Electrify America's HomeStation EV charger promises easier installation

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Electrify America's Level 2 home charger is now available, with the Electrify Home HomeStation promising smoother synchronization with your public charging along with smart power management. Capable of up to 9.6 kW it's the company's fastest home charger, and though while that still means you won't get the sort of DC fast charging rates you'd see Electrify America's public locations, it's still faster than many rivals.

It'll support that 9.6 kW at up to 40 amps, for up to around 33 miles of range added per hour. Alternatively, since not every electrical panel can necessarily support that maximum 40 amps, there's the option to configure it for 32 amps or 16 amps instead, to save a potentially expensive upgrade (at the expense, of course, of charging speed).

The black housing of the charger is weatherproof, so that it can be installed indoors or outdoors. It lights up green to show it's ready to use, and blue when it's actively charging. For actually getting it hooked up, if you already have a 240 volt NEMA 14-50 outlet then you can just plug the HomeStation straight in.

Alternatively – or if you don't have an appropriate outlet already – there's installation offered. Electrify America has partnered with a third-party company which will offer different levels of installation, priced from $695; it will also be able to handle any unusual cases. If you'd prefer, it can be hard-wired rather than use the NEMA 14-50 plug.

The cord itself has 24 foot long, to reach out of a garage and onto a driveway.

What helps set the HomeStation apart, of course, is the connected features. Like many other Level 2 chargers, there's on-board WiFi to get it online via your home network. Through the Electrify America app you'll be able to remotely start and stop charging sessions, schedule them for later, and view the current charging status and any other alerts.

However because it's all tied into Electrify America's public network too, you can switch between the HomeStation status and the public DC fast charger network. That's useful if you need to find a place to top up while on the road, or indeed if you're keeping track of just how much power you're putting into your EV or PHEV. Soon, Electrify Home says, there'll be Amazon Alexa support for voice control of the HomeStation, too.

The charger is available now, priced at $649. It's worth checking out potentially money-saving local incentives too, since they can help offset the cost of an EV charger and its installation.