What Are The Best EV Chargers in Canada?
The Home Flex Level 2 EV Charger is the latest of ChargePoint’s home charging stations. As a Level 2 charger, it will charge your EV efficiently. It offers Wi-Fi connectivity and a range of convenient smart features, including scheduled charging and voice control.
In terms of changing capacity, the charger is highly flexible and can be set from 16 to 50 amps. At 50 amps, you’ll be able to add about 60 km of range per hour to your vehicle. With a J-plug connector, the Home Flex can charge pretty much any EV sold in Canada.
What’s also great about the ChargePoint Home Flex is that most public charging stations across Canada are powered by ChargePoint, so there is a minimal learning curve to this charger.
In terms of disadvantages, I was disappointed to learn that the charger doesn’t allow for power-sharing. This means you cannot install two Home Flex chargers on the same circuit.
Why it’s great
- Suitable for Canadian weather
- Universally compatible with all EV models
- Comes with an app & convenient smart features
What can be improved
- Can only charge one EV per account
- Lacks NEMA 4 rating (not as suitable for heavy rain)
The Grizzl-E charger is a great choice if you’re looking for a basic but reliable EV charger. It’s made in Canada and you can tell by the quality and durability of its components. The charger is designed to stand up to our challenging weather conditions. It has a water and fire-resistant construction and built-in GFCI protection.
The Grizzle-E is also a more budget-friendly option, costing you around $500 with minimal installation required. With a J-plug connector, it’s compatible with all EVs in Canada.
While it may lack smart features, it excels as a heavy-duty Level 2 charger, offering adjustable amperage settings from 16 to 40 amps, making it versatile for various charging needs. Its straightforward design is more basic than most, but it’s highly rated for its rugged performance, adding up to 40 kilometers of range per hour at its max 40-amp capacity.
The main downside of the Grizzle-E is that it doesn’t have a power switch. This means you’ll have to disconnect the cable or flip the breaker switch to turn it off.
Why it’s great
- Fire and weather-resistant (has NEMA 4 rating)
- Allows for power-sharing
- Comes with a 3-year warranty
- Made in Canada
What can be improved
- No app or smart features
- No power switch (must disconnect the cable to turn off)
The Autel MaxiCharger is another excellent Level 2 home EV charger that’s Wi-Fi enabled. With 12kW and up to 50 amps, the charger is highly efficient. Costing around $900, the MaxiCharger is an excellent value for what you get.
The charger can be controlled using Autel Charge app which gives you access to some solid smart features. For example, you can manage and schedule your charging needs remotely or by voice commands (using Google or Alexa). Best of all, you can even track the cost of charging your vehicle over time.
In terms of charging capacity, the Maxicharger has a power output range of 6 amps to as high as 50 amps. At 50 amps, you can expect to add about 60 kilometers to your vehicle per hour.
The unit comes with a 25-foot cable, which will give you a wider range of installation options. With NEMA 4X protection, it’s suitable for outdoor use in Canada’s unpredictable and harsh weather conditions. The only downside is that the cable is quite stiff in cold weather.
Why it’s great
- Excellent value
- Comes with an app & useful smart features
- Extra long charging cable (25 feet)
- Comes with a 3-year warranty
What can be improved
- Charging cable is quite stiff (especially in cold weather)
If you’re looking for a simple and budget-friendly home EV charger, look no further. Costing under $600, the Emporia Level 2 EV Charger is one of the cheapest in Canada. Despite its lower price point, it still offers a lot of the same features are high-priced EV chargers (without a fancy design). For example, it comes with the Emporia app that lets you monitor your energy usage, schedule your charging sessions, and more. The app can be accessed through a smartphone or even on a web browser.
In terms of charging efficiency, it offers adjustable amperage settings from 6 to 48 amps, making it suitable for various charging needs. With a J-plug connector, the Emporia is compatible with most EVs in Canada.
With a NEMA 4 enclosure, the charger can be safely installed indoors or outdoors in Canada. Unlike some charging cables, the cable remains flexible even in cold weather.
The main drawback of the Empora EV charger is the design of the connector holster. The connector connects facings upwards and is not easy to grab onto and remove.
Why it’s great
- Budget-friendly at under $600
- Offers Wi-Fi connectivity & decent range of smart features
- Flexible charging cable, even in cold weather
- Comes with a 3-year warranty
What can be improved
- Not the most modern in terms of design
- Connector holster is poorly designed and not ergonomic to handle
If you’re looking for a simple and budget-friendly home EV charger, look no further. Costing under $600, the Emporia Level 2 EV Charger is one of the cheapest in Canada. Despite its lower price point, it still offers a lot of the same features are high-priced EV chargers (without a fancy design). For example, it comes with the Emporia app that lets you monitor your energy usage, schedule your charging sessions, and more. The app can be accessed through a smartphone or even on a web browser.
In terms of charging efficiency, it offers adjustable amperage settings from 6 to 48 amps, making it suitable for various charging needs. With a J-plug connector, the Emporia is compatible with most EVs in Canada.
With a NEMA 4 enclosure, the charger can be safely installed indoors or outdoors in Canada. Unlike some charging cables, the cable remains flexible even in cold weather.
The main drawback of the Empora EV charger is the design of the connector holster. The connector connects facings upwards and is not easy to grab onto and remove.
Why it’s great
- Budget-friendly at under $600
- Offers Wi-Fi connectivity & decent range of smart features
- Flexible charging cable, even in cold weather
- Comes with a 3-year warranty
What can be improved
- Not the most modern in terms of design
- Connector holster is poorly designed and not ergonomic to handle
