At this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), some of the largest EV charger brands showed what will be coming out this year. While CES usually focuses on devices like TVs, laptops, projectors, and other home electronics, EV chargers have recently found a home here as well. With electric vehicle adoption expected to skyrocket over the next couple of years, these chargers will soon be part of most "connected homes."
Check out some of the hottest new residential EV chargers announced at CES 2022.
Blink HQ 200
The new Blink HQ 200 is their next generation of the at-home charger. The new charger supports up to 50 amps of charging, up from the 30 amps of the previous model. This increased amperage means the charging time for a car like the BMW i3 could go from 4 hours to 2 hours and 20 minutes. (Try our charging speed calculator to see how quickly a charger will top up your car)
It is one of the first Blink chargers to support vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. V2G allows cars to charge during off-peak hours, like at night, and give back energy to the grid during the day when there's high demand.
The HQ 200 also provides increased functionality through the Blink Mobile App. Users can instantly start a charge, schedule a charge for later, and set reminders using the app. Users can also control it with smart home devices like Alexa, Google Home and Siri.
The HQ200 will be available by the end of Q1 this year.
JuiceBar Cheetah
JuiceBar is a well-established player in the commercial EV charger field with hundreds of installations across the US. This year will see the introduction of their first residential charger, the Cheetah. This compact, home charger will be available in 16, 32, 40 and 48-amp configurations and will accept 120, 208, and 240 input voltages. It has a 25-foot cord with an optional tangle-free cord retractor that will make it easy to charge cars in a cluttered garage. In addition, the Cheetah charger has Bluetooth, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi onboard, making it easy to network and monitor the status from afar.
The Cheetah will be available in Q2/Q3 through third parties such as auto dealers, home builders and utility companies.
Wallbox Quasar 2
Wallbox showed off its new Quasar 2 at CES this year, and the most exciting feature was its "blackout mode." The Quasar 2 is a bidirectional home charger with vehicle-to-home (V2H functionality). That means that not only can the charger send electricity to the car or back to the grid, but the charger can also send the power to the home, having it serve the same purpose as a backup generator. Users can isolate their house from the electric grid and power their home using their EVs battery pack during a blackout. Wallbox says this charger can power a home for more than three days if needed.
Additionally, the Quasar 2 provides 48 amps of power, meaning it'll give a fast charge to get your car topped up quickly. It will be equipped with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet and optional 4G. Users can use the myWallbox app to connect to the charger and monitor their car's progress.
The Wallbox Quasar 2 is expected to launch by the end of the year.
Reducing the Cost of a Residential EV Charger
All of these chargers have some great new features to look forward to, but these bells and whistles don't come cheap. On top of that, installation of these units by an electrical contractor can increase the price even more. Luckily, rebates and incentives are available to help many homeowners reduce the cost of installing these in their homes. Use the tool below to see if you'd qualify for any incentives.
