Which has the lowest charge rate – Tesla Supercharger vs Electrify America vs ChargePoint EV charger? The vast majority of those available three years ago were “Level 2,” 240-volt AC chargers that would take as much as 12 hours to fully recharge today’s long-range BEVs, like the Tesla Model 3 or Ford Mustang Mach-E. Increasingly, new chargers are operating at 400 volts and even 800 volts, delivering anywhere from 50 to 350 kilowatts. The new Kia EV6 will be able to reach 80 percent of its full capacity in just 18 minutes. Which charge station offers lowest rate – Tesla Supercharger vs Electrify America vs ChargePoint EV charger?
Pros & Cons – Tesla Supercharger vs Electrify America vs ChargePoint EV charger
Electrify America
Pros:
- Web site and app feature clean, transparent design
- Charging station operation is intuitive
- Many high-powered DC fast charging stations along highways
- Illumination makes charging stations easy to find at night
Cons:
- Relatively high prices
- Starting problems and interruptions
- Charging process takes a long time to start
- No RFID card available
- No QR code scanning for charging station identification
- Short cables make it difficult to reach EV charging ports
ChargePoint
Pros:
- Interoperability with other networks
- Charging is efficient and easy
- Filter options for free charging stations
- Extensive Level 2 network, growing number of DC fast chargers
- App provides charger utilization information (including peak hours)
Cons:
- Identification of the right charging station is challenging
- Very small displays, providing little information
- Profile creation in app takes too long
- Not many high-power stations
What is the key difference – Tesla Supercharger vs Electrify America vs ChargePoint EV charger?
Design
The design of the ChargePoint Home Flex electric vehicle (EV) charger builds on ChargePoint’s tried and true Home design with an integrated cable management system that makes charging convenient and easy. The charging adapter is made of high quality materials that feel durable enough in hand to survive the rigors of daily use with some of that use coming from our mini-humans that are less gentle with everything they touch.
Electrify America weighs 19.80 pounds and measures at 15.75″ x 8.66″ x 6.75″. It features a slim black silhouette that lights up blue while actively charging, and green to indicate readiness of use. HomeStation was styled by world renowned design and engineering firm Italdesign.
Cable length
ChargePoint
The wall-mounted ChargePoint Home Flex electric vehicle (EV) charger features a long 23-foot cable makes moving the charging port to any side of your car simple to do. The cord is extremely durable and weatherproof (the entire unit is), and it doesn’t kink when moving from place to place.
Electrify America
The cable with the NEMA 14-50 plug is thicker than I expected. The charging cable going to the J-1772 plug is 3 times the diameter of most home chargers and the the J-1772 is very solid, docks with a satisfying click. It comes with a long 24-25′ cableand good enough to use in garage even.
NEMA Plug
Electrify America
The HomeStation can be plugged in using a NEMA 14-50 style plug or hardwired by a licensed and qualified electrician. Desired output can be designated via the mobile app and with the input of a licensed and qualified electrician.
To help limit installation costs and possibly prevent panel upgrades, the charger’s maximum output can be configured during installation for 40 amps, 32 amps, or 16 amps to fit almost any home electrical panel rating.
Charge Point
ChargePoint offers the Home Flex with either a NEMA 14-50 plug or a NEMA 6-50 plug on the end. It can also be hardwired directly into the home electrical system for higher amperage installation. That makes it easy to get the garage ready before the charger comes by having a new outlet with the desired amperage installed.
Charge location
In all, there will be more than 30,000 individual charge points connected by the two networks, including Level 2 AC and DC fast charging (CCS or CHAdeMO). ChargePoint claims to be the largest electric vehicle charging network in the world, while Electrify America, created by the Volkswagen diesel emissions settlement, is committed to having 2,000 charge ports at 484 locations by July 1.
Tesla Supercharger network: 20,000+ fast chargers
20,000+ Superchargers with 2,000+ Supercharger Stations worldwide. Roughly half of those, 10,000+, are in North America.
Charge speed
Tesla has always been about fast charging. Tesla’s newest V3 stations can add up to 15 miles per minute. That’s 75 miles of charge in 5 minutes.
Electrify America – many of the chargers are rated at 150 or 350 kilowatts (kW) — the latter allowing some EVs to add up to 20 miles of range per minute.
According to ChargePoint, the Home Flex charges up to nine times faster than your regular wall outlet, providing your car with more than 35 miles of travel per hour of charging. The up-to-50-amp charging ability of the Home Flex can support any EV vehicle sold at any time in the past and present.
Partners
Both Electrify America and ChargePoint have already made such partnerships with Greenlots. Electrify America also has allied with EV Connect and SemaConnect, while ChargePoint has roaming agreements with EVBox and FLO.
Compatibility
That’s good news for those who choose to buy an EV from the growing pool of non-Tesla electrics like the Ford Mach-E, Audi E-Tron, Hyundai Kona EV, and the Chevy Bolt — not to mention all of the future Cadillac EVs coming from GM.
What is the charge rate – Tesla Supercharger vs Electrify America vs ChargePoint EV charger?
TESLA
Electric vehicle maker Tesla owns and operates its own network of what it calls Superchargers. The company maintains 1,604 charging stations globally with 14,081 Superchargers, both in public spaces and at Tesla dealerships. No membership is required, but use is restricted to Tesla vehicles, which come with a proprietary type of connector. Teslas can otherwise use SAE chargers via an adapter. The cost varies depending on the location and other factors, but it’s typically $0.28 per kWh. Where costs are computed according to time spent it’s 13 cents per minute under 60 kWh and 26 cents per minute over 60 kWh. Tesla recently reinstated its policy of offering free unlimited Supercharger access to new Model S and Model X purchasers.
CHARGEPOINT
Headquartered in California, ChargePoint is the nation’s largest charging network with more than 68,000 charging spots, with 1,500 of them being Level 3 DC Fast Charging units. Pricing is unique in that the company allows the property owner where the charger is located to set charging rates. Many of their stations are free to use, with the owner (a retailer, for example) absorbing the cost. Registration is free and charging can be enabled via a ChargePoint card, the company’s smartphone app, or a tap to charge-enabled phone. The first time a member uses a station that charges a fee the company charges $10 to a specified credit card as a balance and deducts the cost from it. Every time the balance goes below $5 another $10 is charged to the payment method on file.
ELECTRIFY AMERICA
Electrify America is owned by automaker Volkswagen and was established as part of its settlement with the government over the diesel emissions scandal. It plans to have 480 fast charging stations installed in 17 metropolitan areas in 42 states by year’s end, with each station no more than 70 miles apart. Membership is not required, though joining the company’s Pass+ plan warrants a discount. Charging costs are by the minute and are based upon location and the maximum power level the vehicle can accept. For example, in California the basic cost is $0.99 per minute for a 350-kilowatt power capacity, $0.69 for 125 kilowatts, and $0.25 for 75 kilowatts, each with a $1.00 session fee. The Pass+ plan has a $4.00 monthly fee with 350-kilowatt charging at $0.70 per minute, 125 kilowatts at $0.50, and 75 kilowatts at $0.18. A $0.40 per minute idle fee is applied if the vehicle remains connected to the charger 10 minutes or more after a session has ended.
Which is better – Tesla Supercharger vs Electrify America vs ChargePoint EV charger?
Fast chargers can charge at much faster rates than the slower Level 2 chargers you often see outside of stores like Whole Foods and scattered across cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. Tesla is still the gold standard for charging infrastructure and it shows no signs of slowing down.
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