I know this is a couple of years old, but the video was very helpful and I bought the Home Flex. I also got a $250 credit from my power company for getting an EV charger so I hit the one big issue you had with it being over $500, and was all in at $450. Thank you for your video.
Your score sheet is crucial. Few companies are so transparent about the way they weight scores. You make it simple to adjust scores to fit personal needs. Kudos. You are amazing.
We installed one of these ChargePoint Flex units, hardwired on a 50 A breaker. Set up was as straightforward as Tom described. The WiFi setup, the app integration, and high quality mentioned are all exactly as described. We love it and use it to charge our LEAF and Clarity every day.
One of the most comprehensive reviews of a level 2 charger I’ve ever seen. Thanks for the great work on this. Will check out the other reviews if there are more. Will be getting a level 2 charger next year.
Thank you for this video. After watching, I purchased the Chargepoint Flex. I have a Mach-E that will take 48 amps. Sounds like I need a 60 amp fuse and must hardwire to take full advantage. I have already spoken to my electrician about changing my panel and installing a new 240 line in my garage. Great, thorough video!
My utility company just offered up a choice in home EVSE for a deep discount, kind of an instant rebate program. This Chargepoint home flex was the option that i chose because if this review. Thanks Tom!
Great Review - the clarity, direct to the point and lack of any fluff / "word salad" in the review really stood out to me - Thank You ! - went with the ChargePoint
I bought our Chargepoint thru our utility company and saved about 50% off of retail. I did have the option of plug or hardwired. We opted for the hardwired and it was actually a little cheaper.
Hey Tom...love your reviews and am using them to buy my replacement charger. Just wanted to note a few issues with the ChargePoint Home Flex. I bought my hardwired 32A unit in 2018. It just happens to have passed the warranty by 6 months. Here are the issues I have had with this unit. 1. The ball charger holder pops out of the unit. It is unstable and unless you unhook the unit completely before pulling it out it will pull on the ball and dislodge it from the ball holder. 2. You can not use more than one of these units on a single account, so you will have to set up your second one on another email address with an additional credit card. 3. The unit can't power share. It works standalone. Believe this is the case with the newer units as well. 4. I doubt the plug connector would pass your new cold drop test. It is a heavy-duty, yet plastic, connector. But my biggest disappointment so far is with the customer service. I believe units should last way past their warranty and believe these are probably designed to only last just past the warranty date. But admittedly I am biased since mine is stuck on the blue light and will no longer charge. I do believe there is an advantage to having a simpler power-sharing unit that doesn't have all the smart features but will last longer. I'm leaning towards buying a Grizzl-E simple charger and paying the extra $100 for the 5-year warranty. Since you can schedule most EVs now through the car I believe this is probably the better solution for me. Also, wished I had done a plugin model initially since now I will need to convert my hardwire to a NEMA 16-40.
Just bought this EVSE because of you! After watching a bunch of your reviews, I decided this was best for me in Ontario, Canada. It came down to this and the Grizzl-E (wanted to support the Canadian company). Ultimately decided on this one because of the smart features, cable/handle and integrated holster with backlit LED. Thank you for all that you do on this channel! 🙏🏼
I want to support Grizzl-E as well being Canadian company but they only go up to 40 amp and hardwiring looks to be a major PITA as I saw that have lugs on the wires to attach inside and someone posted a TH-cam video recommending against hardwiring because they tried to track down lugs to attach and ended up having to file them down to fit on the terminals, etc. I like the smart features as well and I want to lock it out if possible etc if we are not home, etc
Tom. I just bought a 2023 Toyota RAV4 PRIME and Home Flex charger. An electrician did the install. I opened the app and it wanted me to hold my phone on the charger which didn't look like mine and didn't work at all (Nearfield). My circuit breaker is 30A requiring the charging current be limited to 24A. The App had only 2 choices: 40A or 50A. The first night I let it charge and the Toyota limited the charge to 6.6kW or 27.5A. This was confirmed by the graph of that night's charging. I then called Chargepoint support. He said 24A was not a choice, but he could set it to 20A. So after a bit of a process, he said it was now set to 20A. I cannot find a way to verify this in their App. So I'm disappointed that the unit does not function as you indicated and as shown online at Amazon, etc. I could not find any written manual or an explanation on what the colored lights specify. Additionally, the App only allowed the selection of a 2021 RAV4 PRIME. Best regards, Richard
Good review and good background info for selecting any EVSE for home use. All I need now is to totally update my electrical panel, up my service from 100 to at least 150 and add a circuit to the garage. That's what you get when you bought an 61yr old home 36 years ago....lol for now 110v works for my situation. Thanks for the excellent info in your videos especially for us newbies.
My home is about 45 years old now, got it 25 years ago .. the main panel is rated for 240/125A however they put only a 2 pole 100A GE breakers in, so I can get them to put in the max breaker for my panel without upgrading the panel, my main wire gauge coming in is 1/0 gauge 150A support and if you are out of breaker slots in your main panel you can get them to put in combo dual split single pole breakers in to free up slots for 2 pole beakers, cheaper and can be done very quickly .. I made a video on my panel I may release.. Anyways I share a single 70A circuit with both my Tesla and ChargePoint charger we don’t change at the same time however I tested running both at 25A no issues .. however I am thinking about getting that NeoCharge splitter or just keep both set to 25A max, for now we don’t charge at the same time so we good better charging speed (not like we need it as we charge over night every other 2-3 days) .. so yeah a 100A panel can support two EV’s without upgrading your panel, talk with a good electrician not out to rip you off, use breakers supported by your panel a good electrician can honestly tell you the cheapest and quickest way to get what you need without doing a major upgrade..
@@fullyelectric great info, unfortunately my panel is an old pushmatic circuit breaker type and all three electricians said it's no longer supported. Additionally, my panel is in a bathroom that the previous owner had installed before we bought the house. My neighbor recently sold his house and he had to have outside service as well as inside panel upgraded to current code before the house could be sold. I have no problem with making the upgrades as it was something I wanted to do for the last 20 yrs. Hell my dryer plug is old 3 flat blade type located directly beneath a water valve so it needs to be relocated anyway. While we don't plan on moving anytime soon I'd rather have the upgrades done now it's just the right thing to do in my mind. Thanks for suggestions, much appreciated!!
Great and thorough review as usual. I've had this EVSE for a year and I couldn't be happier. I utilize the schedule and save money as well as a monthly rebate from DTE. I have it hardwired to a 60 amp fuse and get over 11kw to charge my Mach-E GT. Thank you for your video. After a year of use, I highly recommend this EVSE.
Just hope you never need support. Two tickets were placed through the website with no response. Then a phone call where I asked about screws for the bottom edge of the faceplate (there are holes in the faceplate and threaded brass inserts in the body). The gal who answered simply told me there was no mention of the screws in the install manual and then assured me someone would call me back about the lack of response to the first two tickets. With some of the worst possible support, so far, I should have saved some money and bought something else. I purchased this unit because of how flexible it was after the ice cream freezer test, but I could have purchased an Open EVSE and a replacement Chargepoint flex cable for less money. We need reviews of customer support.
Thanks for the detailed review. Decided on CP after watching your video and it arrived today. Can’t wait to install it in our new house early next month. The did a great job making it simple to install but I’m gonna let an electrician do it.
Great review. One thing people should know is the app for the Chargepoint does not tell you the percentage your vehicle is charged. With my Kia EV6 I have to go into it's app to see state of charge and even get a notice when charging is complete. I was disappointed that the Chargepoint did not let me know how full my batteries were.
State of Maryland requires either this unit or the JuiceBox in order to get a 40% of purchase Rebate back from the State.. I have an EV on the way and the Chargepoint box sitting in my living room waiting for installation.. Watching this video makes me think I got the right unit.. I had ordered the Grizzl-E but canceled for the Chargepoint. Good video content!
This is so helpful, thank you! I've been an EV driver for years but recently had to move to the suburbs where there are very few EV Charging stations near me. Therefore, I am considering an at-home EV Charging appliance.
Tom, your videos are fantastic, and incredibly informative. Thank you. I found you being a follower of Marques and seeing you on his channel checking out the tesla chargers, and very thankful I did as I've gleaned quite a bit of knowledge from your videos! I just decided to finally take the plunge on a R1T after a serious year plus of research - and after being recommended to look at juicebox from another rivian owner, came here to see your reviews, and going with Chargepoint for my hardwired 60(48) amp solution. Also wanted to mention that the Chargepoint home flex can now be found at $549 price point through many amazon sellers hardwired, and $590 NEMA 14-50, and was shocked to hear the price when you reviewed in comparison!
