps — we did not find one to accommodate the NEMA 10-30 plug I had available at more than 32 amps. This is likely a limitation of the plug. The result is that the Kia on the 24 amp unit charges at 5.4 kW rather than the car’s rated 7.2 kW.

The option remains far better than sitting at a Level 3 station for 30+ minutes.

Portable units come with either the older 3-prong NEMA 6-50 or 10-30 (above) or a 4-prong NEMA 14-50 connectors. The NEMA 14-50 is now the common standard in modern electrical codes, but the 3-prong receptacles used by older dryers works just fine for EV charging.

Irrespective of brand, all units come with mountable brackets to hold the charging unit and the cable. However, my basement is shared, the location is awkward and I opted not to modify the building in any way.

There are no rebates available so far as I know for portable chargers, but they are a relative bargain ($300 or less) and don’t require an electrician and his or her price for installation.

So, as a home owner with a 240 volt outlet in or near your garage or near a driveway, or a renter with space to park near an outlet as in my case, a portable unit is very useful and low cost option.

We have this in video form on our YouTube channel. See it here.

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