Tom I was sent one of these units for review and I told them straight up, I won’t even release a review until they complete the ETL certification that they claimed they were in the process of getting. Several weeks later Shockflo emailed me and said that they’re no longer going to sell the G1 so I can do whatever I want with the charger 😂 Not sure if that was just to shut me up or if they told you similar. They also tried to dupe me into believing that FCC certification meant safety certification.
I feel like I need to review the non-certified units that seem to be selling well to let people know their shortcomings. I don't think ignoring them is the right way to go, we need to show our audiences the difference between well-made units and poorly constructed ones.
Big miss, Tom, on the wire sizes, which based on other RU-vid reviews is only AWG 10 from plog to unit, and only AWG 9 for the 20 foot cord. As I'm sure you know, 40 amps requires 8 AWG gauge at minimum. I wonder if this is why they only sell a 32 AMP unit now ....
Great and very informative review as always. I have a Rivian wall charger that I am not using, if you would like to put it through the patented state of charge test.
I purchased a less expensive L2 device when my regular EVSE stopped working, the delayed charging function set by my vehicle failed to work with the cheaper unit, it would time out and come up with a fault before the vehicle had a chance to turn it on. I complained to the suppler who to be fair gave me a hefty refund to keep the unit but something Tom touched on with cheaper units not restarting after power failure this was a similar scenario.
I have this unit. Dropped the thing now the screen won't display. Still works just control it thru the Tesla app. I also keep the 1772 stored outside with Tesla adapter. Handle sometimes holds moisture but the plug stays dry. Can't use the cap with adapter.
Another reason to set the amperage on the EVSE is to lower the current to match your intended charge time and thus reduce the current load on the breaker and 240v plug.
I love the fact that the Shockflow can be adjusted. My Bolt and ID4 can't adjust the power in the car, which I have a need to do on the road. My 2 other portable chargers pull 32 amps or 40amps. I wish this was UL certified. I don't know of any UL certified , power adjustable chargers . Someone needs to start making them. Thanks for the review
👍👍 Thanks for the good review. I agree this needs to be dual voltage. It does not make sense to be portable otherwise. I would really like to see a chart comparing each of the portable charging units you have tested compared against each other. Do you happen to have that?
Well, you were right when you said the sales prices might be good. It was irresistible and I bought one. If it blows up, I'll let you know. 🙂 The old Grizzl-E didn't exactly give up the ghost but the original style charging handle just got too hard to use. Putting on magnifiers, I could see that it was melting and that is what was making it hard to use. Also noticed in its last days that the cord behind the handle was becoming hot to touch, and the cord at the plug was getting hot. The current iterations of the Grizzl-E use a different charging handle, probably for good reason, eh. They sell a new cord and handle for 200.00, but that's too close to a new EVSE, so no, I decided not to do that. Had a dual voltage Chevy charger left over from my Bolt so I started using that for 7.68 kW and it works fine. Everything stays cool, which proved it was the Grizzl-E failing, and nothing to do with the wiring or the charging port of the '23 GT PE. Will hope to get 9.6 kW with the Shockflo G1 while I decide whether to take the advice of friend and contractor about installing a 100 amp sub panel in the garage. One thing leads to another, leads to another. Not sure I want to future proof to that extent, but maybe. And there's my Too Much Information post for today.
I would set the ShockFlo at 24-amps and no higher. The cable to the NEMA 14-50 plug isn't rated for more than that. I missed that in the review, unfortunately. See the pinned comment I have above.
I think you should use greater water depth for your submersion test when they claim IP67. IP67 is submersion to a depth of 15 cm to 100 cm for 30 minutes, your submersion depth was less than 15 cm so it's not at the level of a IP67 test. You give generous points for submersion resistance, so you should fully test it or reduce points given. Recommend submersion to 60 cm or about 2 feet of water as a moderate depth. Also I would do a second charging test 24 hours afterwards because the corrosion from water ingress can take a little time to develop. Sometimes the unit will get wet inside and still work, but then a day or two later it succumbs.