Tom, truly excellent review! I got mine the last time I post up about it on your other video .. been using it with the wife new Audi eTron, get up to 10.5kW flat all the time, it’s setup to deliver full 12kW but as you stated the car has to support it too .. will have to check on the max for the Audi eTron and Porsche .. plus the new Mach E.. I know they come with 48amp chargers included however the onboard AC to DC may have a higher rating, will need to check on that.. Thanks again for all that you do Tom .. truly very helpful and informative information!! More please..
Tom - Thank you for the well articulated review! It is extraordinary the knowledge I'm learning on EV ownership in preparing for my purchase. I would never have considered cable flexibility as a purchase consideration. Your demonstration raises the creditability of your review. Thanks.
Great video. Thank you. Nice review. The freezer test is a great idea. We have the first generation ChargePoint Home charger. We got it in 2017. I checked my account on the CP website and it shows to date the unit has had 1100+ charge sessions and has delivered 15,500kWh of power to our two electric cars (2017 Chevrolet Volt and 2017 Bolt EV). I love the ChargePoint EVSE. It is mounted inside our attached garage, so it is not subjected to harsh weather, etc. It has held up well and shows no signs of stopping. Yes, it cost more than some other brands, but I highly recommend the ChargePoint.
Thanks. I noticed most of the other EV charging station reviews are limited to something like just plugging it in and saying "hey yeah it works!". I wanted to do something a little more comprehensive.
Tom, thanks for this review I’m going to sign up for my utilities EV charging program which gives me credit for charging off-peak and requires a smart charger. I’m thinking this one definitely is top of the list over the Juice unit which failed your freezer test. Although it would be charging in my garage, I just don’t like dealing with cables are not flexible.
Just purchased my first ev…. I’m torn between the clipper creek hcs40 and the charge point home flex. Watched both reviews and your videos are amazing.
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Good to hear. BTW, it's Porsch-uh, not Porsch. They won't keep giving you cool cars to test if you don't pronounce it correctly. A German thing, probably.
@@yobyotYT I know. It's so hard to change now after saying Porsche all my life. :) I have a really good relationship with Porsche, that's why they have given me Taycans to drive 4-5 times already. Not once have they mentioned that I don't say it correctly.
For "Smart" EV chargers that will depend on a mobile app, you should factor in the app rating for both iOS/Android --- which likely indicates how useable the companion app is with the charge station.
It would be interesting to see an abrasion resistance test on the cables. Let's face it, most of us will drag the cables across our garage floor or driveway. My garage floor is like rough sandpaper, a soft outer casing might wear thru over months and months of dragging it across the floor. That would be more important to me than the freeze test, as I am not in an area where that is a concern.
I agree, plus on the exterior of my home is stucco which is very rough. How much wear can a cable take and how much of the black cable will be marking up the light stucco? Thanks
Georgia power gave me a $250 instant rebate on my ChargePoint Home Flex so it came in under $500 for me. An outstanding unit that when combined with GA Power’s penny per kWH 11-7 rate makes it simply irresistible IMHO!
Mike - I can't tell you how valuable I find your reviews and your so important reminders of all the considerations in choosing an EV charger. One that interests me for potential exterior installation is the Smart Home EVduty 40 (30 amp) hardwired charger which works with the EVduty smart current sensor. The current sensor can track how much total electrical load my home is taking and through my home wifi throttle the charger so it only takes as much current as would enable my electrical service entrance to stay within its limits. Thus I would hope not to have to upgrade my 200 amp entrance. I've done an analysis of my home loads and am sure this is a reasonable expectation. However, I am sure these products have significant limitations and I'd love for you to explore and give them a rating. I don't know anybody besides EVduty that offers such a useful capability for a normal residence at a reasonable cost. These units are big sellers in Quebec where they are made, Quebec possibly being North America's most enthusiastic EV jurisdiction.
So, in 2 weeks nobody pointed out that Wallbox offers an even greater ability than EVduty. Wallbox can do what EVduty can do plus more: more current (48 A)and broader functionality. Wallbox Pulsar Plus and their associated Power Meter can not only do what I was seeking, but can also bring supply from solar panels into play. Too bad there has been no review of either the Wallbox Power Meter or the EVduty Smart current sensor. These are useful devices.
Thank you so much, Tom! I just purchased a Charge Point Flex. We live in New York. If we install it outside of the house, do we need to build something over the charger to prevent the snow or rain form getting into the unit?
What a great review, better than any other review I've seen. Our old Coulomb / ChargePoint giant gray box finally stopped after seven years of faithfully charging a Gen 1 Volt and a Bolt...outdoors...in Michigan (luckily it stopped just before the lease was up on the Bolt). Clipper Creek chargers seem to be in a lot of the municipal garages, but I'll probably stick with Chargepoint when our ID4 arrives after seeing this review.
Maybe this was mentioned in this video or the ID.4 video and I missed it, but I am curious: Do the Flex's cord and connector get warm or hot when in use at full 50A for long periods? It's a relatively thin cord and I would love to see how warm it is after charging in the sun for 3-4 hours at 50A. I am sure that ChargePoint did enough testing to decide the cord could handle it, but I wonder how warm it gets.
Great review. I have the first gen ChargePoint and love it. Paid ~$550 for it. Charging 25 mi/hr @ 32amps, can’t see upgrading to gen 2 to get 35 mi/hr @ 40-50amps (+10 mi/hr) for another $150. A $700 charger is just too steep of a price. I was sticker shocked when I saw it introduced. BTW - you are exactly right about should have gotten the longest cord, my one regret.
I would love to see a video that summarizes all your reviews on EV chargers. Which one is rated best, second best, etc. Using your point scale, of course.
How do you lockout people using the Chargepoint if you go away on vacation with the car and your car isn't in the driveway, etc? I see Chargepoint says to prevent unauthorized usage to set up schedule when you are home (e.g. 23:00-07:00). So does that mean you schedule something like 23:00-23:00 to lock out people pulling into your driveway to use the juice or have to shut off the breaker? When I do go and eventually mount an EVSE it will be on the front of the house since I don't have garage/carport and there is a gate attached to the front corner of the house so I can't really put the EVSE cord under the gate especially in winter conditions and having to open the gate. Looks like the Wallbox Pulsar Plus has the ability to lock out people even remotely from the app, etc and looks to have move smart features and better reporting, etc but the biggest thing going against it from my perspective is the charing cord flexibility as I live in cold climate and this is the big thing going for the Chargepoint and they are roughly the same price point. Also the Wallbox doesn't look feasible to wrap the cord around it so you have to mount a holster to the wall as well for that and I have a tight space The Emporia charger that Tom highly rated only has bottom power supply and not through the back like the Chargepoint Home Flex or Wallbox Pulsar Plus and I was hoping to have a clean setup and come through the back if possible. The other big thing going against the Emporia is the holster as Tom points out and I'd be inclined to buy another one and plug into that and wrap the cord around the EVSE unit. I'm kind of keen on the Black version to make it blend in from the street level but Amazon lists this as non-UL for some reason but perhaps that was before they got the certification as I think Tom said they raised the price recently and that may be part of recouping that. All of these units assume you are mounting to drywall with anchors or going into a stud but in my case I would be mounting on Brick exterior and I would really prefer to have clean install and have the wires come in from the back instead of having a conduit awkwardly coming up the wall from the rim joist area. I'm trying to figure if the interior wall bottom plate is a 2x3 rather than 2x4 and if the wires would come out in the basement in front of the floor joist or behind because of the bay window floor joist protruding towards the street is another 2 joists worth from the joist in the corner that I would have to come through. If I want to come in through the back of the unit it means having to make a hole in the drywall and looking down at the bottom plate to see how wide it is. Perhaps I can take the baseboard trim off and poke in behind that and put it back. In my jurisdiction (Ontario Canada) we are allowed to run NMD90 NMSC (I believe NMB in the US) in conduit in dry and damp locations and the ESA (authority) has said this is ok to EVSE so I have two option 1) run a conduit from rim joist up along side the downspout and then over underneath EVSE mounted on wall and then having to paint the conduit afterwards to be brown (downspout colour) or black to blend in with most EVSEs, etc as i don't want a white EVSE sticking out like a sore thumb. 2) come in through the back and then open up the drywall behind it and make a bend to go down in the wall (I'm assuming it is 2x3 at this point) and then go down through the bottom plate and hope the hole doesn't go in the joist cavity between the joist for the corner area and the joist in the bay window area that is spray foamed off or hit the joist. I'm trying to use the floor register as a reference point so I think the supply is about 9-10" to the edge of the joist in the basement and about 12" on the top to the baseboards so I'm thinking its a 2x3 there but will have to do exploratory surgery. My wife really doesn't want me making a hole in the house but you gotta do that to get an EVSE hooked up and I previously did this to wire a 30 amp circuit to our garden shed and she was saying we didn't need juice in the shed but she turns it on whenever she goes in the shed :D
I had heard that if one’s wifi is weak or non existent the charge point will only charge at its default setting of 16 amps. This could be an issue for some including myself. Can this please be confirmed.
