EVSE options for 2013+ Leafs

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend a good portable level 1 EVSE? My dad bought a Leaf Plus recently. As many here know, the dual 120/240 volt OEM portable EVSE that comes with the Leaf Plus takes up a ton of trunk space (and is largely useless as a real-world 240 volt option), so I'd like to get my dad a less bulky 120 volt portable EVSE plus a 10 gauge extension cord. I see the Lectron level 1 EVSE talked about a lot. The problem is it pulls 16 amps:
https://www.amazon.com/Lectron-Level-Charger-Extension-UL-Certified/dp/B08HHBDQ88?th=1

This seems like a great way for new EV owners to burn down airbnb's, relatives' houses, etc when they plug this into a 5-15 outlet on a 15 amp circuit and then go to sleep. Or would the Leaf (or the Lectron) know to only pull 12 amps on a 15 amp circuit? I'm seeing mixed messaging on this question in some of the customer reviews and company answers to customer questions on Amazon, Home Depot, etc. More generally, why are there so many Level 1 chargers on Amazon that pull 16 amps but seemingly none that pull 12 amps?

I use my Leaf OEM EVSE probably 6-8 times a year, mostly when staying with friends or family who don't have EVs or EVSEs. I know that it's safe to plug into any 110 volt outlet (provided nothing else on that circuit is drawing power while the Leaf is charging) because it only pulls 12 amps. But if my EVSE pulled 16 amps, I would have to verify that every one of these 110 volt outlets is on a 20 amp circuit. Or I would have to constantly verify that whatever fail safe was throttling the EVSE down to 12 amps (either in the car or charger) was indeed doing its job, every single time. How practical is that for the average EV user? At the same time, the Leaf OEM EVSE takes up an annoying amount of cargo space in the trunk. So it would seem that a safe, simple, sleek mass-market 12 amp EVSE would be of value to a lot of EV drivers...

I agree about the proliferation of 16a 120v EVSEs, my guess is they are actually meant for 240v use but also operate on 120v, thing is while there are lots of 16a 240v options pulling 16a on 120v isn't a good idea, unless the outlet is dedicated which very few are. I agree with you, it's kind of an accident waiting to happen selling such a device to the general public and is bound to cause issues as more Joe and Jane 6-packs get into EVs. That and even if they find a good 20a circuit with little other draw on it, people might be tempted to use an extension cord, and 14 or 16g at that! I'm in agreement on the 10g extension cord and it's what I use on my Leaf if pulling 16a, even though a 12g might technically be rated if the cord overlaps at all or gets covered, I'd rather have the cord run cooler to avoid thermal runaway.
If you are OK going the Chinese route, which I am if they are decently made, I have this one and really like it. I wrote a review of it on Amazon and what I liked about it is it's adjustable from 8-16a and really a nice inexpensive EVSE. At $71 the last remaining one will probably go fast but they always seem to get more. There are also other ones on Amazon, a good purchasing option IMO but buyer beware as not are all so good. I've returned a couple I didn't think were so good and wrote a review and Amazon is generally very easy to return to, maybe unless you've damaged the product or abused it in some way.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HG8TV8K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Personally if plugging into an unknown outlet and 15a at that, I'd actually be inclined to set this adjustable EVSE at 10 or even 8a for a while and if all looks good after an hour or so maybe pump it up a little. Like you said it wouldn't be good for the EV community if people were to damage someone's outlet or worse charging your EV.
Lastly, if you purchase the one I linked or similar, you'd need an outlet adapter to plug it into 120v as it comes(or should!) with a 240v plug. This is a couple I purchased and work good for up to 16a.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09GN2C64N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PNNMNC4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Kieran973 said:

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend a good portable level 1 EVSE? My dad bought a Leaf Plus recently. As many here know, the dual 120/240 volt OEM portable EVSE that comes with the Leaf Plus takes up a ton of trunk space (and is largely useless as a real-world 240 volt option), so I'd like to get my dad a less bulky 120 volt portable EVSE plus a 10 gauge extension cord. I see the Lectron level 1 EVSE talked about a lot. The problem is it pulls 16 amps:
https://www.amazon.com/Lectron-Level-Charger-Extension-UL-Certified/dp/B08HHBDQ88?th=1

This seems like a great way for new EV owners to burn down airbnb's, relatives' houses, etc when they plug this into a 5-15 outlet on a 15 amp circuit and then go to sleep. Or would the Leaf (or the Lectron) know to only pull 12 amps on a 15 amp circuit? I'm seeing mixed messaging on this question in some of the customer reviews and company answers to customer questions on Amazon, Home Depot, etc. More generally, why are there so many Level 1 chargers on Amazon that pull 16 amps but seemingly none that pull 12 amps?

I use my Leaf OEM EVSE probably 6-8 times a year, mostly when staying with friends or family who don't have EVs or EVSEs. I know that it's safe to plug into any 110 volt outlet (provided nothing else on that circuit is drawing power while the Leaf is charging) because it only pulls 12 amps. But if my EVSE pulled 16 amps, I would have to verify that every one of these 110 volt outlets is on a 20 amp circuit. Or I would have to constantly verify that whatever fail safe was throttling the EVSE down to 12 amps (either in the car or charger) was indeed doing its job, every single time. How practical is that for the average EV user? At the same time, the Leaf OEM EVSE takes up an annoying amount of cargo space in the trunk. So it would seem that a safe, simple, sleek mass-market 12 amp EVSE would be of value to a lot of EV drivers...

Click to expand...

I recently switched to a "Telsa mobile connector" (what they call their portable EVSE) + a tesla to j1772 adapter to make it charge my leafs.

https://shop.tesla.com/product/mobile-connector is $230 and then a tesla to J1772 adapter will run you about $100 depending on which one you get. (just be sure you are getting an adapter that lets you charge your leaf, not the inverse adapter from tesla that lets you charge a tesla).

"Telsa mobile connector" Includes:

1x Mobile Connector - 20’ cable
1x NEMA 5-15 Adapter (for charging at 12 amps)
1x NEMA 14-50 Adapter (for charging at up to 32 amps)
1x storage bag

End result you get an EVSE made by the top selling EV manufacturer and with a 3rd party J1772 adapter you can charge any car you ever use going forward. If you have a friend come over, or you lease a car, or you get a rental, or you buy a Tesla later.

Until then it's charging the 2 leafs we use as daily drivers.