Looking for level 2 charger suggestions

The 2024 PP XLE (model I have, most likely no change in battery/charger spec for the 2025 PRUIS plug in.)​

-The rating of on board charger in the vehicle is 3.5KW, 240V, 16A.
So that's the target for the minimum AC power supply to charge the battery
(anything in excess of that power level will not improve charging).
- 16A AC power supply can be provided using #12 AWG wire (rated at 20A).
- NEMA 6-20 receptacle (240v, 20A rating) meets min power supply needs.
- 2-pole 20A circuit breaker provides the over current protection for a 20A, 240v 12-2 AWG wire circuit.
- 1 piece compact version adapter for 5-20P or 5-15P plug into NEMA 6-20 outlet for EV charger.
. parkworld.com/products/63852?_pos=1&_sid=8cddcd96d&_ss=r
. about $30.
I believe that if you plug your Toyota provided CCID assembly directly into the adaptor, personnel safety is excellent.
If you use an extension cord to connect the CCID device to the adaptor, there are some personnel safety issues to address.

I believe there is an aftermarket CCID assembly that could be used in place of the Toyota provided CCID cable for level II 240v charging of the PP Prime traction battery, which eliminater the parlworld adaptor noted above
www.amazon.com/110-240V-Portable-Electric-Charging-Stations/dp/B0DPF897K5?th=1
about $120.

 

Can you actually get that adapter? I doubt reputable companies would sell one that would allow plugging a 50amp appliance into a 30 amp outlet. Since nobody should be doing that.

The breaker label is for peak amps. The continuous load rating is about 20% less for safety reasons. A thirty amp EVSE is the highest you should put on that circuit. Though it seems some EVSE are 'smart' and can detect the max amp, or simply be set for lower than their rating.

Next question, how handy are you? Once you find a suitable and safe EVSE, get the hard wire version. Depending on outlet location, you might be able to simply swap the outlet for the EVSE. If the outlet is in a bad spot to mount the EVSE, the easy solution is to wire it with a dryer cord of the right plug. Though putting in a new outlet box for it could be straight forward.

 

What 50A appliance ? There is no 50Amp appliance mentioned in my post !

I am suggesting a 20A 240v circuit with #12 AWG copper wire for a 16A load, which is 80% of the 20A circuit breaker rating

 

You need to change the dryer outlet to four prong if there is a ground wire in the box. I bought a Ford evse brand new never opened box for low cost on ebay. Haven’t used it yet. It comes with 120 v and 240 v pigtail adapters. The 240 is a 50 amp 4 prong plug. It can be used on lesser amp circuits as long as the breaker is rated for the wiring. Don’t know if there any rules against that, don’t think so.

 

I didn't quote you, so I'm not directly addressing your post.

@Teez has a 40 amp circuit with a 3 prong, 30 amp dryer outlet that their old EVSE used. Guessing they don't want to use the portable one supplied with the car. They may not know it can be used at Level 2, or they simply want it for travel. Sounds like the EVSEs they found for replacement are no longer are offered with the plug they want. They were looking at 4 prong, 50 amp RV plug models, so I gave the info on why they wont find an adapter to plug a 50 amp plug into a 40 amp circuit with 30 amp outlet.

It issue the OP faces isn't that the 16 amps the Prius PHV could draw through a 50 amp plug on a 40 amp circuit is a safety risk. It is in the adapter. It has to be made DIY, or swap the outlet themselves. A licensed electrician will not install a 50 amp outlet on that circuit.

Easiest solution for them is to expand the search and find an EVSE that uses that outlet. They do exist Best NEMA 10-30 EV Charger: Tested and Reviewed - EV Guides. Add nema 10-30 to the search terms.

Other solutions depend on how many wires are going to the outlet in terms of ease and cost. Dryers started switching from 3 to 4 prongs in the '90s. It didn't sound like the OP was a DIY type. If they want to pay for an electrician, then I say invest is an up grade to 50 amps for that circuit, maybe even install a hardwired EVSE.

 

The Ford one is good, everything is UL certified or listed. Supplied with Ford Lightning and Mach E. Glad I found it. Not some unknown brand.
Any common household outlet has two outlets, but the wiring is only rated for one. If two 15 amp loads are plugged in, the 15 amp breaker will trip. Explain why this is allowed. Range 50a outlets can use #8 wire. If his is #8 he is good to change it to four. They may have put a 40 breaker on #10 though.