Thanks for the video. Great information. Currently trying to decide between the Tesla Charger and the ChargePoint one. I get a energy rebate for either if it's hardwired in. I have a Model 3 at the moment which means the Tesla Charger is easier to use, but the ability to charge other EVs down the road makes the ChargePoint charger a very strong option instead.
Love your reviews. I find them very helpful. Do you have a chart somewhere that shows the chargerator scores of all the chargers you've reviewed? Apologies if I've missed that. Thanks!
I've purchased a Chargepoint Home 32A plugin version since we first got my old man's Outlander PHEV back in 2018. Since then a Fusion Energi and now a Sportback e-tron has joined the family and all feeds from this unit. Overall I'm quite satisfied by Chargepoint and only have a handful of times the unit crashed or decided to not play nice with the home WiFi setup, but otherwise it has been pretty good at keeping our three EVs topped up around the clock.
Great review, I just got my home charge station installed. Mine got load balencing so your home heating etc. gets precedence over charging the car. As I live in a cold area this is important (not blowing the fuses). This is more expensive but a must for me... So the box is flexible on the amount of current delivered..
Great review, I would have to agree with you on the ChargePoint Flex. It is one of my most recommended EVSE I recommend to my customers. I have had my Tesla customers go with the ChargePoint Flex despite the higher cost than the $500 price tag for the Gen-3 Tesla charger. I started out in 2014 as a certified installer for Bosch installing the Bosch Power Max 30, and I even installed one for my 2014/17 Chevy Volt that still today is working great. My lease popular charger is the Clipper Creek...it's to bulky and has a very short power plug in cord. It's quick to hang on the wall but that's the only thing I like about it. The juice Box Pro -40 has come along after some growing pains and seems to be more dependable, can't say enough good things about their customer service.
Based on Tom’s review among others, we installed a hardwired Home Flex. It’s been great for the first 6 months of operation, delivering about 9 kW. The output dropped to 3.6 kW a few weeks ago, but a quick reboot from the phone app fixed. I heard that this drop reflects a default setting the unit reverts to if it detects an anomaly. We didn’t have a power outage or other evident problem, so I don’t know what caused glitch but it was no big deal.
Tom, will you be rescoring old EVSEs that are still available for sale? Just watched your new review of the Tesla Universal Wall Connector and was wondering how the Chargepoint Home Flex compares to that based on your new scoring system... I'm asking as a proud owner (this video influenced my decision to purchase my unit even when it was priced at $699 exactly 2 years ago), in the event that I need to give recommendations to friends and family. I think I get between 96 to 97 based on current price on Amazon of $589? Cost & Value = 17 or 18? Power & Waterproof = 21? Construction & Durability = 20? Smart/Non-Smart = 20? Safety & Warranty = 18?
1st: Ditto the completement below, “thank you for all that you are doing for our planet” humans and all creatures looking at alternatives to fossil fuels. 2nd: Although an older video, still very helpful in guiding my purchase decision. 3rd: I am not able to add my new 2024 Honda Prologue to ChargePoint iPhone app under "my EV." I am still waiting 7/16/2024 to hear back from ChargePoint customer support if they plan to or when they will update app so that I can add my new Honda Prologue. 4th: not relevant to this video, but my Honda Prologue charging menu in car will not allow me to set a start time. This is important in metro Phoenix AZ where we have “On-Peak and “Off-Peak” Rates Thank you again for your channel, research and education.
I found your channel through Auto Focus channel. I love how Tesla developed a more capable charger and cable connector to mess with competition, but I also remember Sony Betamax was better than the competitors but VHS eventually won even though it was inferior. Excellence isn’t always rewarded.
My local electric utility sells this charger, and offers an instant $500 rebate on the regular $700 price. Near as I can tell, that would add 6 points on the cost factor. Yeah. I definitely bought this charger through them. How could I not?
Appreciate the review, I'm new to chargers. I could be wrong but it appears that you are reading from a screen as you aren't looking right at the camera. You might want to move your camera or whatever you're reading from.
Excellent review. Can not stand that fact that I need an app to charge a car.How about I just plug the car in and it charges? Why the heck would I need an account?
Great videos Tom. we are going to purchase the new Equinox EV shortly and looking at chargers. This video is now 3 years old. Any changes or new thoughts on this unit? Thanks again, love your stuff.
Great info Tom, I'm just starting my research, but I have noticed nobody talks about what it takes to upgrade power supply to the home to say power/charge 3 or 4 cars every night. We are talking another 200-amp panel X how many homes nationwide $$$$$$$$$$$$. I know in my area there are at least 3 cars at every home. There are many cities with power overload demand now and I could go on and on with power outage problems I just don't understand how this system is going to work. Electricians have told me my home needs another drop from the pole for another panel. $$$$$$. Is there something I'm missing?
Hi Tom, ChargePoint Flex is the EV charger one that I'll be purchasing. Amazon sells this charger and recommends the Nema 6-50 plug but is also available with the Nema 14-50. My understanding is the difference between the 6-50 and 14-50 plug is 3 wire set up vs 4 wire and that the 6-50 doesn't need to use a neutral. Is this correct? Still learning about electrical currents on charging. I'm thinking of going with the 6-50 since this will be my daily EV charger and not charging RV's or anything else. I currently have a Nema 5-20 20 AMP plug in my garage for charging my i3 and I'm hoping my electrician can use this existing outlet and swap out/add the Nema 6-50 in it's place since it's only a 3 wire install and upgrade my panel to a 40 amp if there's room. BTW your reviews on the chargers are the best and most detailed I have learned so much from your videos !!
While watching your reviews on all the EV chargers I see you have a Bosch and a flow home X5 hanging on the wall but I can’t find a review for them, have you done them?
I have a JuiceBox Pro 40 and a ChargePoint Home Flex and I found that the JuiceBox edges out the CP because it's got a better load sharing option so I can operate two JB's on one circuit and it'll manage the charging, prioritization and prevent circuit overloading. However, you just won't see the JB 48A in stock in your lifetime, I haven't seen it in stock in a full year. So, that is ultimately why I bought the CP 50, and I wired it with a 70A breaker with 4GA wire which is 'code' but the CP only accepts a max of 6GA so I had to downsize the wire in a junction box at the point of the hardwire connection (behind the CP). Both units I admit, are good. I give the JB a slight edge over the CP for it's load balancing, and of course it is NEMA 4 rated. If you live in an area where it rains, and it might be 'blowing' rain or 'driving' rain, you will want to look into NEMA 4 rated enclosures.
Agreed. But if you live in a cold weather area, the ChargePoint Flex's cable is 100% better than the JuiceBox's for cold weather. In fact, out of all of the chargers I've tested, the ChargePoint's cable is the best, and the Juicebox's is the worst.
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney That's interesting that you say that. I consider myself in a cold weather area .... Wisconsin. I totally see the JuiceBox as being rigid when cold. In the absence of having something to compare it to, it just seemed the 'norm'. Good information.
I have one of these installed at my home and am very happy with it. I would like to install a second one in my detached garage. How will a second unit play out on the app ??
@Tom Moloughney Thank you for the extensive review--very helpful. You mentioned needing two accounts if you have two ChargePoint Home Flexes. What about the opposite, a couple sharing one EV, one ChargePoint Home Flex, and one credit card? Should a couple share one ChargePoint account or should they each have their own separate accounts? I assume that with separate accounts, you wouldn’t get the complete charging history.