The reason I don't test them at a deeper depth is that I'm trying to replicate the worst-case scenario an owner might face with real-world use. In reality, chances are the worst the unit will see is it being in a deep puddle on the ground during a heavy rainstorm. It flats so if it did drop onto some kind of bucket filled with water it wouldn't go underwater at all unless a lot of the cable also fell in and dragged it under.
I am very surprised you didn't mention that it uses 10ga wire for a 40amp charger. This is why it will never pass safety certification. Anyone using this charger I recommend keeping it under 30 amps.
The 20-ft cable is actually 9-ga, which is fine for 40-amps continuous. We don't typically use 9-ga here in the US, we go from 10-ga to 8-ga, I suppose 9-ga is available in China where this is made. I didn't check the short plug cable (I guess I should have - but assumed it was the same as the long cable) since it's 10-ga which is not suitable for a 40-amp continuous load - it is OK to use it for a short period of time, but EV charging is typically greater than 3-hous and classified as a continuous load. These are perfect examples of why I said I cannot recommend it because it hasn't been safety certified by an established certification body that inspects all of these things before giving electronic devices its approval.
Tom, thanks for the review. I do hope in the future you will open up the units to show us it's internal layout. I know you're not an electrical engineer, so you're not going to analyze its electronics. But seeing how it's constructed and if the parts are 'potted', would give an indication about its water resistance capabilities.
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney only to the extent of making a hardwire connection ... To clarify I was suggesting fully opening up all of the EVSEs at the end post.... Mostly to see if there's any internal weather protection, such as potting the electronics.... And since it's easily visually discerned, it would add some value to the post....
This is my first time commenting on any of your reviews. They are extremely informative and I appreciate your rigorous test methodology. I totally agree that the safety certification is a a big minus for this product and this certification would make this an excellent unit. The part I wanted to comment on was the wire sizes and amperage ratings mentioned in your followup comment. The 10 AWG wire size initially sounds undersized but the temperature rating and wire stranding do affect the ampacity of the wire. NEC wire ampacity tables show allowable ampacity of 35A for 75C rated conductors and 40A for 90C rated conductors. Is there a temperature rating on the 10AWG wire?? Also, the derating in a circuit does not apply to the ampacity of the wire it is for complete electrical circuit. Circuit breakers are meant to operate at 80% rating when enclosed in an enclosure (breaker panel) otherwise they will likely nuisance trip but the wire ampacity is what it is. It is not derated to 80%. So if the 10AWG wire is 90C rated then it would be suitable for 40A continuous current. I am very familiar with UL testing on circuit breakers and disconnect switches and have been conducting these tests for 25+yrs. The wire sizes are a good catch but there is more to the story and I just wanted to clarify that. Keep up the great reviews
Another reviewer asked ShockFlo to comment on the wire size and he sent me the response. ShockFlo said, apologetically, that they know the unit is in violation of UL standards. Thanks for the info, I will certainly look more closely into this for future reviews.
I need a unit that can be outside 100% of the time. Last time i bought something like this, the outer shell deformed from thr heat during the summer. I didnt notice and then of course it rained and the unit became garbage. Fortunately, it didnt damage my Bolt, the outlet or the electrical other than tripping the circuit breaker. So outside. Connecticut and New Jersey. I had bought 2 Grizzl-e units, but one failed under these conditions and im not eager to buy another one of their products.
I think you were a bit generous with some of the points, especially regarding the flimsy connector and latch. It should also lose -2 pts for not having a 120V adapter. I would have given it a score of 86.
