EV charging at a Tampa Bay house

Most driving gets covered overnight on a Level 2 charger. The choice comes down to how many amps your panel can spare, whether it plugs in or gets hardwired, and whether you want the charger to manage its own load. Six chargers compared.

Which kind fits

Start with the circuit, not the charger. Our Level 1 or Level 2 guide explains the sizing.

120 V outlet

Level 1 cord

The cord that came with the car, on a regular outlet. About 5 miles of range per hour: fine for a short commute.

14-50 outlet

Plug-in Level 2

Up to 40 A, about 25 miles per hour. Easy to take with you when you move; the outlet needs GFCI protection.

Hardwired

48–50 A Level 2

The fastest home charging, on a 60 or 70 A circuit. Needs the panel capacity to spare.

Small panel

Load-managed

Watches the house's draw and gives the car what's left, so a charger can fit on a 100 or 150 A service.

Quick picks

The short answer for common situations. Each links to the full card below.

A 100 or 150 A panel
Emporia Pro with PowerSmart
Its included monitor limits charging to what the house is not using, which can avoid a service upgrade.
Just plug in, no app
Grizzl-E Classic
A 40 A charger in a metal case with nothing to connect to Wi-Fi.
Renting, or two places to charge
Lectron Portable Level 2, 40 A
It goes with you: any 14-50 outlet, no wall mounting.
Off-peak scheduling
ChargePoint HomeFlex
Set the current in the app to match your circuit and schedule charging for off-peak hours.
Rooftop solar
Wallbox Pulsar Plus
With Wallbox's power meter it can match charging to solar output.
Fastest home charging
Autel MaxiCharger AC Elite 50A
50 A hardwired on a 70 A circuit, with wired Ethernet as well as Wi-Fi.

Compare the six

Specs from each manufacturer's page or datasheet. The J1772 versions are listed; most come in a NACS (Tesla-style) version too.

Product links on this page go to Amazon. If you buy through them, Electric Tampa earns a commission. How we pick and earn

Level 2 home chargers, by maximum current
Model	Max current	Install	Connector	App / schedule	Load management	Link
Lectron Portable Level 2, 40 APortable Level 2, 40 A	40 A	Portable, 14-50	J1772	Optional	No	Amazon
Grizzl-E ClassicPlug-in Level 2, 40 A	40 A	Plug-in 14-50	J1772	No	No	Amazon
Emporia Pro with PowerSmartSmart Level 2 with load management, 48 A	48 A	Hardwire or 14-50	J1772	Yes	Included	Amazon
Wallbox Pulsar PlusCompact smart Level 2	40 or 48 A	Plug-in or hardwire	J1772	Yes	With power meter	Amazon
ChargePoint HomeFlexSmart Level 2, up to 50 A	50 A	Hardwire or plug	J1772	Yes	No	Amazon
Autel MaxiCharger AC Elite 50AHardwired smart Level 2, 50 A	50 A	Hardwire only	J1772	Yes	Add-on hardware	Amazon

Portable Level 2, 40 A

Lectron Portable Level 2, 40 A

Lectron NEMA 14-50, J1772

A Level 2 charging cord in a carrying case: plug it into any 14-50 outlet at home or at a campground.

Current: 40 A fixed
Install: NEMA 14-50 plug
Connector: J1772
Cable: 16 ft
Listing: UL 2594 / UL 2231
Smart: Wi-Fi version available

Suits: Charging at more than one place, or a renter who can't mount a wall charger.

Weigh: It has no 120 V plug, so it isn't a Level 1 cord too. 16-foot cable, and Lectron publishes no NEMA or IP enclosure rating.

View on Amazon

Plug-in Level 2, 40 A

Grizzl-E Classic

Grizzl-E GR1 (NEMA 14-50)

A plain 40 A charger in a metal Type 4 case, with no app and nothing to connect to Wi-Fi. It plugs into a 14-50 outlet.