Tom, just an FYI hope you can confirm and or test this .. We noticed when charging my wife’s eTron when we are about 100 ft or so from the charger and we press stop in the ChargePoint app the car keep charging, however when we pass the stop/charge unlock button on the eTorn then the ChargePoint app ends the charging session in the app, we also noticed when the eTron gets to its set charging limit 80% and automatically stop charging the ChargePoint app shows 0 kw going to the car but the charging session time still keep counting up and the session never ends in the app, we even get a text and alert messages saying (The vehicle plugged into CP HOME is drawing very little power and may be fully charged.) app would also report charging completed but still keep the charging session counting up.. anyways it’s not a big deal just wanted to know if you see this issue.. I also reported it to ChargePoint via support email got a ticket number but have not hear back just yet .. I feel because the Audi keeps pulling a little energy even after it stop charging, that may be causing the ChargePoint unit to keep the charging session active in the app?, the only part I don’t get is after we press stop in the app we get charging complete however the charging session still does not end in the app the charge time still keeps counting up .. why the unit not cut 100% power even if the car still pulling very little power? I want to test this on my model 3 but I never gotten the J1772 to Tesla adapter lol it’s like $95 or so on the Tesla website, also note my phone and the ChargePoint unit is connected to the same WiFi.. I have not tested being close to the unit if that makes a difference. Again not a big deal .. this issue only make the activity charging report time looks much longer than it was, car got charge in about 2 hours but we unplugged about 6 hours or so later and the report show 8 hours to deliver 21kWh when it only took 2 hours .. so again not a big deal still would be nice if this be sorted .. issue noticed on our Audi eTron ..
The ChargePoint app will continue the charging session even if the car is no longer charging until you unplug the vehicle. I will do that with any car, not just the eTron. You should have gotten the J1772 to Tesla adapter with your car, unless you bought it used and the original owner kept it because they come free with every Tesla
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Thanks for confirming as well Tom, was good to know it’s not just me lol we adjust our charge time to end closer to when we get up in the morning so we can unplug closer to when charging complete; Yes I stop by my neighbor he also has a model 3 and he said the same thing I should have gotten one too ..we purchase the car new but never gotten the adapter, we never needed it anyways so it’s all good .. BTW will you test the Ford 48amp wall charger when it’s available?
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney can’t wait .. please do a stop test when you get it, I like the option to remotely stop charging within the charging app, I think you will need the FordPass App..
I've installed 3 or 4 charge point chargers and I really like the thought gone into the install method. It's super easy to install. A few weeks ago, I installed an EVDUTY40 charger and it was a terrible design with no thought gone into ease of installl. The charger plug hwall hanger was separate and was a junk piece of plastic. I hope I never see one again.
Hey Tom, are there any chargers that allow you to adjust the charge current on a 120V circuit? I sometimes charge a Tesla (which lets you throttle down the current) at 8A on a shared 120V circuit and would like to be able to do the same with another EV that doesn't have (as far as I know) a self-throttling capability. Are there any other BEVs that can self-throttle?
Great review but I have one question. I understand it can work at different amps, so you choose that in software? I want to charge one vehicle ata time: Pacifica at 32 amps & Mustang at 40 amps on 50 amp circuit.
Nice video - very informative. I just bought a RAV4 Prime and have narrowed down my home charger selection to the ChargePoint or the Clipper Creek. I noticed you have a Clipper Creek charger on the wall behind you. When will you make a video review for that one? Thanks.
Based on a few videos of tthe Charge point flex, the only complaint I really have seen is the fact that once it is linked to an account, nobody else can control it. Considering adding a level 2 charge point in my air BNB, and wonder if this will cause an issue based on not knowing which vehicle will be connected??
Great in-depth review. Thank you! One question I have is if ChargePoint has added the capability to have multiple Home Flex chargers on one account? I don't have multiple EV yet (I own a Tesla Model Y and have a Rivian R1T on order) but I do have a weekend place and want to install a charger at both my primary and secondary residence. I've done some research but haven't been able to find the answer. Question: Has ChargePoint addressed the limitation in their app of only one Home Charger or does that limitation still exist?
Love love love the content here and the podcast. Long story short I knew nothing about ev’s I went to test a new f150 the dealership let me also test a Mach e and loved it. So put order in last week. Got 7 months to kill so now I’m learning all I can. My question is, really what is the main difference between the CP home charge and Fords home charger. Both about $700 or so, I feel like I should trust the Ford one more but I have no clue.
I haven't done a full review of the Ford Connected Charge station yet, so I can't really compare them apples to apples. But I will say that Ford didn't design or built the charger, they outsourced it because they build vehicles, not chargers. All ChargePoint does is make equipment to charge EVs - that's what they do, so to me, that gives them the advantage. And I can say that I've tested and reviewed dozens of EV chargers and the CP Home Flex is one of the best units I have tested. I'll be surprised if I end up liking the Ford Connected Charge Station as much once I get a chance to really test it out.
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney much appreciated learning so much last few days between your channel and InsideEV podcast. I was worried I wouldn’t be able access Ford features like schedule departure and such if I got the CP station. I guess that’s all done in the Ford app so I guess it doesn’t matter what it’s plugged into unless I’m off the mark.
Hello Tom! With ChargePoint removing the Adjustable Power functionality from the Flex in their May 2022 software update, you should make that information prominent in your description of your review, especially since it impacts the score for this EVSE. Is there a compilation of your ChargerRater scores with details somewhere? Having access to a compilation would help your viewers with filtering your great reviews and prioritize some functionality. For example, I strongly preferred the ChargePoint Home Flex, especially with its more flexible cable. However, now that I know that ChargePoint does not plan on returning Adjustable Power functionaility to their application, I am trading the more flexible cable of the Home Flex for the Adjustable Power available on the Wallbox Pulsar Plus 40. Adjustable Power is an important function for an EVSE than serves multiple EVs.
Me and my wife bought each a ioniq 5 and we plan on buying only ONE of these exact charger, should i expect to have any problems charging both vehicles with the same unit (not at the same time obviously) thanks
I have learned if I buy either a JuiceBox or a ChargePoint unit, I can get free charging during the hours of 11PM to 6AM. So, my question is which unit do you think is best, considering in 2025 I may need to convert to a NACS adapter?
You are the only person to answer my question. So it is ok to order a 14-60 cord/plug, connect it to the CP Flex and plug it into a NEMA 14-60 outlet on a 60 amp breaker. My other question is what happens or can you plug a 14-50 plug into a 14-60 outlet on a 60 amp breaker?
Great review. I’m curious to know if it would be feasible to simply unplug this unit from a 6-50 outlet at your home and bring it to a different residence with a 6-50 outlet and just plug it in and start charging.
How long is the NEMA 14-50 cable? The electrician installed the outlet to accommodate a mobile charger, so to have a 3rd party charger I will need at least 2 feet of NEMA 14-50 cable length.
My ChargePoint Home Flex just died after one year of use. Can no longer find any wireless networks and the status ring now pulses between a flashing yellow and a flashing white light. Tech support agreed the unit was inoperable and forwarded my case to the escalation department. This is where it goes downhill. Despite numerous calls and emails to support, no response from the escalation department after 8 days. Terrible customer service from their so called 'escalation department'...I personally could not recommend this EVSE due to the poor customer service...
Thank you so much for the informative video, love the demonstrations. I have a rental and I want to offer EV charging. Is there a way to have them pay for the charge that they use while staying at my rental? I heard it could be around $3-$5 to charge the car and with someone staying a month I believe that could add up. Thank you and great video again. I think the Chargepoint Home Flex is the one for me.
I know this is a couple of years old, but the video was very helpful and I bought the Home Flex. I also got a $250 credit from my power company for getting an EV charger so I hit the one big issue you had with it being over $500, and was all in at $450. Thank you for your video.
Your score sheet is crucial. Few companies are so transparent about the way they weight scores. You make it simple to adjust scores to fit personal needs. Kudos. You are amazing.
Agreed, I am going down the rabbit hole and binge watching the channel
Your videos are underrated , you should have at least 500k subscribers.Glad I found your channel
Thank you!
We installed one of these ChargePoint Flex units, hardwired on a 50 A breaker. Set up was as straightforward as Tom described. The WiFi setup, the app integration, and high quality mentioned are all exactly as described. We love it and use it to charge our LEAF and Clarity every day.
One of the most comprehensive reviews of a level 2 charger I’ve ever seen. Thanks for the great work on this. Will check out the other reviews if there are more. Will be getting a level 2 charger next year.
Thanks I will be reviewing the other popular models also.
Thank You Everybody for All that you are doing for our Planet Earth.... Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste
Thank you for this video. After watching, I purchased the Chargepoint Flex. I have a Mach-E that will take 48 amps. Sounds like I need a 60 amp fuse and must hardwire to take full advantage. I have already spoken to my electrician about changing my panel and installing a new 240 line in my garage. Great, thorough video!
My utility company just offered up a choice in home EVSE for a deep discount, kind of an instant rebate program. This Chargepoint home flex was the option that i chose because if this review. Thanks Tom!
Great Review - the clarity, direct to the point and lack of any fluff / "word salad" in the review really stood out to me - Thank You ! - went with the ChargePoint
I bought our Chargepoint thru our utility company and saved about 50% off of retail. I did have the option of plug or hardwired. We opted for the hardwired and it was actually a little cheaper.
