Charging the car at home might seem like one of the best ideas they’ve sold us about owning an electric car, right? It’s convenient, it’s practical, and if you have a good garage where you leave your car charging, it’s the most attractive idea we can think of for owning an EV. But hold on, because if you’re thinking of buying your charger at Costco… better hit the brakes because we’re going to tell you what’s going on with these chargers.
And the thing is, even though Costco offers several pretty accessible options… we’re sorry to say you wouldn’t be choosing one of the best options, neither in terms of power nor versatility.
Costco sells EV chargers, but the selection is very limited, the models have important shortcomings, and you could find better options if you explore a bit more!
Costco has chargers, but not the best ones
Right now, Costco has three models for home charging. The most interesting one is the Wallbox Pulsar Plus, followed by two options from the brand Battery Tender, one of them portable. They are all Level 2 chargers (4 to 10h for a full charge), so they charge faster than a regular outlet (Level 1, which charges 3 to 8 km per hour and can take up to 50h for a full charge, yikes). The problem is that even within Level 2, they fall short if you compare them to what’s on the market!
What power do you really need?
Alright, to understand what you need or how good these chargers are, we’re going to explain it better, and for that you need to know about amperage.
A Costco charger offers about 40 amps, which is good because it’s up to 9.6 kW, which is decent and enough for most drivers, but it’s not the fastest! There are chargers with 48 amps or more, like the ChargePoint HomeFlex or the EVIQO, which can deliver up to 11 kW, reducing the charging time even more, and for those of us who are a bit impatient…
Plug-in or hardwired?
Some of these chargers can be plugged directly into a NEMA 14-50 outlet (like the ones used for dryers) or installed permanently. If you already have that outlet at home, perfect. If not, you’ll need to do an installation, and that’s when it makes sense to think carefully if it’s not better to just invest in a better charger directly.
And looking for other options?
Careful, we’re not saying the Costco chargers are bad, they do their job properly, but there are quite a few better ones (more compatible and more powerful) from other brands that work better for a similar price or maybe just a bit more money.
And what if I don’t need that much?
Then it depends on your day-to-day. If you only use the car to go to work and back, probably a basic one will do. But if you take long trips, have several EVs at home or just don’t want the car plugged in all night, a more powerful charger will make your life easier, we promise!
And the portable chargers?
One of the models Costco sells is portable. Sounds good, but it drops to 16 amps if you plug it into a standard 120 V outlet. The result? It could take more than 40 hours to charge the car, what a nightmare!! It’s useful in an emergency, yes. But not as a daily solution.
What Costco doesn’t tell you
Buying an EV charger is more than picking the cheapest one. You need to consider the electrical installation, compatibility with your car, the power you need and whether you prefer a plug-in or hardwired charger. Costco doesn’t offer much variety, and like we said, there are better ones on the market.
Also, most of these chargers require a certified electrician to check or modify your electrical system, an added cost!
Not everything that shines at Costco is a bargain
Having a Costco membership is great for many things. But in this case, it’s worth stopping to think. How many kilometers do you drive per day? How much time do you have to charge? Are you going to share the charger with another car? Buying the right charger is a decision that can save you time, energy and headaches for years.
Decent? Yes. Is it what you’re looking for? Maybe not. What do you think?