The thing is ShockFlo doesn't say anywhere that it is a dual voltage unit, and they don't offer any adapters for 120v use. Yes, the spec sheet says 100v-240v, but the fact that you need to buy a NEMA 14-50 to NEMA 5-20 adapter just to see if it will work that way is not acceptable, IMO. If I did test that and it worked, I could have given it the 3 pts for being dual voltage and then deducted 2 pts for only having one plug configuration. But I'm not willing to give them credit for something they don't explain or even mention in any of their advertisements. @@nc3826
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Its '100v-240v AC input' capability is on its 'fact' sheet spec.. So opinions, 'IMO' or any other type, are irrelevant, to the facts.... I also mentioned this in an earlier comment... And a subsequent commenter mentioned they are currently using the 32 amp version with an adapter, to charge it from a 120 volt outlet.... So it's currently being utilized and is not just conjecture.... Which you could have and still can easily verify... And as you and the OC pointed out, there is already a deduction. For EVSEs that have the variable AC input capability but don't include the adapter. Also EVs with bi-directional charging, often don't include all the accessories needed to utilize that capability... So I'm at a loss, how you can rationalize, that it doesn't have variable AC input capability? I'm not a mind reader, but your safety concerns, about it seem to be, preventing you from presenting this objective fact about it.... Since you normally tend to be more objective about the 'facts'.... Hope you had a happy turkey day....
What chargers are out there for resedential use that can plug in 2 vehicles and load share dynamically? I found the Grizzl-E Duo but it seems to only charge one vehicle at 32A even though the other vehicle stopped charging and it is supposedly a 40A unit. Soon I will have a PHEV and and hopefully an EV so having one charging at 16A andbthe other at 24A for the first couple of hours and then the single going to 40A when the first is done will be useful.
Tom, I completely agree that safety certification is important for a home or portable unit. I don’t agree with your assessment that cable management or a holster is important for a portable unit. I think many owners would not be mounting it and if 1/3 do then they can spend $20 for a holster. It’s very nice that they provide a mounting bracket for the unit as that would not be able to be purchased off the shelf. This is a bargain unit, I think it makes sense they cut the frills. Also as for delay in hours, that makes sense on a portable unit that’s likely to be unplugged many times. You would not want to be setting the clock in order to get a delay time. Again I agree with your ideas on home units 100%.
I don't know if it's "important " but I like to see it included. It's very low cost - maybe $4.00 cost to make, and it's good to have for those using it for daily charging.
If you are delaying the charge and have a momentary power outage, will it still delay the charge as requested or just start charging when power returns?
Who on earth thought it was a good idea that an electrical appliance manufacturer (other than perhaps someone who sold electric chairs,) should name their product beginning with "shock" . Next thing, the new Airbus will be called the CrashLiner.
The 20-ft cable is actually 9-ga, which is fine for 40-amps continuous. We don't typically use 9-ga here in the US, we go from 10-ga to 8-ga, I suppose 9-ga is available in China where this is made. I didn't check the short plug cable (I guess I should have - but assumed it was the same as the long cable) since it's 10-ga which is not suitable for a 40-amp continuous load - it is OK to use it for a short period of time, but EV charging is typically greater than 3-hous and classified as a continuous load. These are perfect examples of why I said I cannot recommend it because it hasn't been safety certified by an established certification body that inspects all of these things before giving electronic devices its approval.
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney I suppose you must have forgotten that I told you months ago it was 10 AWG when I made a video on it, asked you questions about it, and offered to send it to you for a review. Now it has a 90 rating on your channel. No need for them to get certified now since they are going to sell like hotcakes as is.
Mike: The truth is, yes I did forget! That's my bad. I did explain this in the written article that will go up on InsideEVs later today and I mentioned that you were the one to uncover this and I link to your RU-vid channel. I doubt this review is going to help them sell like hotcakes because I literally said "I cannot recommend this product" Yes, it should have been penalized 2 points on the ChargerRater, but my personal score was a 70 - one of, if not the lowest scores that I have ever given. I make mistakes from time to time and I admit when I do. I simply forgot our previous conversation about this a few months back. All the best.🙂
@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney I know you are busy. I think your channel is very valuable and the best regarding EV charging and EVs in general. Thank you.