That "cold test" is a detail few (if any) other channels would cover. Good job.
I bought this for my MachE and now I charge my Volvo C40 and Model 3LR with it. Solid home charger.
Hey Tom...love your reviews and am using them to buy my replacement charger. Just wanted to note a few issues with the ChargePoint Home Flex. I bought my hardwired 32A unit in 2018. It just happens to have passed the warranty by 6 months. Here are the issues I have had with this unit. 1. The ball charger holder pops out of the unit. It is unstable and unless you unhook the unit completely before pulling it out it will pull on the ball and dislodge it from the ball holder. 2. You can not use more than one of these units on a single account, so you will have to set up your second one on another email address with an additional credit card. 3. The unit can't power share. It works standalone. Believe this is the case with the newer units as well. 4. I doubt the plug connector would pass your new cold drop test. It is a heavy-duty, yet plastic, connector. But my biggest disappointment so far is with the customer service. I believe units should last way past their warranty and believe these are probably designed to only last just past the warranty date. But admittedly I am biased since mine is stuck on the blue light and will no longer charge. I do believe there is an advantage to having a simpler power-sharing unit that doesn't have all the smart features but will last longer. I'm leaning towards buying a Grizzl-E simple charger and paying the extra $100 for the 5-year warranty. Since you can schedule most EVs now through the car I believe this is probably the better solution for me. Also, wished I had done a plugin model initially since now I will need to convert my hardwire to a NEMA 16-40.
Just bought this EVSE because of you! After watching a bunch of your reviews, I decided this was best for me in Ontario, Canada. It came down to this and the Grizzl-E (wanted to support the Canadian company). Ultimately decided on this one because of the smart features, cable/handle and integrated holster with backlit LED. Thank you for all that you do on this channel! 🙏🏼
I want to support Grizzl-E as well being Canadian company but they only go up to 40 amp and hardwiring looks to be a major PITA as I saw that have lugs on the wires to attach inside and someone posted a TH-cam video recommending against hardwiring because they tried to track down lugs to attach and ended up having to file them down to fit on the terminals, etc. I like the smart features as well and I want to lock it out if possible etc if we are not home, etc
Tom. I just bought a 2023 Toyota RAV4 PRIME and Home Flex charger. An electrician did the install. I opened the app and it wanted me to hold my phone on the charger which didn't look like mine and didn't work at all (Nearfield). My circuit breaker is 30A requiring the charging current be limited to 24A. The App had only 2 choices: 40A or 50A. The first night I let it charge and the Toyota limited the charge to 6.6kW or 27.5A. This was confirmed by the graph of that night's charging. I then called Chargepoint support. He said 24A was not a choice, but he could set it to 20A. So after a bit of a process, he said it was now set to 20A. I cannot find a way to verify this in their App. So I'm disappointed that the unit does not function as you indicated and as shown online at Amazon, etc. I could not find any written manual or an explanation on what the colored lights specify. Additionally, the App only allowed the selection of a 2021 RAV4 PRIME. Best regards, Richard
Good review and good background info for selecting any EVSE for home use. All I need now is to totally update my electrical panel, up my service from 100 to at least 150 and add a circuit to the garage. That's what you get when you bought an 61yr old home 36 years ago....lol for now 110v works for my situation. Thanks for the excellent info in your videos especially for us newbies.
My home is about 45 years old now, got it 25 years ago .. the main panel is rated for 240/125A however they put only a 2 pole 100A GE breakers in, so I can get them to put in the max breaker for my panel without upgrading the panel, my main wire gauge coming in is 1/0 gauge 150A support and if you are out of breaker slots in your main panel you can get them to put in combo dual split single pole breakers in to free up slots for 2 pole beakers, cheaper and can be done very quickly .. I made a video on my panel I may release..
Anyways I share a single 70A circuit with both my Tesla and ChargePoint charger we don’t change at the same time however I tested running both at 25A no issues .. however I am thinking about getting that NeoCharge splitter or just keep both set to 25A max, for now we don’t charge at the same time so we good better charging speed (not like we need it as we charge over night every other 2-3 days) .. so yeah a 100A panel can support two EV’s without upgrading your panel, talk with a good electrician not out to rip you off, use breakers supported by your panel a good electrician can honestly tell you the cheapest and quickest way to get what you need without doing a major upgrade..
@@fullyelectric great info, unfortunately my panel is an old pushmatic circuit breaker type and all three electricians said it's no longer supported. Additionally, my panel is in a bathroom that the previous owner had installed before we bought the house. My neighbor recently sold his house and he had to have outside service as well as inside panel upgraded to current code before the house could be sold. I have no problem with making the upgrades as it was something I wanted to do for the last 20 yrs. Hell my dryer plug is old 3 flat blade type located directly beneath a water valve so it needs to be relocated anyway. While we don't plan on moving anytime soon I'd rather have the upgrades done now it's just the right thing to do in my mind. Thanks for suggestions, much appreciated!!
Great and thorough review as usual.
I've had this EVSE for a year and I couldn't be happier. I utilize the schedule and save money as well as a monthly rebate from DTE. I have it hardwired to a 60 amp fuse and get over 11kw to charge my Mach-E GT. Thank you for your video. After a year of use, I highly recommend this EVSE.
This is the best evse review I’ve seen. Great work, thanks!
Thanks
This is one of the best reviews I've ever seen, kudos man, you covered absoulty everything.
Just hope you never need support. Two tickets were placed through the website with no response. Then a phone call where I asked about screws for the bottom edge of the faceplate (there are holes in the faceplate and threaded brass inserts in the body). The gal who answered simply told me there was no mention of the screws in the install manual and then assured me someone would call me back about the lack of response to the first two tickets. With some of the worst possible support, so far, I should have saved some money and bought something else. I purchased this unit because of how flexible it was after the ice cream freezer test, but I could have purchased an Open EVSE and a replacement Chargepoint flex cable for less money. We need reviews of customer support.
Thanks for the detailed review. Decided on CP after watching your video and it arrived today. Can’t wait to install it in our new house early next month. The did a great job making it simple to install but I’m gonna let an electrician do it.
Great review. One thing people should know is the app for the Chargepoint does not tell you the percentage your vehicle is charged. With my Kia EV6 I have to go into it's app to see state of charge and even get a notice when charging is complete. I was disappointed that the Chargepoint did not let me know how full my batteries were.
State of Maryland requires either this unit or the JuiceBox in order to get a 40% of purchase Rebate back from the State.. I have an EV on the way and the Chargepoint box sitting in my living room waiting for installation.. Watching this video makes me think I got the right unit.. I had ordered the Grizzl-E but canceled for the Chargepoint. Good video content!
This is so helpful, thank you! I've been an EV driver for years but recently had to move to the suburbs where there are very few EV Charging stations near me. Therefore, I am considering an at-home EV Charging appliance.
Tom, your videos are fantastic, and incredibly informative. Thank you. I found you being a follower of Marques and seeing you on his channel checking out the tesla chargers, and very thankful I did as I've gleaned quite a bit of knowledge from your videos! I just decided to finally take the plunge on a R1T after a serious year plus of research - and after being recommended to look at juicebox from another rivian owner, came here to see your reviews, and going with Chargepoint for my hardwired 60(48) amp solution. Also wanted to mention that the Chargepoint home flex can now be found at $549 price point through many amazon sellers hardwired, and $590 NEMA 14-50, and was shocked to hear the price when you reviewed in comparison!
Tom, truly excellent review!
I got mine the last time I post up about it on your other video .. been using it with the wife new Audi eTron, get up to 10.5kW flat all the time, it’s setup to deliver full 12kW but as you stated the car has to support it too .. will have to check on the max for the Audi eTron and Porsche .. plus the new Mach E.. I know they come with 48amp chargers included however the onboard AC to DC may have a higher rating, will need to check on that..
Thanks again for all that you do Tom .. truly very helpful and informative information!! More please..
Tom - Thank you for the well articulated review! It is extraordinary the knowledge I'm learning on EV ownership in preparing for my purchase. I would never have considered cable flexibility as a purchase consideration. Your demonstration raises the creditability of your review. Thanks.
This was by far the best review for any product I’ve ever seen. Super informative and objective. Thank you!! I’ll be watching, liking and subscribing.
Great video. Thank you. Nice review. The freezer test is a great idea.
We have the first generation ChargePoint Home charger. We got it in 2017. I checked my account on the CP website and it shows to date the unit has had 1100+ charge sessions and has delivered 15,500kWh of power to our two electric cars (2017 Chevrolet Volt and 2017 Bolt EV).
