Is A Charging Station Really Worth The Cost?

I think you are asking do I need an EVSE or just the charge cord with the J1772 connector.

YES.
It is a safety thing, a simple but costly safety thing.

An EVSE is a circuit board with GFCI function and a pilot signal system to tells the car how much the EVSE is rated for, and a relay.
The car has to do a 'Handshake' with the EVSE, then the relay closes and then the car's onboard charger draws the amperage that is signaled by the EVSE

For instance a 3.3 kW EVSE will tell a Bolt or Leaf to only draw 3.3 kw and not the 6.6 kW the car can handle.
Same with the 120 V L1 EVSE.

 

How long is it to charge with regular volttage, what is that 110, 120? Is that problematic for you, taking too long? If not, if what you've got is working, upgrading seems pointless.

 

The permanently attached EVSE may have additional features: Wifi reporting, increased capacity, indicators and recordings, etc that the portable EVSE lacks. If you will not miss those features, there is little point paying for them. (I would select the EVSE first, then install the receptacle that matches it's plug)

 

You can get an EVSE for less than $200 from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B018A6QK7C/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527007476&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=16a+evse&dpPl=1&dpID=51qFEoygu-L&ref=plSrch

Since it's only 16A, you only need a 20A breaker.

 

I think OP is asking increased cost of installing in wall direct connection L2 charger worth compared to L2 cord alone if already have 220V receptacle on the wall. But I agree with you, for me shortened time to charge by L2 is not worth the cost altogether. I only go out once a day 99% of time, and I do nightly charge (L1) for next day. Feel no need for L2 charger.

 

Some stock 110vac EVSE’s will run on 220vac with a small modification, I know my voltec does.

Also there are dual voltage EVSEs available shipped to your door for $150

Is it financially worthwhile, nope
Only good for convience

 

but only for legal reasons, fear that an owner will use the wrong gauge.

 

for the standard oem 120v evse, you need a 15 amp breaker w/gfi or a gfi plug.

 

you should be able to find that info on line. i thought you decided you didn't need L2?
are you prepping for a future bev?

 

I think a 40 amp breaker is recommended for the 32 amp load.

 

there is another thread here showing how to convert the oem to 240v with a simple adapter.

 

I am a bit confused about what is being asked for in this thread. You cannot just connect the J1772 plug to a cord and attach a 240V style plug to the other end of the cord and plug it in to the 240V socket. There has to be something to implement the J1772 protocol, whether you call it an "EVSE" or a "Charging Station" or whatever. Fancier units have WiFi usage reporting and such, but you cannot get away without the basic J1772 support.