Grizzl-E home L2 EVSE?
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I have the grizzlE charger for about 2 months. Pretty happy w it has worked without issue and $399 off Amazon. Connected to 14-50 plug so on a 50 amp circuit get about 9.5kW rate. 20-80% in less than 6hrs. I picked it because weatherproof and I have it outdoors, plus I wasn’t really interested in a ‘smart charger. Tom from ‘state of charge’ YouTube channel has reviews on many home Evse, definitely a good resource to check out.
I've had a Grizzl-E charger (the non-smart model) for almost two years. Out of the box, there was some problem (which I don't remember) but I do remember that the company made it right very quickly and sent me a replacement charger. There have been no issues since. To my eye, it's a sturdy, high-quality piece of equipment. The charging cable is thick and heavy, but I don't complain because it feels like it will last forever. Mine is hard-wired.
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If you provide more choices....there will be better answers to your questions.
I have my Grizzle for 1.5 years now for my now 30,000 miles ID.4. No problems, but I only set it to 24A / 5kw. My wiring is from an old 40A circuit originally for an electric stove (extended from kitchen to garage), so I figured I set to 24A to be safe and it is fast enough for my needs (charges to 80% overnight just fine).
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Welcome to the forum. Thread now moved to the appropriate section where you'll find much prior discussion on this home EVSE and many others.
I've had the non-smart Grizzl-e EVSE for a year and a half. I hardwired mine to the supply.
The only issue I've had: during hot summer nights (roughly 85° F in the garage), if I attempt to charge at the full 40 amps, the EVSE produces an overheating fault and stops charging. Derating the EVSE to 32 amps through the internal DIP switches solved the issue. I sleep long enough that the increased charging time isn't a problem.
Otherwise, I've had a year and a half of trouble-free charging.
The only issue I've had: during hot summer nights (roughly 85° F in the garage), if I attempt to charge at the full 40 amps, the EVSE produces an overheating fault and stops charging. Derating the EVSE to 32 amps through the internal DIP switches solved the issue. I sleep long enough that the increased charging time isn't a problem.
Otherwise, I've had a year and a half of trouble-free charging.
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Tom Moloughney of insideevs has tested many EVSE. He knows his stuff.
Check this out
Review: The Grizzl-E, A Tough 40-Amp EV Home Charger Built For The Outdoors
We get a Grizzl-E electric vehicle charger and put the high-powered, 40-amp EVSE through the test to see how it compares to the competition.
insideevs.com
EVSE he tested
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I installed the $399 'dumb' version. Could not see any advantage to having a smart one for my purposes, the car will control the charging. If you want the smart charger features, then Wall Box or EA chargers might be worth a look.
The Grizzle is well built, sealed in a weather tight box so can go outside if needed. Cable is heavy but pliable enough to be easy to use. Connector seems well built and sturdy. I have mine on a 40 amp circuit so set to 32 amps. No issues so far.
The Grizzle is well built, sealed in a weather tight box so can go outside if needed. Cable is heavy but pliable enough to be easy to use. Connector seems well built and sturdy. I have mine on a 40 amp circuit so set to 32 amps. No issues so far.
2022 Pro S RWD Glacier White/ Lunar Grey - “Luna-e”
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I’ve had one for over a year and a half - no issues so far (knock on wood). Mine is the dumb one and is plugged into my garage.
I installed the smart Grizzl-e several months ago in anticipation of getting an ID.4.
Good:
Meh:
I would get the dumb version if I were to buy again today as the car's charging options are everything I need.
Good:
- Both the electronics and the physical box and cable have fantastic build quality. This should last a very long time and can withstand abuse if outside.
- It is theoretically standards-based (OCPP) so that I can use a range of apps.
- It allows setting amps. I saw that some chargers allowed this via an app and later disabled it, probably due to liability issues. The Grizzl-E uses DIP switches inside the box to set amps, so there is not going to be an accident where someone inadvertently sets the charger to draw more than it should.
Meh:
- They update their firmware (good), but there is no way to know which version you have. It took a request to customer support to push the update, which theoretically happens automatically via the ChargeLab app, but there is no way to tell.
- They had some problems with fires due to improperly torqued cable lugs. This was likely an isolated problem.