I love the ChargePoint EVSE. It is mounted inside our attached garage, so it is not subjected to harsh weather, etc. It has held up well and shows no signs of stopping. Yes, it cost more than some other brands, but I highly recommend the ChargePoint.
Amazing job Tom! So much better than any other reviews of EV chargers I’ve seen.
Great video Tom, very informative and interesting. Unlike some other channels out there.
Thanks. I noticed most of the other EV charging station reviews are limited to something like just plugging it in and saying "hey yeah it works!". I wanted to do something a little more comprehensive.
Tom - This channel may be your best work. Very detailed, very well researched and really helpful. Thanks very much.
Tom, thanks for this review I’m going to sign up for my utilities EV charging program which gives me credit for charging off-peak and requires a smart charger. I’m thinking this one definitely is top of the list over the Juice unit which failed your freezer test. Although it would be charging in my garage, I just don’t like dealing with cables are not flexible.
Just purchased my first ev…. I’m torn between the clipper creek hcs40 and the charge point home flex. Watched both reviews and your videos are amazing.
Wow! So helpful for a newbie. Love your authenticity. Don't lose that as you get more traction and manufacturers come calling.
Thanks. That's me. I'm 54 - not about to change who I am at this point in life. :)
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Good to hear. BTW, it's Porsch-uh, not Porsch. They won't keep giving you cool cars to test if you don't pronounce it correctly. A German thing, probably.
@@yobyotYT I know. It's so hard to change now after saying Porsche all my life. :) I have a really good relationship with Porsche, that's why they have given me Taycans to drive 4-5 times already. Not once have they mentioned that I don't say it correctly.
I'll be getting my own Home Flex unit (w/NEMA 14-50); which I will install myself, inc. the 220-v circuit. Used to be in the trades.
great point about the cord being flexible under cold weather conditions. I am sure this is very important for many users.
Your reviews are excellent but would helpful to see a review of the mobile apps that go along with these charging units.
For "Smart" EV chargers that will depend on a mobile app, you should factor in the app rating for both iOS/Android --- which likely indicates how useable the companion app is with the charge station.
Thanks Tom! Can’t wait for all the other model reviews!
Excellent review! Really appreciate the indepth explanations on everything and feel really lucky we got this charger included with our Ioniq5!
It would be interesting to see an abrasion resistance test on the cables. Let's face it, most of us will drag the cables across our garage floor or driveway. My garage floor is like rough sandpaper, a soft outer casing might wear thru over months and months of dragging it across the floor. That would be more important to me than the freeze test, as I am not in an area where that is a concern.
I agree, plus on the exterior of my home is stucco which is very rough. How much wear can a cable take and how much of the black cable will be marking up the light stucco? Thanks
Georgia power gave me a $250 instant rebate on my ChargePoint Home Flex so it came in under $500 for me. An outstanding unit that when combined with GA Power’s penny per kWH 11-7 rate makes it simply irresistible IMHO!
Excellent review - one of the most informative I've seen. Thank you for sharing!
Mike - I can't tell you how valuable I find your reviews and your so important reminders of all the considerations in choosing an EV charger. One that interests me for potential exterior installation is the Smart Home EVduty 40 (30 amp) hardwired charger which works with the EVduty smart current sensor. The current sensor can track how much total electrical load my home is taking and through my home wifi throttle the charger so it only takes as much current as would enable my electrical service entrance to stay within its limits. Thus I would hope not to have to upgrade my 200 amp entrance. I've done an analysis of my home loads and am sure this is a reasonable expectation. However, I am sure these products have significant limitations and I'd love for you to explore and give them a rating. I don't know anybody besides EVduty that offers such a useful capability for a normal residence at a reasonable cost. These units are big sellers in Quebec where they are made, Quebec possibly being North America's most enthusiastic EV jurisdiction.
So, in 2 weeks nobody pointed out that Wallbox offers an even greater ability than EVduty. Wallbox can do what EVduty can do plus more: more current (48 A)and broader functionality. Wallbox Pulsar Plus and their associated Power Meter can not only do what I was seeking, but can also bring supply from solar panels into play. Too bad there has been no review of either the Wallbox Power Meter or the EVduty Smart current sensor. These are useful devices.
Thank you so much, Tom! I just purchased a Charge Point Flex. We live in New York. If we install it outside of the house, do we need to build something over the charger to prevent the snow or rain form getting into the unit?
What a great review, better than any other review I've seen. Our old Coulomb / ChargePoint giant gray box finally stopped after seven years of faithfully charging a Gen 1 Volt and a Bolt...outdoors...in Michigan (luckily it stopped just before the lease was up on the Bolt). Clipper Creek chargers seem to be in a lot of the municipal garages, but I'll probably stick with Chargepoint when our ID4 arrives after seeing this review.
Thanks. ClipperCreek makes great products also. I'll be reviewing some of them soon
Maybe this was mentioned in this video or the ID.4 video and I missed it, but I am curious: Do the Flex's cord and connector get warm or hot when in use at full 50A for long periods? It's a relatively thin cord and I would love to see how warm it is after charging in the sun for 3-4 hours at 50A. I am sure that ChargePoint did enough testing to decide the cord could handle it, but I wonder how warm it gets.
So smart. A pleasure to watch.
Great review. I have the first gen ChargePoint and love it. Paid ~$550 for it. Charging 25 mi/hr @ 32amps, can’t see upgrading to gen 2 to get 35 mi/hr @ 40-50amps (+10 mi/hr) for another $150. A $700 charger is just too steep of a price. I was sticker shocked when I saw it introduced. BTW - you are exactly right about should have gotten the longest cord, my one regret.
Thank you sooo much. Your pronounciation is clear (for non-english like me). I am shopping a charger for my new Kia EV6 ew a 11kw charger.
I would love to see a video that summarizes all your reviews on EV chargers. Which one is rated best, second best, etc. Using your point scale, of course.
Coming!
How do you lockout people using the Chargepoint if you go away on vacation with the car and your car isn't in the driveway, etc? I see Chargepoint says to prevent unauthorized usage to set up schedule when you are home (e.g. 23:00-07:00).
So does that mean you schedule something like 23:00-23:00 to lock out people pulling into your driveway to use the juice or have to shut off the breaker?
When I do go and eventually mount an EVSE it will be on the front of the house since I don't have garage/carport and there is a gate attached to the front corner of the house so I can't really put the EVSE cord under the gate especially in winter conditions and having to open the gate.
Looks like the Wallbox Pulsar Plus has the ability to lock out people even remotely from the app, etc and looks to have move smart features and better reporting, etc but the biggest thing going against it from my perspective is the charing cord flexibility as I live in cold climate and this is the big thing going for the Chargepoint and they are roughly the same price point. Also the Wallbox doesn't look feasible to wrap the cord around it so you have to mount a holster to the wall as well for that and I have a tight space
The Emporia charger that Tom highly rated only has bottom power supply and not through the back like the Chargepoint Home Flex or Wallbox Pulsar Plus and I was hoping to have a clean setup and come through the back if possible. The other big thing going against the Emporia is the holster as Tom points out and I'd be inclined to buy another one and plug into that and wrap the cord around the EVSE unit. I'm kind of keen on the Black version to make it blend in from the street level but Amazon lists this as non-UL for some reason but perhaps that was before they got the certification as I think Tom said they raised the price recently and that may be part of recouping that.
All of these units assume you are mounting to drywall with anchors or going into a stud but in my case I would be mounting on Brick exterior and I would really prefer to have clean install and have the wires come in from the back instead of having a conduit awkwardly coming up the wall from the rim joist area.
I'm trying to figure if the interior wall bottom plate is a 2x3 rather than 2x4 and if the wires would come out in the basement in front of the floor joist or behind because of the bay window floor joist protruding towards the street is another 2 joists worth from the joist in the corner that I would have to come through.
If I want to come in through the back of the unit it means having to make a hole in the drywall and looking down at the bottom plate to see how wide it is. Perhaps I can take the baseboard trim off and poke in behind that and put it back.
In my jurisdiction (Ontario Canada) we are allowed to run NMD90 NMSC (I believe NMB in the US) in conduit in dry and damp locations and the ESA (authority) has said this is ok to EVSE so I have two option
1) run a conduit from rim joist up along side the downspout and then over underneath EVSE mounted on wall and then having to paint the conduit afterwards to be brown (downspout colour) or black to blend in with most EVSEs, etc as i don't want a white EVSE sticking out like a sore thumb.
