A home EV charger is the single best upgrade for any electric vehicle owner. Level 2 chargers deliver 25–40 miles of range per hour — a full overnight charge every night. Paired with solar panels, you can fuel your car with free sunshine.
8 EV chargers reviewed
Best for: Plug-in hybrids or supplemental top-up charging
Best for: Primary home charging for any EV — the sweet spot
Best for: Commercial fleets or multi-unit residential
The Inflation Reduction Act Section 30C provides a 30% tax credit (up to $1,000 for residential) on the cost of purchasing and installing a home EV charger. The charger must be installed in an eligible census tract. Many utilities also offer rebates of $200–$500 for smart charger installation.
ChargePoint
Power
12 kW
Amperage
50A
Connector
J1772
Cable
7m
Plug
NEMA 14-50
Warranty
3 yr
Smart
WiFi / App
ENERGY STAR
Yes
Wallbox
Power
11.5 kW
Amperage
48A
Connector
J1772
Cable
7.6m
Plug
hardwired
Warranty
3 yr
Smart
WiFi / App
ENERGY STAR
Yes
Tesla
Power
11.5 kW
Amperage
48A
Connector
NACS
Cable
7.3m
Plug
hardwired
Warranty
4 yr
Smart
WiFi / App
Grizzl-E
Power
9.6 kW
Amperage
40A
Connector
J1772
Cable
7.3m
Plug
NEMA 14-50
Warranty
3 yr
Emporia
Power
11.5 kW
Amperage
48A
Connector
J1772
Cable
7.3m
Plug
NEMA 14-50
Warranty
3 yr
Smart
WiFi / App
ENERGY STAR
Yes
Enel X Way
Power
11.5 kW
Amperage
48A
Connector
J1772
Cable
7.6m
Plug
NEMA 14-50
Warranty
3 yr
Smart
WiFi / App
ENERGY STAR
Yes
Lectron
Power
11.5 kW
Amperage
48A
Connector
J1772
Cable
6.1m
Plug
NEMA 14-50
Warranty
2 yr
Smart
WiFi / App
Autel
Power
12 kW
Amperage
50A
Connector
J1772
Cable
7.6m
Plug
NEMA 14-50
Warranty
3 yr
Smart
WiFi / App
ENERGY STAR
Yes
Level 1 uses a standard 120V household outlet and delivers 3–5 miles of range per hour — fine for plug-in hybrids but painfully slow for a full EV. Level 2 uses a 240V circuit (like a dryer outlet) and delivers 25–40 miles per hour, fully charging most EVs overnight. For daily driving, Level 2 is the standard recommendation.
Most 48A chargers require a 60A dedicated breaker (NEC 80% rule: 48A continuous load needs a 60A breaker). A 40A charger needs a 50A breaker. If your electrical panel is full, a smart charger with load management (like ChargePoint Home Flex or Emporia) can share a circuit and reduce the breaker requirement.
Yes — this is the ideal setup. A typical EV uses 3,000–4,000 kWh per year (12,000 miles). A 3–4 kW solar array produces that much in most US states. Smart chargers from Emporia, Wallbox, and Enel X can schedule charging to match solar production or time-of-use rates, minimizing grid draw. With a home battery, you can solar-charge your EV even at night.
V2H lets your EV act as a home battery backup during power outages, feeding electricity back to your house. Currently, only the Ford F-150 Lightning and Hyundai Ioniq 5/6 support V2H in the US with the right charger. If you live in an outage-prone area and own a compatible EV, V2H can replace a separate home battery.