The market for electric vehicles has really taken off in the past few years, and with some rumors of government bans on traditional internal combustion engines in a decade or so, we’re likely to see EVs take off even more. Of course, if you already have one, then you’ll likely need to car charger it, and there are a lot of great car charger options out there. Some of them can be pricey, especially if you want to get a level 2 charger for faster charging, but we’ve done our best to find a collection of good deals across several budgets.
Seguma 16Amp Level 1/2 EV Charger — $115, was $150
If you need a more basic charger, this Level one and two charger from Seguma is a solid option and can deliver 16 amps and 3.84kW, which is pretty substantial. It also comes with a NEMA 6-20 plug and a standardized J1772 connector, which should work on most EV vehicles out there except for Tesla, which has its own connector. There are also some intelligent charging features, which include things such as protection against things like under and over voltage, leakage, and lighting, and it has an automatic cut-off when your EV is fully charged.
Godaig Level 1+2 EV Charger — $120, was $160
Another great budget option, the Godaig, is a 16-amp 110V-240V EV charger that will work great for anybody who plans to charge their EV overnight and who doesn’t necessarily need faster charging. It has a 25-foot cable, so you don’t have to worry about park orientation in your garage, and if you put it outside in a driveway, it should reach your car easily. The same goes for the installation, at least for Level 1, and the screen on the charger gives you a lot of great info right there rather than having to pull out an app to check.
Aimiler Level 2 EV Charger — $225, was $250
If you need something a bit more powerful that also doesn’t break the bank, then you may want to consider this 32-amp charger from Aimiler. It has a NEMA 14-50 plug, and a 25-foot cable, meaning it should be easy to get it where you need it, and the provided app gives you the option to delay the charging of your EV for when electricity is cheapest, which is a nice addition. If you don’t want to use the app, it also has an LED touchscreen where you can control it and that tells you all the pertinent information, such as charge speed and remaining time.
Mustart Level 2 EV Charger — $279, was $299
While this Mustart EV charger doesn’t have a large discount on it, it’s probably one of the cheapest 40-amp EV chargers you’re going to find. It’s not going to be as easy a setup unless you already have a 240-volt outlet, but if you do, then you’ll be able to connect everything up pretty quickly. The 25-foot cable should be more than enough for most uses, whether indoor or outdoor, and the screen on the charger gives you a ton of useful information to keep track of your charging.
Wolfbox 50 Amp Level 2 EV Charer — $379, was $499
If you need something with a little bit more oomph, then this impressive 50-amp charger from Wolfbox is a solid option, although you should be aware that this is hardwired, so it needs installation by somebody who has experience. It’s been CSA certified and works with all SAE J1772-type connectors plus the cable itself is 25 feet long, so there’s more than enough for you to move it around a two-car garage. There’s also a great 4.7-inch screen that gives you a bunch of information, or you can connect through your phone using Bluetooth, so you don’t have to constantly come in and look at it whenever you want to check it.
Autel Home Level 2 EV Charger — $400, was $470
The Autel Home Level 2 EV Charger is a 240-volt, 40-amp charger that’s packed with a lot of features, and the NEMA 14-50 Plug makes it easy to use on most EVs out there. It’s up to seven times faster than your standard wall outlet, which is great, and it even has an adjustable amperage from 40A all the way down to 16A. Installation is also pretty easy if you already have a NEMA 14-50 receptacle since it can connect right to it in about five minutes, while the connected app lets you set the time and charge rate so that you can only charge when electricity is cheapest. Just be aware that you can only get this discount with a Prime membership.
How to choose an electric car charger
There’s a lot to consider when shopping for an electric car charger. If you use your electric vehicle as your main mode of transportation, you’ll probably want to find yourself a charger that can get it charged back up in the fastest amount of time possible. Level 2 chargers are good in this regard, as they offer much faster charge times than standard EV chargers.
Something else to consider is how much modern smarts you want in your EV charger. The more affordable EV chargers offer great charging features, but there are a lot of EV chargers out there that come with wifi connectivity. This allows them to connect to many of the best EV charging station apps. With connectivity like this you can control your charger with voice commands and even monitor its status while it’s charging. You can also set your app up for notifications when your vehicle is charged up, among other things.
But if you have an electric vehicle or are considering purchasing one, the bottom line when it comes to EV chargers is that you need one. You’ll be able to find something that suits your budget pretty easily when it comes to purchasing an EV charger. Budget options are available, particularly with the deals mentioned above, and the more you have to spend, the faster and more convenient charger you’ll be able to land.