Axfast Level 2 Portable Electric Vehicle Charger Review
With electric vehicles rapidly becoming more than of a presence in the lives of the American consumer, the quest to endeavour and create products that can amend necessitate the unique demands and challenges that EV ownership brings can exist a very daunting task for companies. One of these firms trying to improve things for EV buyers is Accell. The California based company has made a name for themselves when it comes to creating portable electric charging products for buyers looking to bring EV charging wherever they go. The company kindly invited us to try one of their newest products the AxFast 3202 32 amp electric charger. But can the AxFast truly succeed in its role as a portable EV charging solution? We were eager to find out.
Heed Your Outlet:
Before we get any further. we might likewise address the white elephant that tin sometimes be this particular model'south weakness (the plug.) Beingness a 32 amp charger, the 3202 requires a special 240 volt line and outlet in society for it to draw electricity safely. The outlet accommodates a NEMA 14-50 plug, and this setup is typically seen in heavy duty appliances such as a dryer. Our office did non have this setup in place in our garage, and with our Metro Detroit facility featuring a separated garage to boot, making information technology compatible with the AxFast is a challenge. We made some phone calls, with several local electricians that we consulted giving us estimates betwixt $800 to $1000 to formally run the line from the house to the garage, and then install the outlets and connections needed to make the line work. When combined with the $549.99 request price wielded past the charger, this is a formidable initial investment for the ability to bring portable electric charging to your abode. Eventually, we managed to observe the right setup in an alternate location, and this allowed us to formally get to know it amend.
For starters, the charger does live up to its hope of being portable, with our 12 lb tester being very like shooting fish in a barrel to lug effectually from place to place. The 26.4 pes long cable is easy to manage, and offers plenty of reach to help arrange a wide range of parking scenarios. The durable plastic body of the charger is especially designed to help make wrapping the cord around it easier, and that is a welcome feature for buyers looking to apace move from identify to identify with the AxFast. The layout of the charger itself is also very straightforward with centrally mounted charging and ability lights. There is even a fault brandish to help alert you if something is wrong with the charger. While this does result in the AxFast having a function oriented blueprint that does not embrace stylish frills, we exercise like how mod and cohesive it looks when viewed from multiple angles. Accell also offers other types of chargers including Level i chargers that offer the aforementioned portability, only enhanced go anywhere functionality with the ability to run off a wider range of electrical outlets.
A Charging Solution That Any EV Tin Indulge In:
Adaptability as well as flexibility are a central defining trait that helped make our tester stand up out from the rest of the field in this segment. While some charging systems simply work with a handful of vehicles, Accell's novel unit expands on this versatility and works with all kinds of EV vehicles including the Kia Niro EV, Hyundai Kona EV, Tesla's current model lineup (with purchase of boosted adapters), and other EV offerings. While our office did not accept any EV vehicles arrive for duty during the AxFast's stay with us, nosotros chose to do the next best thing, and enlisted the services of a family friend who kindly offered the services of his older Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid during a visit to his house. This not only further demonstrated the portability of the AxFast arrangement as a whole, merely the charging gun also seamlessly connected to the Volt's charging port which certainly helps give Accell'due south claim some potent legs to stand upon.
As mentioned prior, our office did not have a readily available outlet that could handle the charger, but reaching out to a local business in boondocks allowed us to formally charge in the AxFast, with the possessor's Toyota Prius Prime serving every bit a 2nd exam bed. Like before with the Volt, the charging gun of our exam unit easily fitted into the Prime number's charging port, and it also managed to give the car a good amount of charge during the time it was hooked up to our tester.
So at the finish of the solar day, is Accell'due south newest offer certainly worth the price of admission? That ultimately depends on the land of your electrical system, with the initial investment and the installation of the specialized equipment perhaps being too big of a pill for them to swallow. Those buyers can residuum like shooting fish in a barrel knowing that the company offers other charging products that can work with more common electrical outlets, and that in plow can greatly heighten the usability and functionality of an Accell portable charger. Merely if your a buyer that either has the necessary equipment in place, or is willing to have the full plunge in order to make the AxFast 3202 EV Charger fully sync with your habitation, then you lot will be rewarded with a very valuable and handy tool that tin can help make charging your EV much easier and convenient.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over ten years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during higher, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such equally Autoshopper.com.
Carl is as well a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Visitor besides as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending fourth dimension with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit expanse, equally well every bit spending time with his adorable pets.
Source: https://www.car-revs-daily.com/2020/01/26/product-review-acell-axfast-level-2-electric-vehicle-portable-charger/
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