Plus: Daolar J-1772 To Tesla Adapter Offers Small Form Factor At Competitive Price
EV charging times have been improving with many new EVs accepting 48-amps of current or even more from home AC Level 2 charging stations.
Until recently that meant shelling out $500 or more for an AC charger that could put that much power. But those prices are coming down.
48A Wifi-Connected Charger Delivers 11kW For Under $350
This week I’m reviewing two products from a young company named Daolar.
It recently launched a 48-amp wifi AC Level 2 charging solution for 60-amp circuits, which can charge at up to speeds topping just over 11kW per hour. It also has a step-down feature for other circuit sizes such as 50, 40 and 30 amps.
To put that charging speed into perspective, 11kW per hour is the maximum the 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E featured in the video at the top of this post is rated to accept from an AC Level 2 charging unit.
For EV newbies, the Mach-E and other EVs can fill up much quicker at DC fast chargers like those found at Electrify America and others, but when it comes to home charging, 60-amps is at the upper limit of what the circuit breaker boxes of many homes can handle.
I hooked the Daolar to a friend’s 50-amp NEMA 14-50 outlet. The charger allowed my Mach-E to quickly ramp up to 11.3 kW, slightly surpassing its factory rated speed. HOWEVER, you should NEVER do what I did in my brief test because it exceeds safety margins, according to the NEC’s 80% rule. I ran the top charging speed test on a 50-amp circuit just long enough to verify the manufacturer’s claims because I didn’t have access to a 60-amp circuit.
The NEC (National Electric Code) 80% rule states that for EV charging, electrical circuits should not be continuously loaded to more than 80% of their maximum rated capacity due to the risk of overheating the wiring. This means that if you are using the Daolar on a 50-amp circuit it should be set at 40-amps to maintain a safety margin. You can read more about EV charging safety margins in this Clean Technica story.
I’m guessing many of you many don’t have a 60-amp or even a 50-amp circuit yet – including me.
I’ve got a 30-amp circuit. The good news is the Daolar charger will step down to accommodate whatever U.S. household circuit size you have via a press of a button. However, when doing that you’ll also probably need an outlet adapter, which Daolar also sells.
Even with my older home’s 30-amp dryer outlet I’m seeing a charging speed of 5.7 kW, using the charger’s 24-amp setting. Again, a reminder to never exceed your circuit’s amperage and adhere the NEC’s safety margin rule.
If you haven’t priced a charger meant for a 60-amp circuit before, here’s a quick comparison. Ford sells one for my Mach-E. At the time of this video’s recording it cost $799. Like the Daolar, it’s rated at 48-amps.
By comparison, the Daolar cost $349 at the time of this story’s posting. The Ford unit is hardwired while the Daolar is portable.
The Daolar is wifi enabled so it will work with your smartphone or computer, showing you charging stats at a glance.
It also has a timer function to take advantage of off-peak charging discounts. For example, here in Jacksonville my utility offers a discount to charge between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Most EVs have built-in timer functions but the Daolar gives you added flexibility.
The Daolar’s timer function is pretty basic. It lets you set how many hours it will charge the EV and when you want charging to start, but that’s it. You can’t get fancy with things like days of the week.
If you’re using the timer function and you need to charge right away, you can just select start now. You can also set how many hours you want it to charge by using the unit’s right timer button. The left button cycles through the amp settings.
One note about this unit’s wifi feature: it creates a local wifi zone which means the smartphone commands will only work within range of the charger’s wifi. There’s no app. Instead, it’s set up to operate as a local webpage.
While an internet-based app would be more versitile, Daolar’s solution gets the job done. When you’re away from home, just about all EVs these days come with their own apps for checking your car or motorcycle’s charging progress remotely.
The charger appears to be well built and never became hot to the touch at either the controller or cabling during my testing.
The Daolar has UL-listed 600-volt cabling. It includes dual temperature-control sensors at the NEMA 14-50 socket and in the control box along with over-and-under voltage protection.
It comes with directions, a storage bag, mounting hardware and a thick 25-foot cable that should reach just about anywhere in most two-car garages. It’s also portable enough to take with you if you’re traveling somewhere with a NEMA 14-50 outlet.
I wouldn’t recommend mounting this charger outdoors but it does have an IP67 water resistance rating so if you get stuck charging somewhere in the rain once-and-a-while it should be okay.
J-1772 To Tesla Destination Charger Adapter
Speaking of charging on the go, Daolar also sells j-plug to NACS AC adapters. They enable all j-1772 compliant EVs to charge at Tesla NACS AC destination chargers.
What’s nice about the Daolar adapter I tested ($89) is how small it is. I’ve got a Zero SR/F, so space is at a premium but Daolar’s adapter fits easily in my motorcycle’s storage compartment.
You simply plug it into the Tesla connector and then your EV, and you’re set. It can accept up to 48-amps, 250V of current, according to Daolar’s website. This is an AC-only adapter so it won’t work at Supercharger stations, but rather at Tesla destination chargers, which are often found at hotels and area attractions.
Editorial Disclosure
Daolar provided EV Rider with review units of the charger and adapter featured in this review but did not have any editorial input into its production, nor did it see an advance copy of the video or post. Here’s is EV Rider’s editorial policy regarding review units for anyone that would like to review it.