Our top-rated non-smart charger, the Grizzl-E, gets put to the test to see just how good it is.
We recently endorsed the Grizzl-E Classic 40-amp EV charger as our top pick for non-smart chargers in our 2020 EV Charger Buyers Guide. However, since then, we’ve begun a series of in-depth video reviews of charging equipment that we call our “Ultimate Charger reviews”.
After putting the Enel-X JuiceBox and ChargePoint Home Flex to the test, it was time to give the Grizzl-E the treatment and see just how good it holds up to our tough EV charger rating system.
We like the Grizzl-E for a few main reasons. First off, it delivers 40-amps of power which is more than most EVSE available today. For the past ten years, the vast majority of non-Tesla EVs available couldn’t accept more than 32-amps while charging on AC electric, so the charging equipment was designed to deliver a maximum of 32-amps.
However, that’s not true with many of the new EVs, especially those with large batteries and long driving range. We’re now seeing 40-amp onboard chargers and even those that can accept 48-amps. Therefore, it makes sense to consider a high-powered EV charger today, even if your current EV cannot accept that much power. That’s because your next EV most likely will.
There’s no need to worry about the charging equipment being “too powerful” for your EV, because the car is always in control of how much power it receives, and will only call for the maximum power it can safely accept.
We also like the fact that the Grizzl-E is a tough unit with an aluminum outer case that has a NEMA-4 rating. It’s exceptionally suited for outdoor use, even in the most challenging environments. United Chargers, makers of the Grizzl-E is based in Canada, and they design their equipment to handle harsh Canadian winters.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the Grizzl-E is priced very reasonably. Starting at only $399.00, it’s one of the most affordable chargers that is durable, can deliver 40-amps, and is also safety certified.
As part of the review, we place the Grizzl-E in a freezer overnight to see how bendable the cable is after being frozen for 12 hours. United Chargers has a premium cable option for the Grizzl-E that costs an additional $20.00 which we had on our test unit. The cable performed very well in the deep freeze test. It was not quite as good as the cable on the ChargePoint Home Flex, but much better than the cable used by the JuiceBox.
After the review, we rate the chargers on a 5-star rating, which is the average score the unit gets from our own ChargerRater points-based system, and my own personal score. It’s important to note that I first use the charger for a couple of weeks to get a good understanding of how it is to use on a daily basis.
The Grizzl-E scored 87 points on the ChargerRater, which translates into 4.35 stars out of 5. I then gave it my personal score of 4.75 stars and the combined final score was 4.55 stars. That’s an extremely high score for a non-smart charger and confirms to us that our decision to list it as a top-pick for 2020 was justified.
So check out the video and let us know what you think. Is there something we’re missing from the charger reviews? We’d love to hear your feedback and will consider your suggestions on improving our reviews. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Source:State of Charge
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