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New to EVs and unsure which brand of home L2 charger to go with

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Perhaps obvious first option Rivian's but I'm seeing Tesla has a comparable one for cheaper. Also if I'm understanding correctly the Tesla connector is becoming the more default standard (included in R2 even) and that might make sense for future proofing.

Any reason to not go with Tesla for an R1S Gen2 other than needing to charge with the adaptor?
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pricedm

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Tesla Universal Wall Connector!
Agree. The Tesla Universal Wall Connector allows you to charge--without separate adaptor--your Gen1 and Gen2 Rivian with CCS/J1772 port, and the upcoming Rivian Gen2+ with native NACS. Plus it is WiFi enabled and pretty much bomb-proof.
 

SANZC02

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I use Emporia, you can check out the reviews at State of Charge listed above.

It can be hardwired or plugged in, hardwired gives you 48 amps. They have models with J3400 and J1772. I have the J1772 models and easily charge our Tesla.

Very good deal on Amazon at $399 for either connector. I’ve had one hardwired for 2.5 years, picked up one to plug in about 1.5 years ago, no issues and very happy with my choice.
 

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Rade

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That depends on your budget, and where and how the wall charger will be used.

There are a boatload of L1/L2 chargers out there; I looked at the specs for the Rivian portable charger and looked for something comparable in amperage (32A). I've attached the spec sheet; I gave that to my electrician and he had the outlet and cable parts handy, and got it done in under an hour.

I had a dedicated NEMA outlet installed in our garage and wired into a sub-panel out there; the off-the-shelf charger I bought was $159 from Amazon. Nothing fancy; no apps or Bluetooth. Just a control unit and a cord. It works just fine. If you do not have the NEMA circuit installed, that unit will also serve as a L1 charger using a standard 120v outlet.

All told, the charger and plug installation ran me under $400. Your mileage may vary.

We live on the East Bay of Rhode Island. It is the depths of Winter. My garage is unheated. I have an R1T-Large that I keep plugged into the home charger to keep the battery capped off at 85% charge, especially if I don't intend to drive for a few days. I have found that using it like that is not a huge draw on the home power.

Things to consider is how far will you drive your vehicle daily; that may determine if you really need an L2 charger. If you are only driving 20-30 miles daily, plugging into a 120v wall outlet for the night may be sufficient for your needs to get you capped off for the next day.

I am lucky here that I have several fast charging stations within a few miles if I really need to charge up fast.
 

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NeedSumCoffee

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Tesla universal really is the best wall charger to buy at the moment. There is a decent chance your next EV you buy will have a NACS port. As future proof as you can get right now.

The Tesla one just works, no dumb gimmicks. It’s tried and true and easiest to sell in the future if you ever go back to ICE.

There simply isn’t any good reasons to consider any other option. (Other than maybe just a basic NEMA 14-50 outlet)
 

CompilerBreak

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I would also suggest you look at your local electric utility provider's site, they may offer rebates on particular models. I recently got a chargepoint for $300 from mine
 

TwelveVoltMan

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I sold my Tesla and purchased an R1S partly to get away from Tesla and the political baggage associated with it. That said, I would still highly recommend the Tesla Universal Wall Connector as the best L2 charging option out there.
 

carsly

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Check with your utility first, many offer off-peak charging discounts if you use certain chargers.

I've got a Tesla Universal Wall Charger and am about to install a second one. Great app, session logging, scheduling, etc. and they just work. If you have multiple on the same panel they can communicate with each other so as not to overload the panel. Quite affordable and works every time, all the time.
 

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My name is Mike, and I have a (car) problem
Perhaps obvious first option Rivian's but I'm seeing Tesla has a comparable one for cheaper. Also if I'm understanding correctly the Tesla connector is becoming the more default standard (included in R2 even) and that might make sense for future proofing.

Any reason to not go with Tesla for an R1S Gen2 other than needing to charge with the adaptor?
I'm a big fan of the dumbest EVSE you can find, since the truck can manage current draw and charge times.

That said, the Grizzl-E is my choice.
 

mrodriguez

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I'd also consider whether you need a wall charger and not simply a 14-50 outlet in your normal charging location. I opted to not pay extra for a charger and just went with the outlet. I've not had a problem in nearly 2 years. I've drained down to 10% and charged back up to 70% overnight with the outlet only no problem. If you are basically doing daily driving and maybe an occasionally longer session it's completely viable to bypass the additional expense of a charger unit and go with an outlet only.
 
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I'd also consider whether you need a wall charger and not simply a 14-50 outlet in your normal charging location. I opted to not pay extra for a charger and just went with the outlet. I've not had a problem in nearly 2 years. I've drained down to 10% and charged back up to 70% overnight with the outlet only no problem. If you are basically doing daily driving and maybe an occasionally longer session it's completely viable to bypass the additional expense of a charger unit and go with an outlet only.
Wish I had gone this route!
Which route did you go, so that I can avoid?
 

Ohm Boy

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I have been using a Rivian walk charger for a year now since the purchase of my R1T in December of 2023. It has been completely trouble free for both my R1T and my wife’s R1S. Prior to that I had an old Aerovironment wall charger that Nissan forced me to buy when I bought my first EV, a LEAF, in 2011. It too was trouble free even with being moved to 3 different houses.
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