2) come in through the back and then open up the drywall behind it and make a bend to go down in the wall (I'm assuming it is 2x3 at this point) and then go down through the bottom plate and hope the hole doesn't go in the joist cavity between the joist for the corner area and the joist in the bay window area that is spray foamed off or hit the joist. I'm trying to use the floor register as a reference point so I think the supply is about 9-10" to the edge of the joist in the basement and about 12" on the top to the baseboards so I'm thinking its a 2x3 there but will have to do exploratory surgery.
My wife really doesn't want me making a hole in the house but you gotta do that to get an EVSE hooked up and I previously did this to wire a 30 amp circuit to our garden shed and she was saying we didn't need juice in the shed but she turns it on whenever she goes in the shed :D
I had heard that if one’s wifi is weak or non existent the charge point will only charge at its default setting of 16 amps. This could be an issue for some including myself. Can this please be confirmed.
Thanks for the video. Great information. Currently trying to decide between the Tesla Charger and the ChargePoint one. I get a energy rebate for either if it's hardwired in. I have a Model 3 at the moment which means the Tesla Charger is easier to use, but the ability to charge other EVs down the road makes the ChargePoint charger a very strong option instead.
Your reviews are so helpful. thank you!
Love your reviews. I find them very helpful. Do you have a chart somewhere that shows the chargerator scores of all the chargers you've reviewed? Apologies if I've missed that. Thanks!
I know I’d also find this quite useful, along with details on the best freezer test results.
Great review as always. Very thorough. Thanks.
Thank you!
I've purchased a Chargepoint Home 32A plugin version since we first got my old man's Outlander PHEV back in 2018. Since then a Fusion Energi and now a Sportback e-tron has joined the family and all feeds from this unit. Overall I'm quite satisfied by Chargepoint and only have a handful of times the unit crashed or decided to not play nice with the home WiFi setup, but otherwise it has been pretty good at keeping our three EVs topped up around the clock.
Great review,
I just got my home charge station installed.
Mine got load balencing so your home heating etc. gets precedence over charging the car. As I live in a cold area this is important (not blowing the fuses).
This is more expensive but a must for me... So the box is flexible on the amount of current delivered..
Great review, I would have to agree with you on the ChargePoint Flex. It is one of my most recommended EVSE I recommend to my customers. I have had my Tesla customers go with the ChargePoint Flex despite the higher cost than the $500 price tag for the Gen-3 Tesla charger. I started out in 2014 as a certified installer for Bosch installing the Bosch Power Max 30, and I even installed one for my 2014/17 Chevy Volt that still today is working great. My lease popular charger is the Clipper Creek...it's to bulky and has a very short power plug in cord. It's quick to hang on the wall but that's the only thing I like about it. The juice Box Pro -40 has come along after some growing pains and seems to be more dependable, can't say enough good things about their customer service.
Based on Tom’s review among others, we installed a hardwired Home Flex. It’s been great for the first 6 months of operation, delivering about 9 kW. The output dropped to 3.6 kW a few weeks ago, but a quick reboot from the phone app fixed. I heard that this drop reflects a default setting the unit reverts to if it detects an anomaly. We didn’t have a power outage or other evident problem, so I don’t know what caused glitch but it was no big deal.
Tom, will you be rescoring old EVSEs that are still available for sale? Just watched your new review of the Tesla Universal Wall Connector and was wondering how the Chargepoint Home Flex compares to that based on your new scoring system... I'm asking as a proud owner (this video influenced my decision to purchase my unit even when it was priced at $699 exactly 2 years ago), in the event that I need to give recommendations to friends and family.
I think I get between 96 to 97 based on current price on Amazon of $589?
Cost & Value = 17 or 18?
Power & Waterproof = 21?
Construction & Durability = 20?
Smart/Non-Smart = 20?
Safety & Warranty = 18?
1st: Ditto the completement below, “thank you for all that you are doing for our planet” humans and all creatures looking at alternatives to fossil fuels.
2nd: Although an older video, still very helpful in guiding my purchase decision.
3rd: I am not able to add my new 2024 Honda Prologue to ChargePoint iPhone app under "my EV." I am still waiting 7/16/2024 to hear back from ChargePoint customer support if they plan to or when they will update app so that I can add my new Honda Prologue.
4th: not relevant to this video, but my Honda Prologue charging menu in car will not allow me to set a start time. This is important in metro Phoenix AZ where we have “On-Peak and “Off-Peak” Rates
Thank you again for your channel, research and education.
Love the freeze test!!!
I found your channel through Auto Focus channel. I love how Tesla developed a more capable charger and cable connector to mess with competition, but I also remember Sony Betamax was better than the competitors but VHS eventually won even though it was inferior. Excellence isn’t always rewarded.
My local electric utility sells this charger, and offers an instant $500 rebate on the regular $700 price. Near as I can tell, that would add 6 points on the cost factor.
Yeah. I definitely bought this charger through them. How could I not?
Appreciate the review, I'm new to chargers. I could be wrong but it appears that you are reading from a screen as you aren't looking right at the camera. You might want to move your camera or whatever you're reading from.
LOL. Yes, for this one video I tried using a prompter with my written review. I wasn't happy with the results and never used it again. :)
I wish I could adjust amperage on demand so I can be more inline with my solar production on a giving day.
Excellent review. Can not stand that fact that I need an app to charge a car.How about I just plug the car in and it charges? Why the heck would I need an account?
Great videos Tom. we are going to purchase the new Equinox EV shortly and looking at chargers. This video is now 3 years old. Any changes or new thoughts on this unit? Thanks again, love your stuff.
Great info Tom, I'm just starting my research, but I have noticed nobody talks about what it takes to upgrade power supply to the home to say power/charge 3 or 4 cars every night. We are talking another 200-amp panel X how many homes nationwide $$$$$$$$$$$$. I know in my area there are at least 3 cars at every home. There are many cities with power overload demand now and I could go on and on with power outage problems I just don't understand how this system is going to work. Electricians have told me my home needs another drop from the pole for another panel. $$$$$$. Is there something I'm missing?
Hi Tom, ChargePoint Flex is the EV charger one that I'll be purchasing. Amazon sells this charger and recommends the Nema 6-50 plug but is also available with the Nema 14-50. My understanding is the difference between the 6-50 and 14-50 plug is 3 wire set up vs 4 wire and that the 6-50 doesn't need to use a neutral. Is this correct? Still learning about electrical currents on charging. I'm thinking of going with the 6-50 since this will be my daily EV charger and not charging RV's or anything else. I currently have a Nema 5-20 20 AMP plug in my garage for charging my i3 and I'm hoping my electrician can use this existing outlet and swap out/add the Nema 6-50 in it's place since it's only a 3 wire install and upgrade my panel to a 40 amp if there's room. BTW your reviews on the chargers are the best and most detailed I have learned so much from your videos !!
While watching your reviews on all the EV chargers I see you have a Bosch and a flow home X5 hanging on the wall but I can’t find a review for them, have you done them?
I have a JuiceBox Pro 40 and a ChargePoint Home Flex and I found that the JuiceBox edges out the CP because it's got a better load sharing option so I can operate two JB's on one circuit and it'll manage the charging, prioritization and prevent circuit overloading. However, you just won't see the JB 48A in stock in your lifetime, I haven't seen it in stock in a full year. So, that is ultimately why I bought the CP 50, and I wired it with a 70A breaker with 4GA wire which is 'code' but the CP only accepts a max of 6GA so I had to downsize the wire in a junction box at the point of the hardwire connection (behind the CP). Both units I admit, are good. I give the JB a slight edge over the CP for it's load balancing, and of course it is NEMA 4 rated. If you live in an area where it rains, and it might be 'blowing' rain or 'driving' rain, you will want to look into NEMA 4 rated enclosures.
Agreed. But if you live in a cold weather area, the ChargePoint Flex's cable is 100% better than the JuiceBox's for cold weather. In fact, out of all of the chargers I've tested, the ChargePoint's cable is the best, and the Juicebox's is the worst.
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney That's interesting that you say that. I consider myself in a cold weather area .... Wisconsin. I totally see the JuiceBox as being rigid when cold. In the absence of having something to compare it to, it just seemed the 'norm'. Good information.
@@bmoulas Look at my last review of the pulsar plus where I compare its cord to the ChargePoint's. I freeze both of them for 14 hours
I have one of these installed at my home and am very happy with it. I would like to install a second one in my detached garage. How will a second unit play out on the app ??
Tom, do you have a comparison sheet showing your scores by catagory for each of the reviewed chargers?
