If you’ve bought an electric vehicle (EV) recently or are considering one, you’re not alone! U.S. EV sales grew 76 percent year over year in Q1 2022 to make up 5.2 percent of automotive sales, according to Kelley Blue Book. Having an EV charger at your home allows you to more efficiently and quickly charge your EV at home, while managing and monitoring your charging and energy usage. (Bonus: if you have solar, you can power your car with the sun!)
Emporia is known for their tech-focused approach to energy management and they offer a smart EV charger that you can install at home: the Emporia EV Charging Station. Emporia is an American-based company that was founded in 2018 in Littleton, Colorado. They make a variety of products to help you better manage and monitor energy in your home, including smart plugs, thermostats, energy monitors, and home batteries!
Key takeaways
The Emporia EV Charging Station costs $499.
Emporia’s Level 2 EV charger provides home EV charging as well as integration with home energy management and solar.
You may be able to save money by scheduling your EV charging at home with your Emporia app or web portal if you have time-of-use rates.
Looking to power your EV on sunshine at home? Visit the EnergySage Marketplace to compare custom solar quotes.
What’s in this article?
What to know about EV charging at home
Before diving into the Emporia EV Charging Station specifically, it’s important to know the different levels of charging you can complete at home and how they vary. EV chargers are also known as EVSEs, which stands for electric vehicle supply equipment.
A Level 1 charger uses a standard outlet at your home: you just use a standard 120-volt (V) wall outlet with a J1772 connector. However, this is very slow, only adding approximately 2-5 miles per hour to your range. The Emporia EV Charging Station is a Level 2 charger, the standard for home EV charging. It allows you to charge much more quickly than a Level 1 charger, providing up to 10-20 miles of range per hour depending on which EV you own. Level 2 charging is completed with a 240V circuit, similar to what you use to power an electric oven or dryer.
Key things to know about the Emporia EV Charging Station
Let’s explore the details on the Emporia EV Charging Station:
Key features of the Emporia EV Charging Station Emporia EV Charging Station Price (for the equipment)499 Wiring/plug optionsWall-mounted, NEMA 14-50P: up to 40 amps (A), hardwired up to 48A EV compatibilityCompatible with all EVs; Teslas just need an adapter Charging connectionStandard J1772 connection Average EV charging speedUp to 20 miles per hour EV charger outputNEMA 14-50P: up to 9.6kW / 40A, hardwired up to 11.5kW / 48A Cable length24 feet ConnectivityWiFi-enabled, App Power capabilitiesPair with an Emporia Vue Smart Home Energy Monitor to automatically charge only with excess solar power and curb charging during peak demand Indoor/outdoorBoth; watertight NEMA Type 4 enclosure is made to withstand the elements Equipment warranty3 years Additional featuresUL and ENERGY STAR Certified, provides real-time energy data, ties in with Emporia energy management system
Wiring and EV compatibility
The Emporia EV Charging Station is compatible with all EV models as long as they have the capability to charge with a J1772 charge plug, which most EVs today have other than Teslas. However, Teslas do come with a J1772 adapter so you can still charge your Tesla with this common Level 2 charge plug.
Convenience
The Emporia EV Charging Station works with most home’s electrical systems. It also has customizable power levels on a range of circuit breakers and is versatile enough to install either indoors or outdoors in most homes, apartments, and condo complexes. (Do keep in mind that if you live in a multi-unit complex, you’ll need to confirm with your HOA or complex that you can install an EV charger at your parking spot.) The Emporia EV Charging Station cable is lightweight and 24 feet long, providing flexibility in where you install it – whether that’s in your garage, carport, or parking garage.
Connectivity
The Emporia EV Charging Station can connect to your home’s WiFi network to work with the usage data tracking capability.
Warranty
The Emporia EV Charging Station comes with a three-year equipment warranty. They guarantee the charger will be free from defects in materials and workmanship, but the warranty doesn’t cover labor or shipping costs associated with returning the defective product.
The Emporia Energy app
The Emporia EV Charging Station uses the same Emporia app that other Emporia energy management products use. It’s available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for managing and monitoring your EV charging.
Image source: Emporia
There’s also a web-based app for monitoring and managing your charging and energy usage on your desktop or laptop.
Additional Emporia EV Charging Station features
The Emporia EV Charging Station is one piece of a larger home energy management system from Emporia, integrating with Emporia home energy monitors, smart plugs, and sensors. It offers a lot of innovative features not available on standalone EV chargers such as automated charging and solar-only charging.