Current: 16–40 A
Install: NEMA 14-50 or 6-50 plug
Connector: J1772
Cable: 24–25 ft
Smart: None
Enclosure: UL Type 4

Suits: A driver who just wants to plug in at night, in a garage or carport that already has, or will get, a 14-50 outlet.

Weigh: No scheduling or load management, so timing off-peak charging is up to the car. J1772 connector; NACS cars need an adapter.

View on Amazon

Smart Level 2 with load management, 48 A

Emporia Pro with PowerSmart

Emporia Pro (J1772, hardwire)

A 48 A charger bundled with a panel monitor that gives the car only the capacity the house isn't using, which can avoid a panel upgrade.

Current: 48 A hardwired, 40 A plug
Connector: J1772 (NACS version too)
Cable: 25 ft
Load management: PowerSmart, included
Listing: UL 2594, ENERGY STAR
Enclosure: NEMA Type 4

Suits: Older Tampa Bay houses with 100 or 150 A service, where the load calculation says a charger won't fit on its own.

Weigh: The monitor clamps go inside your panel, which is electrician's work. 40 A when plugged into a 14-50 instead of hardwired.

View on Amazon

Compact smart Level 2

Wallbox Pulsar Plus

Wallbox PUP2 (J1772)

A small wall unit with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, scheduling, and load management and solar-matched charging with Wallbox's power meter.

Current: 40 A or 48 A models
Install: 14-50 plug (40 A) or hardwire
Connector: J1772 (NACS version too)
Cable: 25 ft
Listing: UL 2594 / 2231, ENERGY STAR
Enclosure: NEMA Type 4

Suits: A tight garage wall, and owners with rooftop solar who want to charge from it.

Weigh: The 48 A model is hardwired only; the 40 A model comes plug-in or hardwired. Dynamic load management needs the extra power meter.

View on Amazon

Smart Level 2, up to 50 A

ChargePoint HomeFlex

ChargePoint CPH50 (J1772, hardwired)

Set from 16 to 50 A in the app to match whatever circuit you have, with scheduling for off-peak charging.

Current: 16–50 A, set in app
Install: Hardwire or 14-50 / 6-50 plug
Connector: J1772 (NACS version too)
Cable: 23 ft
Listing: UL 2594 / 2231, ENERGY STAR
Warranty: 3 years

Suits: Houses where the electrician will hardwire it, and drivers who want the charger to follow a time-of-use schedule.

Weigh: Full 50 A needs a hardwired 70 or 80 A breaker; plugged into a 14-50 it tops out at 40 A. Outdoors on a plug, ChargePoint recommends hardwiring because a GFCI breaker can trip against the charger's own protection.

View on Amazon

Hardwired smart Level 2, 50 A

Autel MaxiCharger AC Elite 50A

Autel MaxiCharger AC W12

A hardwired 50 A charger with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Ethernet, adjustable from 16 A, and load balancing with Autel's add-on hardware.

Current: 16–50 A
Install: Hardwired, 70 A circuit
Connector: J1772
Cable: 25 ft
Listing: CSA, ENERGY STAR
Warranty: 3 years

Suits: A dedicated circuit in a garage where you want the most charging speed a home circuit gives.

Weigh: Hardwired only, and the full 50 A needs a 70 A circuit. Certified by CSA rather than UL.

View on Amazon

The install

A Level 2 charger needs a 240 V circuit sized at 125% of the charger's current, a permit and a final inspection; Tampa Electric's own charger page says the same. Before you buy, have an electrician check whether the panel has room. A load-managed charger is the usual answer when it doesn't.

EV charging guides

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Vehicle-to-home backup is real, but only with specific cars and specific equipment. What Tesla and Kia require, what a car's own outlets can run, and why it's always an electrician's install.

An electric car charging in a home carport

Level 1 or Level 2: charging an EV at a Tampa Bay house

How many miles an hour each level adds, how the circuit is sized, the GFCI rule, J1772 and NACS plugs, load management for older panels, and the permit.