@Tom Moloughney Thank you for the extensive review--very helpful. You mentioned needing two accounts if you have two ChargePoint Home Flexes. What about the opposite, a couple sharing one EV, one ChargePoint Home Flex, and one credit card? Should a couple share one ChargePoint account or should they each have their own separate accounts? I assume that with separate accounts, you wouldn’t get the complete charging history.
Tom, just an FYI hope you can confirm and or test this ..
We noticed when charging my wife’s eTron when we are about 100 ft or so from the charger and we press stop in the ChargePoint app the car keep charging, however when we pass the stop/charge unlock button on the eTorn then the ChargePoint app ends the charging session in the app, we also noticed when the eTron gets to its set charging limit 80% and automatically stop charging the ChargePoint app shows 0 kw going to the car but the charging session time still keep counting up and the session never ends in the app, we even get a text and alert messages saying (The vehicle plugged into CP HOME is drawing very little power and may be fully charged.) app would also report charging completed but still keep the charging session counting up..
anyways it’s not a big deal just wanted to know if you see this issue.. I also reported it to ChargePoint via support email got a ticket number but have not hear back just yet .. I feel because the Audi keeps pulling a little energy even after it stop charging, that may be causing the ChargePoint unit to keep the charging session active in the app?, the only part I don’t get is after we press stop in the app we get charging complete however the charging session still does not end in the app the charge time still keeps counting up .. why the unit not cut 100% power even if the car still pulling very little power?
I want to test this on my model 3 but I never gotten the J1772 to Tesla adapter lol it’s like $95 or so on the Tesla website, also note my phone and the ChargePoint unit is connected to the same WiFi.. I have not tested being close to the unit if that makes a difference.
Again not a big deal .. this issue only make the activity charging report time looks much longer than it was, car got charge in about 2 hours but we unplugged about 6 hours or so later and the report show 8 hours to deliver 21kWh when it only took 2 hours .. so again not a big deal still would be nice if this be sorted .. issue noticed on our Audi eTron ..
The ChargePoint app will continue the charging session even if the car is no longer charging until you unplug the vehicle. I will do that with any car, not just the eTron. You should have gotten the J1772 to Tesla adapter with your car, unless you bought it used and the original owner kept it because they come free with every Tesla
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Thanks for confirming as well Tom, was good to know it’s not just me lol we adjust our charge time to end closer to when we get up in the morning so we can unplug closer to when charging complete; Yes I stop by my neighbor he also has a model 3 and he said the same thing I should have gotten one too ..we purchase the car new but never gotten the adapter, we never needed it anyways so it’s all good ..
BTW will you test the Ford 48amp wall charger when it’s available?
@@fullyelectric Yes, I plan to, as soon as I can get one from Ford
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney can’t wait .. please do a stop test when you get it, I like the option to remotely stop charging within the charging app, I think you will need the FordPass App..
I've installed 3 or 4 charge point chargers and I really like the thought gone into the install method. It's super easy to install. A few weeks ago, I installed an EVDUTY40 charger and it was a terrible design with no thought gone into ease of installl. The charger plug hwall hanger was separate and was a junk piece of plastic. I hope I never see one again.
i have the charge point flex i have used it at -18 has been flexable ,
Hey Tom, are there any chargers that allow you to adjust the charge current on a 120V circuit? I sometimes charge a Tesla (which lets you throttle down the current) at 8A on a shared 120V circuit and would like to be able to do the same with another EV that doesn't have (as far as I know) a self-throttling capability. Are there any other BEVs that can self-throttle?
Great review but I have one question. I understand it can work at different amps, so you choose that in software? I want to charge one vehicle ata time: Pacifica at 32 amps & Mustang at 40 amps on 50 amp circuit.
I wish that the plug cord for the NEMA 14-50 was 2 feet. Just a bit longer.
Valuable review
Will influence future purchase
Nice video - very informative. I just bought a RAV4 Prime and have narrowed down my home charger selection to the ChargePoint or the Clipper Creek. I noticed you have a Clipper Creek charger on the wall behind you. When will you make a video review for that one? Thanks.
I got a RV4 Prime which did you pick ?
Excellent review and comparison 👍
Based on a few videos of tthe Charge point flex, the only complaint I really have seen is the fact that once it is linked to an account, nobody else can control it. Considering adding a level 2 charge point in my air BNB, and wonder if this will cause an issue based on not knowing which vehicle will be connected??
Great in-depth review. Thank you! One question I have is if ChargePoint has added the capability to have multiple Home Flex chargers on one account? I don't have multiple EV yet (I own a Tesla Model Y and have a Rivian R1T on order) but I do have a weekend place and want to install a charger at both my primary and secondary residence. I've done some research but haven't been able to find the answer. Question: Has ChargePoint addressed the limitation in their app of only one Home Charger or does that limitation still exist?
Love love love the content here and the podcast. Long story short I knew nothing about ev’s I went to test a new f150 the dealership let me also test a Mach e and loved it. So put order in last week. Got 7 months to kill so now I’m learning all I can. My question is, really what is the main difference between the CP home charge and Fords home charger. Both about $700 or so, I feel like I should trust the Ford one more but I have no clue.
I haven't done a full review of the Ford Connected Charge station yet, so I can't really compare them apples to apples. But I will say that Ford didn't design or built the charger, they outsourced it because they build vehicles, not chargers. All ChargePoint does is make equipment to charge EVs - that's what they do, so to me, that gives them the advantage. And I can say that I've tested and reviewed dozens of EV chargers and the CP Home Flex is one of the best units I have tested. I'll be surprised if I end up liking the Ford Connected Charge Station as much once I get a chance to really test it out.
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney much appreciated learning so much last few days between your channel and InsideEV podcast. I was worried I wouldn’t be able access Ford features like schedule departure and such if I got the CP station. I guess that’s all done in the Ford app so I guess it doesn’t matter what it’s plugged into unless I’m off the mark.
Hello Tom! With ChargePoint removing the Adjustable Power functionality from the Flex in their May 2022 software update, you should make that information prominent in your description of your review, especially since it impacts the score for this EVSE.
Is there a compilation of your ChargerRater scores with details somewhere? Having access to a compilation would help your viewers with filtering your great reviews and prioritize some functionality.
For example, I strongly preferred the ChargePoint Home Flex, especially with its more flexible cable. However, now that I know that ChargePoint does not plan on returning Adjustable Power functionaility to their application, I am trading the more flexible cable of the Home Flex for the Adjustable Power available on the Wallbox Pulsar Plus 40. Adjustable Power is an important function for an EVSE than serves multiple EVs.
Me and my wife bought each a ioniq 5 and we plan on buying only ONE of these exact charger, should i expect to have any problems charging both vehicles with the same unit (not at the same time obviously) thanks
Can it accommodate a Time of Use plan that has TWO peak periods per day? My PHEVs don't provide any scheduling features.
I have learned if I buy either a JuiceBox or a ChargePoint unit, I can get free charging during the hours of 11PM to 6AM. So, my question is which unit do you think is best, considering in 2025 I may need to convert to a NACS adapter?
You are the only person to answer my question. So it is ok to order a 14-60 cord/plug, connect it to the CP Flex and plug it into a NEMA 14-60 outlet on a 60 amp breaker. My other question is what happens or can you plug a 14-50 plug into a 14-60 outlet on a 60 amp breaker?
No, you cannot plug a NEMA 14-50 plug into a NEMA 14-60 outlet
Do I need a hardwired charge point flex for my 14-50(40amp/32amp) breaker? Or does it come with plug in where I have the 240 outlet in my patio
Great review. I’m curious to know if it would be feasible to simply unplug this unit from a 6-50 outlet at your home and bring it to a different residence with a 6-50 outlet and just plug it in and start charging.
How long is the NEMA 14-50 cable? The electrician installed the outlet to accommodate a mobile charger, so to have a 3rd party charger I will need at least 2 feet of NEMA 14-50 cable length.
My ChargePoint Home Flex just died after one year of use. Can no longer find any wireless networks and the status ring now pulses between a flashing yellow and a flashing white light. Tech support agreed the unit was inoperable and forwarded my case to the escalation department. This is where it goes downhill. Despite numerous calls and emails to support, no response from the escalation department after 8 days. Terrible customer service from their so called 'escalation department'...I personally could not recommend this EVSE due to the poor customer service...
Any resolution?
Thank you so much for the informative video, love the demonstrations. I have a rental and I want to offer EV charging. Is there a way to have them pay for the charge that they use while staying at my rental? I heard it could be around $3-$5 to charge the car and with someone staying a month I believe that could add up. Thank you and great video again. I think the Chargepoint Home Flex is the one for me.