 

Its allowed because the circuit's amp rating is based on the breaker, not number of outlets. Otherwise, each outlet would need its own circuit and breaker, or a room would need a 100 amp breaker with corresponding wire gauge. The circuit doesn't need to support all the plugs at once, just what one appliance can draw.

It's a dryer outlet. Likely wired for a dryer.

 

The breaker is there to protect the wiring and outlet. Since you have a 40a breaker, you need to have at least #8 wiring and an outlet rated 40a or better.
You currently have a 10-30r 30a ungrounded outlet. This is a fire hazard as a short will draw 40a before the breaker trips, possibly causing the outlet to catch on fire. You should replace the breaker with a 30a one to be safe.
You can also replace it with the 14-50r 50a grounded outlet used for many EV chargers, assuming you have a ground, and #8 wire or bigger (please check, this is very important). You can use a 50a outlet here because the breaker will trip before you exceed the capacity of the outlet (and wiring).
However, if you don’t have 14-50r outlet already, I would just install a hardwired charger instead. A good 14-50r outlet is expensive (over $50, don’t use a cheap one, they are not rated for the continuous draw an EV charger uses), and you would need an even more expensive 40a GFCI breaker (over $100) since you have an outlet in the circuit. Installing a hardwired charger is not any more work than installing a new outlet.

 

Teez,

My #1 requirement in a charger is durability and reliability even though I'm the only one using it and mine is mounted indoors.
Even though our vehicles draws up to 3.5 kW (14.5 amps), I didn't mind to spend a little extra for a quality 40 amp charger for future vehicles that could draw more power.

I have been happy with Grizzl E classic charger.
https://grizzl-e.com/products/grizzl-e-classic/
As with most decent chargers, charger is offered in a NEMA 14-15 plug (4 prong dryer plug) or hardwire.
I see you mention you have a 4 prong dryer plug so I don't see the need to shop for a NEMA 6-20 3 prong charger as others have suggested.

Looking back, I should have spent an extra $50 for the smart charger offered by United chargers and upgrade the original charge cable holder to the HD model.

My 2nd option of charger brands is Flo.
Even though their chargers are on the upper end of the price range like United chargers, they too also offer high quality reliability chargers.

Good luck on your search.

 

@Teez,

Ultimately, you'll need to make your own decision, but if you are looking for very specific recommendations, here's what I would do:

1. Verify, verify, verify that you have #8 wiring. Everything else is moot if your wiring is undersized.

2. Your 40A breaker is fine for #8 wiring. You do not need a GFCI breaker if you do not use an outlet, as the EVSE itself has a built in GFCI.

3. Ditch the 30A outlet, it's undersized for your breaker/wiring. It's also probably a cheap residential dryer outlet that is not rated for the continuous load of an EVSE. Don't worry, your house will not burn down now since you are not overloading the outlet. But someday, someone will not know that the outlet is undersized, and do something stupid like use an adapter to hook up a high power level 2 EVSE and try to charge their car at 40A.

4. Since you are in Toronto, I would skip the cheaper chargers like Besenergy and buy the Grizzl-E Classic instead. It's twice the price at CAD$499, but they are based in Ontario, and you should get excellent service from them if you have any issues. They have a reputation for being rock solid, and all their chargers can be hardwired by simply disconnecting the pigtail.

5. Hardwire your Grizzl-E. You save on the expensive 14-50 outlet, and the GFCI breaker. It's also much more reliable as you skip failure points of the outlet and plug.

6. Set your Grizzl-E at 32A max. You have to derate your 40A circuit because the EVSE is drawing all that current for hours on end, instead of intermittently like most loads. Your Prius will never draw more than 16A, but someday, some guest will try to use your charger at max load.

Hope this helps.

 

I have been using the ChargePoint since 2023 and it has a 3 prong plug. So you are good to go with this unit with your current plug. It was $750 at that time but prices have gone down to $599 at Amazon.

HomeFlex Level 2 EV Charger J1772, NEMA 14-50 for Electric Car - Fast Smart Battery Power Charging at Home for Electric Automobile Vehicles