2018 Prius Prime Level 2 Charger Selection

No, you don't have to shop for a lower Amp charging station (the charger is built into the car). Buy a higher Amp charging station for future-proofing. It won't charge your Prime any faster than 16A. If you don't need fancy features, you can get a 16A Level 2 EVSE from Amazon for around $200.

For me, I don't need Bluetooth, I don't need any special features, I just want to plug it in to charge right away. I would recommend a plug instead of a hardwired one so you can remove it easily. I bought my Clipper Creek EVSE 3 years ago for about $490. There were not many choices back then. If I didn't have one now, I would buy a $200 one from Amazon.

 

congrats and welcome!
the evse's all have the same j 1772. buy one first, then buy the appropriate outlet. i have the twist lock, but don't know the model number.
all the best!

 

I would recommend getting a 14-30 plug (new dryer plug). That way when you travel, many homes will have this connector and hopefully it will be next to the garage. Also, when you get an estimate to install a charging station, their price may be higher. Just tell them you want to install a dryer plug in your garage.

This is what I would get for convenience, safety, 18 month warranty, and tech support from Clipper Creek $246 shipped:
https://store.amazing-e.com/level-2-charging-station-16-amp-amazing
It's more expensive at Amazon $266, $247 when choosing Clipper Creek:

If you want something cheap, no warranty?, not UL listed, do so at your own risk $159:

 

The AmazingE charger dropped to under $200 today on Amazon, so about the same as the Mfg site once tax is added.

 

Great price! Thanks for the heads-up. I don't think it's going to last long at this price unless the mfg lowered it.

 

Take the risk and use the OEM charger as level 2 charger

 

When you get the 240V outlet installed, you’ll also have to decide what amperage service you want (typically 20A or 40A). With 20A service you can use a 16A EVSE, with 40A a 32A EVSE. So for the Prime 20A service is all you need. But if you think you’ll stay in your home for a while and think you’re likely to buy an all-electric car while you're there, then 40A service might be worth the extra cost.

Similar situation for the EVSE. If you’re only concerned about the Prime, than a 16A EVSE is all you need. If you want to “future-proof” and don’t mind paying more, than go for 32A.

Most of the portable EVSEs are now dual voltage, so you can run them that 120V or 240V, and many come with adapter cables for different service outlets.

A few weeks ago I got an EVI Deluxe Dual Voltage EV Portable Smart Charger Plus, $319 from Amazon. I’ve only used it a half-dozen times, but I’m very happy with it.

You can use it on 120V or 240V, and set the current to 8, 12, or 16 amps. It comes with a L6-20 (240V, 20A) plug and two adapter cables, one to a 5-15 plug (120V, 15A, used in my garage) the other to a 14-50 plug (50A).

I really like the display. It shows the voltage at the outlet, so you can see how much it drops when you start charging (then if the size of the drop makes your uncomfortable, you can switch to a lower current). It also shows the current being drawn (so you may catch when you’re near the end of the charge and the current drops significantly). It also shows the total kilowatt-hours for the charging session and the duration of the session. Lastly, it shows the internal temperature and the charging current you selected.

So for a bit over $300 I now have an EVSE that I leave in the car for use on the road, while the original one stays mounted on the wall of my garage.

FYI. Judging from the display and adapter cables, I think this is electrically the same as some Khone, Evolution, and MUSTART EVSEs, and very similar to some from Zencar or Jekayla.

 

I just finished installing a Chargepoint 32 Amp today, it was relatively easy to install, running the wires in a hot attic about wiped me out. I did plug it into the Prime but it already had a full charge so I'll have to wait until after I take a run to town before I recharged the car. I' post the results which I expect to be as normal as any other Chargepoint charging. One thing I found out, I tried to buy the 8 gauge wiring at Lowes but found that I can buy the same wire on EBay for $20 less with free shipping-guess which one I took....

 

I ordered the MUSTART 32a level 2 charger (Amazon $399) on 8/10/18 and received it on Sunday, 8/12/18. I ran some 10 gauge copper to wire in a 240v outlet for it and was up and running in a few hours. When my wife came home with her Prime battery drained (no EV left) I plugged it in and it charged it full (6.212kWh) in 01:53:02. So less than two hours for a full charge. The 32a charger was charging at 16a because, as we know, that is the max charging current for the Prime. I've uploaded a picture of the display on the charger that shows the final result.

I got a 32a charger because I will be receiving a Honda Clarity in the next month and its level 1 charging time is significantly longer than the 5.5 hours on the Prime because of its larger battery.

 

You're fine with the 10ga wire now for 16a charging, but everything I'm reading says you should have 8ga wire (not 10ga) for a 32a EVSE on a 40a breaker. (If anything were to use the receptacle for 40A in the future, it would not be the correct wire)