- I have a 2023 ID.4 with ver 3.1 software. When I connect the Grizzle-E, it almost always fails the first time. I unplug the charge connector, count to five, plug it back it, and it always works the second time. I haven't yet tested it with other level 2 chargers to see if this is a VW thing or maybe a VW/Grizzle-E interaction issue.
- I saw a post from someone who wanted to integrate with the charger using the OCPP standard. After much effort, they found that it wasn't really OCPP compliant and they had to tweak some things to get it to work. ChargeLab is the only app I'm aware of that works with the charger. Given that they rely on ChargeLab to push firmware updates, it may be the only future option as well.
I would get the dumb version if I were to buy again today as the car's charging options are everything I need.
I have the smart version, was going to buy non-smart one until I found out my utility company would give me a $400 rebate if I connected it to Wi-Fi.
I am using the car to handle all charging, so only downloaded their app to connect to my Wi-Fi so I wasn’t lying when I submitted the rebate form. 🙂
went with 50 amp circuit plug so I can plug in my Rv when it’s at the house before trips.
no problems so far
I am using the car to handle all charging, so only downloaded their app to connect to my Wi-Fi so I wasn’t lying when I submitted the rebate form. 🙂
went with 50 amp circuit plug so I can plug in my Rv when it’s at the house before trips.
no problems so far
We also have the Smart version because of a $400 rebate versus the standard. I also agree with the previous posts from NWRogue and Ego54 about the pluses and minuses. See this thread about using the problems with built in scheduling - Scheduling Smart Grizzl-E.
We are now using it as a "dumb" charger and it works well. In a addition we travel with it to a second home with bracket mounted there, and that works well for us. Bottom line, just get the standard edition (unless a rebate is available) and it will serve you well.
We are now using it as a "dumb" charger and it works well. In a addition we travel with it to a second home with bracket mounted there, and that works well for us. Bottom line, just get the standard edition (unless a rebate is available) and it will serve you well.
I will (hopefully) be picking up my ID.4 next week and have been looking at the non-smart Grizzl-E for my garage. Would I be losing anything significant (charge scheduling features or anything else) by just using the features in the ID.4 rather than buying a "smart" charger?
You should look at what features the 'smart' ones offer and see if those are of interest to you. In particular getting data back showing more detailed information on power used, more complicated scheduling etc.
On pre- v3.1 software I have read that the in car scheduling could have some issues that led posters to prefer the charger handle the scheduling. However, on v3.1 that does not seem to be a problem at least from what I have read so far. You should consider what your scheduling situation is. Do you have TOU (time of use) pricing for electricity? If not then what are you scheduling? Does the car handle your specific situation? I don't have TOU so I just have the car set to immediately charge to 50% and then charge to 80% as soon as I plug in. For my needs that is all that is necessary.
My personal preference is to use the car because I need to learn that anyway. Having a smart charger is just one more app, one more interface, one more device I need to learn and take care of. I'm too old for that anymore. YMMV.
On pre- v3.1 software I have read that the in car scheduling could have some issues that led posters to prefer the charger handle the scheduling. However, on v3.1 that does not seem to be a problem at least from what I have read so far. You should consider what your scheduling situation is. Do you have TOU (time of use) pricing for electricity? If not then what are you scheduling? Does the car handle your specific situation? I don't have TOU so I just have the car set to immediately charge to 50% and then charge to 80% as soon as I plug in. For my needs that is all that is necessary.
My personal preference is to use the car because I need to learn that anyway. Having a smart charger is just one more app, one more interface, one more device I need to learn and take care of. I'm too old for that anymore. YMMV.
2022 Pro S RWD Glacier White/ Lunar Grey - “Luna-e”
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I don’t think you’d miss out on anything by having the non-smart EVSE. That is what I have But not having had one that was smart enabled, I don’t know what I’m missing I guess.
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I have had the 'dumb' version for almost 2 years. But when I traded in for a 2023, I discovered the car's scheduled charging doesn't work. Apparently when the car stops charging, the EVSE disconnects and charging cant resume. I will try again, but turning of the "Release charging connector" to see if that is what causes the EVSE to abort.
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