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    "original_url": "https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/wirecutter\/reviews\/lectron-portable-ev-charger-review\/?emc=edit_ufn_20260917&nl=from-the-times&segment_id=226636",
    "parsed_content": "CarsI Saved Over $1,500 by Using a Portable EV Charger at HomePublished September 15, 202615Joel Santo Domingo\/NYT WirecutterBy Joel Santo DomingoJoel Santo Domingo has been driving EVs and PHEVs for almost 10 years, and he\u2019s still trying to figure out if they work well in his life.I am one of those people who likes to try out new tech early, so I rented a Tesla in the early 2010s to see if an electric vehicle would work for me. (Spoiler: It didn\u2019t.) I enjoyed that car\u2019s quiet demeanor, auto-steering, and adaptive cruise control, but I couldn\u2019t bear to schedule my life around hour-long stops at the sparse public EV charging stations available at the time.\u00a0I was pretty sure that buying a car with a plug meant being able to plug that car in at home, and I wasn\u2019t quite ready to commit to an expensive home-charging setup.Fast forward to today, I\u2019ve found a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that fits my life, allowing me to drive about 40 to 50 miles on a full charge and another 400 gas miles if the battery runs out. Because I work from home, it has enough range to complete 99% of my car trips in suburban New Jersey during the week, including Costco runs, evenings out, and peaceful trips to the arboretum.\u00a0Even if I had to commute into New York City, my PHEV has more than enough electric range for daily trips to the train station with juice to spare for food shopping after work. And thanks to a much broader network of public chargers (and its gas tank) I no longer have to deal with the anxiety of finding places to plug in. I only need to fill it up with gas about twice a year, aside from road trips.When I got my latest PHEV, a 2026 Lexus NX 450h+, I considered installing a wall-mounted Level 2 EV charger like my colleague, writer Liam McCabe. But in addition to the $300 charger, I\u2019d have to spend $1,000 or more for an electrician to route a new 240-volt power line to my garage from the meter on the other side of my house. Plus, if I opted for a hardwired model \u2014 which would reduce my daily charging time from 12 hours to under three hours \u2014 I would have to pay additional labor costs for installation.\u00a0Publicly available Level 2 chargers can fully charge a PHEV like mine in just over two hours.\u00a0Joel Santo Domingo\/NYT WirecutterGet today\u2019s recommendationExpert advice. Very good deals. The absolute best (and worst) things we\u2019ve tested lately. Sent to your inbox daily.Sign UpFor information about our privacy practices, including how to opt out of marketing emails, see our Privacy Policy. For general questions, contact us anytime.AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTWhy slow charging is good enough for meBest for...Best for..., The best J1772 charger to carry with you Lectron Portable Level 1 & 2 EV Charger (J1772 version)Lectron Portable Level 1 & 2 EV Charger (J1772 version)This portable J1772 charger is small enough to toss in a trunk, and it has many of the same features found in the best full-size EV chargers. Although it isn\u2019t as powerful as some others we tested, it\u2019s often less expensive.Buying options: $370 from The Home Depot, opens in a new tabMay be out of stockBest for..., The best NACS charger to carry with you Lectron Portable Level 1 & 2 EV Charger (NACS version)Lectron Portable Level 1 & 2 EV Charger (NACS version)This portable NACS charger is small enough to toss in a trunk, and it has many of the same features found in the best full-size EV chargers. Although it isn\u2019t as powerful as some others we tested, it\u2019s often less expensive.Buying options: $380 from The Home Depot, opens in a new tab$380 from Best Buy, opens in a new tabThe thing is, I rarely (if ever) need to fast-charge my car at home. I did the math and realized charging overnight (while the car isn\u2019t in use, and power costs are typically lower) would be enough to keep it topped up, even on my busiest driving days.\u00a0After weighing the options, I decided to get the Lectron Portable EV Charger, a pick in our guide to the best EV chargers. It charges more slowly than many of our other picks, but it avoids the rigmarole and costs associated with installing many home EV chargers.\u00a0\n \n \n \n \n \n \nThe green light dancing across the top of the Lectron Portable EV Charger indicates that the car is charging. The charger is weatherized enough that you can leave it outside for long periods. Joel Santo Domingo\/NYT WirecutterWith this charger, I can fully juice up the traction battery in my PHEV overnight using a standard outlet \u2014 no electrician required. It\u2019s like charging your phone at the end of the day using a USB charger, but with a much thicker and longer cable. I just have to open the charging door on my car, plug in the charger, and wake up the next day to a fully charged PHEV.Although I have the gas engine in my PHEV to fall back on, as long as I remember to plug the car in at home for two or three hours, it will recharge enough to get me to the closest supermarket or emergency room and back.The exact version I have is discontinued \u2014 that one had swappable 240-volt and 120-volt plugs and is now available only for NACS\/Tesla vehicles \u2014 but you can get a nearly identical model from Lectron for about $155. Both versions supply up to 12 amps of current from an ordinary 110-volt outlet, and they\u2019re compatible with any EV or PHEV with a J1772 port.After I plug the charger in, my car lets me know how long I\u2019ll have to wait until its battery is full.\u00a0Joel Santo Domingo\/NYT WirecutterSince the Lectron Portable EV Charger is highly weatherized, I haven\u2019t had to worry about it getting damaged when I leave it outside. So far, it has survived monsoon-like rains this summer, and I anticipate it will do fine with the snow I get in the Northeast as well. Like all our picks, it\u2019s rated to operate in temperatures between -22 and 122 degrees Fahrenheit.Success! The controller box glows solid green to let me know that charging is complete.\u00a0Joel Santo Domingo\/NYT WirecutterThe charger\u2019s 16-foot cable is long enough to reach from an outlet outside my garage to my car, and it\u2019s easy to roll up and stow in the trunk. The charging nozzle fits securely in my car\u2019s J1772 port, and simply pressing a button on the top of the handle releases it.The charger\u2019s handle plugs in like a gas pump would. Simple.\u00a0Joel Santo Domingo\/NYT WirecutterIn the six months I\u2019ve owned it, the Lectron Portable EV Charger has fit seamlessly into my life. Between it and the growing network of public chargers in my area, I\u2019ve never felt tempted to upgrade to a faster at-home charger for my PHEV.Someday, I hope to switch to a fully electric vehicle. But even then, plugging in overnight with my current setup would give me roughly 50 to 60 miles of driving range, and even more if I left it plugged in for a full day.\u00a0Would having a Level 2 charger permanently mounted on my garage wall be faster than using this portable charger and more convenient than zipping over to a nearby public charger for a quick top off? Indubitably. But for now, with the car I have and the driving I have to do daily, I\u2019m happy to keep this solution in place and use the savings for something else.\u00a0This article was edited by Sarah Witman and Erica Ogg.Meet your guideJoel Santo DomingoWhat I CoverMy coverage includes all the tools that keep you connected to your digital life, including Wi-Fi routers, mesh networks, and network computer storage. 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    "published_at": "2026-09-15T00:00:00+00:00",
    "author_name": "Joel Santo Domingo",
    "site_name": "NYT Wirecutter",
    "section": "Cars",
    "publisher": "The New York Times Company",
    "ai_headline": "I Saved Over $1,500 by Using a Portable EV Charger at Home",
    "ai_simplified_title": "Joel Santo Domingo Saves Money Using Portable EV Charger",
    "ai_excerpt": "The author, Joel Santo Domingo, details how he saved over $1,500 by opting for a portable Level 1 & 2 EV charger instead of installing a more expensive wall-mounted Level 2 charger for his PHEV. He explains that overnight charging with the portable unit meets his needs and avoids significant installation costs.",
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