You can monitor the EV charger energy consumption, enter your utility rate schedule, and schedule charging with no additional components. You’ll need to add the Energy Monitor to be able to monitor your whole home and individual circuit energy consumption and manage energy demand.
How much does the Emporia EV Charging Station cost?
The Emporia EV Charging Station costs $499. You can also purchase bundles that include a 16-sensor energy monitor and four smart plugs along with the EV charger. In total, it costs $614 for the bundle without plugs and $644 with the plugs included.
Keep in mind that you’ll also have EV charger installation costs and you’ll want to use a trusted, licensed, and experienced electrician to ensure your charger is correctly installed. According to Qmerit, most standard EV home charger installations cost between $799 and $1,999 (excluding equipment). Additionally, depending on your home’s electrical panel, floor plan, and wiring, you may need additional wiring so your costs may increase.
To help offset these costs, the Emporia EV Charger may qualify for rebates, incentives, and tax credits, such as a credit for installing a home EV charger, called the alternative fuel tax credit. This is a 30 percent tax credit that applies to the cost of the charger and its installation, up to $1,000 (you’ll want to consult your tax professional for more information). You may also have state or local incentives in your area.
Pros and cons of the Emporia EV Charging Station
Overall, the Emporia EV Charging Station is a very well-priced smart EV charging station. However, to fully benefit from some of the additional energy management features, you’ll need to purchase or already have some of the other Emporia energy management products. ProsCons Great price for a smart EV chargerTo integrate with some of the home energy management features, you’ll need to purchase additional equipment Receives high reviews from publications and consumers (rated 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon)There are mixed reviews on the app on the app stores Connects to Emporia’s energy management system and solar systems
Schedule your charging for off-peak hours if you have time-of-use rates
Like many home EV chargers, the Emporia EV Charging Station can help you schedule and manage EV charging if you live in an area with time-of-use (TOU) or surge electricity rates. In the app, you can enter your TOU details and create a schedule to charge your EV when it costs the least.
Emporia EV Charging Station charging speeds
One of the nice things about driving an EV compared to gas-powered vehicles (outside of avoiding the rising gas prices!) is that you can plug your car in overnight to charge and usually wake up to a full – or nearly full – charge. That said, the speed of your EV charger is helpful to know and consider. The Emporia EV Charging Station is capable of providing 10-20 miles of charge per hour, with up to 11.5 kW / 48A output, depending on your specific EV’s make and model.
Your Emporia EV Charging Station can charge at different speeds depending on a few factors, including:
Which charging output your electrical setup supports and the settings you select (6A to 48A)
Your home’s circuit breaker or service panel capacity: higher output capabilities generally mean quicker charging (usually 40A or 48A)
Energy use: power may be limited at certain times because of other energy use in your home – limited usage equals slower charging
The specific make, model, and options of your EV: bigger batteries will take longer to charge, efficiency varies by EV, and different EVs have different onboard charging capabilities which will impact the charging speed
The age of your EV’s battery: over time your battery will degrade slightly and its discharge rate (battery capacity / number of hours it takes to charge) will decrease
How to install your Emporia EV Charging Station
As with any EV charger, you’ll want to get a licensed electrician to install your Emporia EV Charging Station and ensure any additional supporting electrical work is covered, such as additional wiring or upgrades to your electrical panel. While these can add to your cost, covering both the safety aspects and enabling long-term savings (compared to filling up a gas tank) will usually make it financially beneficial to drive and charge your EV at home.
Is an Emporia EV Charging Station right for you?
If you’re looking for an affordable option for smart charging, the Emporia EV Charging Station may be a fit for you. It’s priced well and offers the opportunity to connect your EV charging to an energy management system and to a solar system.
Power your EV with solar
There’s sometimes a misconception that home EV charging is expensive. However, it’s substantially less expensive in most areas than buying gasoline – especially if you’re using solar to power your charging. Your exact comparison depends on the cost of electricity in your area and the make and model of EV you own (since various models have different ranges).
One of the best long-term solutions to lower your home EV charging costs is to go solar. You can use the EnergySage Marketplace to compare several quotes from pre-screened installers, helping you find a system that fits your needs at the right price. If you’re planning to charge an EV at home, make sure to add a note to your profile so installers can right size your solar system to sufficiently power your EV.
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