The most important decision an electric vehicle owner needs to make—after choosing which EV to buy, of course—is which home charger is the best for their needs. If you're currently trying to figure out which EV charger is the best, you've come to the right place.
What you're about to read is a little different from the average "Best EV Chargers" list you might find on any EV publication or tech website, which often just aggregates reviews from other sources without doing any independent testing at all. Here at InsideEVs and for my channel, State of Charge, I actually do extensive testing on these chargers myself.
Unlike other outlets, I put the chargers through a variety of torture tests and use them for a couple of weeks before I score them with my unique ChargerRater point-based rating system. Nobody takes testing, reviewing, and rating EV charging equipment as seriously as I do.
There is no best charger for everyone; no one size fits all. But after my extensive testing, these are the top EV chargers I recommend you check out, if you're in the market for one this year.
Here are my seven picks for the best EV chargers of 2024, in rough order of preference.
1) Emporia 48-amp
Emporia entered the EV charger scene in 2022 with a high-quality, yet low-cost 48-amp EV charger. Offered for $399.00, it was the least expensive 48-amp WiFi-connected smart charger that was safety certified.
It quickly became one of my top recommendations, based on everything it had to offer for under $400.00. There haven't been many changes since its introduction, but now you can order the Emporia with either a J1772 connector or the new North American charging standard (NACS) connector.
The Emporia scored 99 on our ChargerRater (which ties it for the highest score ever) and you can view the full review here on InsideEVs.
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2) ChargePoint Home Flex
The ChargePoint Home Flex is the second generation of ChargePoint Home chargers. Available since 2019, the Home Flex has been one of the top-selling EV chargers for the past five years.
The Home Flex is available as a plug-in unit that can deliver up to 40 amps, or it can deliver up to 48 amps when hardwired. It's a WIFI-connected smart charger that is Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant compatible and has the best cold-weather cable I have ever tested, making it a good choice for outdoor installations in cold weather climates.
ChargePoint recently lowered the price significantly, and the NEMA 14-50 plug-in version is now $599.00, down from $699.00, making it an even better choice than before.
Check out the full review on InsideEVs.
Note: ChargePoint advertises the Home Flex as a 50-amp charger, but I've found that to be misleading. That's because an electric device with a continuous load (three hours of continuous use or more) that delivers 50 amps requires a no. 4 wire. However, the Home Flex cannot accept no. 4 AWG. The thickest wire it can accept is no. 6, which, according to the National Electric Code is only good for a 48-amp continuous load.
The two fewer amps are not a big deal charging-wise, but you should know this should be marketed as a 48-amp unit, not 50.
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3) Tesla Universal Wall Connector
The Tesla Universal Wall Connector is a very unique 48 amp unit and can do something that no other EV charger currently can. It can charge any EV sold in North America without needing an adapter. That's because Tesla developed what they call a "Magic Dock."
The Magic Dock is a built-in J1772 adapter that remains tethered to the charger when you remove the Tesla (NACS) connector. However, when you need to charge a J1772-equipped EV (most non-Tesla EVs), you press a button on the Magic Dock and the J1772 adapter pulls out of the charger, tethered to the NACS connector.
In other words, it's designed to work with everything, not just Tesla's EVs.
The Universal Wall Connector is also bi-directional capable, and when paired with the Tesla Cybertruck, can accept power from the Cybertruck to power your home when needed.
I should mention that the regular Tesla Wall Connector is also a very good charger and should be considered if you don't need the Magic Dock or bi-directional power features.
Tesla Universal Wall Connector costs $620.00 and you can check out our full InsideEVs review.
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4) Wallbox Pulsar Plus 48
The Wallbox Pulsar Plus is available in either 40 amp or 48 amp varieties. While both are very good options, I included the 48 amp version in my top picks because, for only $50.00 more, you can have the full 48-amp version at your disposal.
The Wallbox Pulsar Plus is a compact charger, the smallest 48 amp unit I've ever tested. But don't let the size fool you. It's packed with many smart charging features, it has a sturdy NEMA-4 enclosure, and it can power share with up to 25 other units, making it ideal for apartment complexes or outer multi-family dwellings.
Individuals can also hook up two Pulsar Plus units to one circuit and they will intelligently share power and not overload the circuit. That's great for two-EV households that cannot add another circuit because their electric panel is already maxed out.
The Pulsar Plus 48 costs $699.00, making it the most expensive charger on my list, but it does offer a lot. Check out the full 48-amp Pulsar Plus review on InsideEVs.
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5) Autel MaxiCharger Lite 50
Autel offers its MaxiCharger in 40-amp and 50-amp versions. It also has an Elite model as well as the Lite model which I selected as a top pick. The 50 amp Elite costs $130.00 more than the 50 amp Lite and offers very little functional difference, which is why I recommend getting the 50 amp Lite and saving the cash.
All versions of the MaxiCharger are smart chargers with tons of features and a good app to control the unit and view charging data. Like all of the chargers on my top pick list, it's safety-certified and Energy Star-rated. It's the only charger that allows you to choose either an integrated connector holster or a remote one that you can install anywhere in the garage.
At $569.009 it's reasonably priced for what it offers. Check out the full InsideEVs review for the Autel MaxiCharger Lite.
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6) EVIQO EVPOWER 48
The EVIQO EVPower 48 amp EV charger is a newcomer this year. Even though it's the company's first offering, it's a very solid unit at a great price. At $399.00, it competes with the other chargers on my list here that cost hundreds more.
It's a compact unit with a sturdy NEMA4 enclosure and a long 25-foot cable. One thing I didn't like about the EVpower is that the standard warranty is only two-years. All of the other chargers on this list have a 3-year warranty with the exception being the Tesla Universal Wall Connector, which has a four-year warranty.
EVIQO does offer a third year for free if the customer posts a review about the charger, but I don't believe that should be necessary to get the industry-standard three-years of coverage.
Check out my full review video for the EVIQO EVpower 48-amp EV charger.
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7) Grizzl-E Smart
The Grizzl-E Smart is made in Canada by United Chargers. There's also a non-smart version called the Grizzl-E Classic, which sells for $349.99. Both the Grizzl-E Classic and the Grizzl-E Smart are 40-amp chargers, so they offer a little less power than the other units on the list.
However, for most EV owners who charge overnight at home, the extra eight amps won't be an issue. Grizzl-E chargers sport an extremely durable aluminum outer casing that is IP67-rated for extreme weather, making them an excellent choice for outdoor installations as well as for public use because they can withstand a lot of abuse.
Check out my full review of the Grizzl-E Smart EV charger.
One thing I'd like to point out is that many of the 48 amp chargers on the market today, including some of those on this list, come with a NEMA 14-50 plug attached. If you use them with the plug, they can only deliver 40 amps by the National Electric Code.
If you want the charger to deliver the full 48 amps it is capable of, you need to have your electrician hardwire them. I recommend hardwiring your EV charging equipment regardless of its power output simply because it's a better way to charge by eliminating a potential point of failure.
If you use a NEMA 14-50 outlet and a plug-in unit, make certain it's a high-quality outlet, or you're likely to experience problems as I recently highlighted in my How To Safely Charge Your EV article.
When you're charging your EV, the charging equipment is pulling a lot of power - most likely more power than the rest of your house is using and you do so for many continuous hours, sometimes every night of the week. Hardwiring your charger, when done by an experienced licensed professional like Qmerit, is a safer way to charge your EV.
What home charger do you use? Let us know in the comments.