Why even review units that aren't safety certified? You could instead have a video where you show a bunch of recently released units that aren't certified, and explain why people shouldn't consider them.
I review the non-safety certified units that appear to be selling well so people can see the shortcomings. Ignoring them doesn't help people who are looking for an EVSE and don't know the difference. It's my hope that the review will show potential buyers that there are better options out there.
A person I met while DC fast charging asked me how fast my vehicle charged on level two? He said his Bolt EV charged Ok on level two, but then he started driving for Uber for extra money and bought a 48 amp 240 volt 11.5 kw "Charger". He thought something was wrong with his vehicle as it would not charge any faster. I explained to him that the "Charger" is not a charger and the AC charger is in the vehicle. So, he was pissed that he bought and installed an expensive "CHARGER" and it did not help and just wasted money. I told him they are EVSE'S and only supply the electric power to the onboard AC charging unit. Tom, this is why you should STOP calling EVSE'S chargers, but the main reason is the FACT that they are NOT chargers. Just because "everyone" else does, the does NOT make it right. You should be the one leading with FACTS and not going along with what others are saying that is factually wrong and very misleading. This should be correct now. The facts only please. Don't get pissed off, and I hope you understand my point, 😊
Thank you for the comment. I never get "pissed off" or angry at the comments on my videos. I like it when people offer me their opposing opinions, as long as they are not being sarcastic or confrontational. I have explained to my audience dozens of times why I refer to them as chargers, even though the proper literal term is EVSE. I do so because that's what just about everyone calls them, and it's what every single company that sells them calls them on their respective websites. For years, (2009-2016 or so) I always corrected people who called them chargers. However, I have come to accept that the EVSE train has left the station, and these units will be referred to as chargers by 95+% of the public looking to buy them, so that's what I will call them also. Additionally, If I refer to them as EVSE, Google will not recommend my videos/articles to people searching for "chargers" which is what practically everyone does, so nobody will find my work if I stick with the technical term.
@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Tom. I will not mention this again, but you are completely wrong in referring to the public that they charge the vehicle. Put whatever keywords you need for the search bots for RU-vid or Google. Did you read and understand about the man who bought an 11.5 kw 48 amp, as you say, charger then plugged it in, and it did not charge his Bolt EV any faster than his 32 amp EVSE! You have a Bolt EV, and you know an 11.5 kw level two unit does not help as the "CHARGER" is in the fing vehicle and is not the EVSE. Do you care what is TRUE! Or, as long as most others do it. You go along. I would never teach something that I know is wrong. Just with Kyles old Leaf and the old B series evs, the EVSE is not the problem. It's the onboard AC charger that is not working. You know gas and DIEsel do the same thing in a vehicle, but you sure cannot put gas in a DIEsel engine, or it will blow up. Tom, you can not be this hard-headed. (I AM) Truth or LIES. What will you be known for? Ask your wife's opinion 😉.
We'll have to agree to disagree on the semantics. However, I can make a better effort to educate the public on why calling them a charger doesn't mean they are literal chargers - look for a video dedicated to explaining that sometime in December.
Newbies will ignore a post that will refer to it as an EVSE, So to maximize the amount of clicks it has to be referred to as a charger. This channel is educational, but it's also a business. So like it or not it's going to keep being referred to as a charger. (the perfect is the enemy of the good)
Shockflo, what a stupid name for an electrical product. Shock is not the worlds one wants to hear when they plug in the EVSE. And it’s NOT A CHARGER. It’s and EVSE. You are a professional. You should not be using the word charger in the title.
I have explained to my audience dozens of times why I refer to them as chargers, even if the proper term is EVSE. I do so because that's what EVERYONE calls them, and it's what every single company that sells them calls them. The EVSE train has left the station, these units will be referred to as chargers by 90+% of the public looking to buy them, so that's what we call them.🙂
