16 amp EV chargers

The portable end of the market: a 20 amp circuit, a plug that fits a household socket, and no electrician.

Every figure here is taken from the manufacturer’s published listing and measured against the rest of the group. We do not test chargers. Where a listing is silent on a specification, this site prints not stated rather than a plausible default.

What this group looks like

The middle-half column spans the 25th to 75th percentile, so it describes where most of this group sits rather than being pulled about by one unusual unit.

This is arithmetic, not a design. The breaker figures here are the manufacturer’s published output multiplied by 1.25 and rounded up to the next standard size, which is what the continuous-load rule requires. They tell you what to expect before you call an electrician; they are not a substitute for one, and they say nothing about whether your panel has the capacity, what wire the run needs, or what your local code requires.

Against the market as a whole this group reaches about as far as average — a median cable of 25 ft against 25 ft overall. Cable length is the specification owners most often say they would change.

What these listings publish

Specification coverage is uneven, and knowing where it runs out is part of shopping honestly. A missing figure does not mean a worse charger — it means a less completely described one.

What they cost

Bands, not prices — and the charger is only part of the bill. A new circuit is frequently the larger half, and no listing prices it.

What a 20 amp circuit buys you

A 16 A charger needs only a 20 A breaker, which is an ordinary circuit rather than a project. At 240 V that is 3.8 kW, or roughly 12 miles of range an hour — enough to cover an average day’s driving overnight, and not enough to refill a large battery from low. For a plug-in hybrid or a second car it is frequently all that is needed.

The 120 volt fallback is much slower

Almost everything in this class also runs from a household socket, and there the same charger delivers under 2 kW — around four miles of range an hour. That is a genuine convenience away from home and it is not a charging strategy. Read the two figures separately.

What a 16 A charger is actually for

At this output a charger adds a modest number of miles per hour, which sounds inadequate and covers most driving comfortably: a typical day’s commute replaces overnight several times over. This class is where the plug-in and portable units cluster, and it is the one most likely to run from a circuit that already exists. For a household charging one car with ordinary daily mileage, buying more output than this buys speed that is never used.

The breaker is not the charger’s amperage

An EVSE is a continuous load, so the circuit must be rated at least 125 per cent of the charger’s output. Across this corpus the median charger draws 40 A and needs a 50 A circuit, and the relationship holds at every step of the range. Buyers who size the circuit from the headline figure discover the difference when the electrician quotes, and there is no breaker made at some of the amperages people expect to buy.

Cable length is the specification owners regret

Nearly every charger in this corpus that states a cable length states the same one, so the figure barely differentiates products — and it is the specification owners most often say they would change. Measure from where the unit will actually be mounted to the furthest charge-port position you expect to use, including the car parked the other way round and a second vehicle. A charger that reaches is worth more than one that charges marginally faster, and the reach cannot be added later.

A new receptacle circuit is not free

Current code requires GFCI protection on a new 240 V receptacle circuit, and a GFCI breaker at these ratings costs several times a standard one. That line never appears on a charger listing and it narrows the cost gap between plugging in and hardwiring more than most buyers expect. Where an existing receptacle is being reused, it is worth confirming what protects it rather than assuming, because an older circuit may predate the requirement.

Portable, and what that costs you

Much of this class is sold as portable — a unit with a plug rather than a wall fixture, intended to travel in the car. That flexibility is genuine and it has a cost: a portable charger left in a boot is one that is not charging at home, and repeated plugging and unplugging works a connection that a fixed installation never touches. Most households buy a portable unit and then leave it permanently plugged into the same socket, which is a wall charger with extra failure points.

Before you buy

Ask what the panel can spare before choosing an output

A charger’s amperage decides the circuit, and the circuit decides whether the job is an afternoon or a service upgrade. In an older house the panel is frequently the real constraint, and finding that out before choosing a charger saves returning one.

Measure the cable run properly

Measure from where the charger will actually be mounted to the furthest charge-port position you expect to use — the car parked the other way round, and a second vehicle. Twenty-five feet is common and is not generous once the cable goes around a car rather than straight at it.

Treat marketing language as a claim, not a specification

Where a phrase on a listing matters to your decision, look for the number behind it: a stated output in amps rather than a sentence about fast charging, a stated cable length rather than a description of reach. Where this site could not find that number, it says not stated.

Compare them

The finder below is already filtered to this group. Widen or narrow it from there — every result shows the breaker it needs and is measured against the median for its own output class.

Your requirements

Clear all

How many amps can your panel spare?

This is the charger's output, not the circuit it needs. A charger is a continuous load, so its breaker must be rated at least 125% of that figure — every result below shows the breaker it requires.

A spare 20 A circuitup to 16 A charger · 16 statedA spare 40 A circuit17 to 32 A charger · 9 statedA spare 50 A circuit33 to 40 A charger · 18 statedA spare 60 A circuit41 to 48 A charger · 17 stated70 A or more49 A and above · 11 stated

What can you spend?

A ceiling, not a band — each option includes everything cheaper. Budget for the install as well: a new 60 A circuit is often a larger bill than the charger. We show price bands rather than exact prices, because a price captured on a scrape date is wrong by the time you read it.

Up to $20027 at or belowUp to $35039 at or belowUp to $50062 at or belowUp to $80070 at or belowNo limitall 71 products

Which plug does your car take?

J1772 is the standard connector on almost every non-Tesla EV sold in North America. NACS is Tesla's, and is being adopted by other makers. Adapters exist in both directions and are cheap; the connector is rarely the thing that decides the purchase.

J1772most non-Tesla EVs · 47 statedNACSTesla and newer models · 15 stated

How will it be installed?

Hardwired means an electrician wires it to the panel — required above 48 A and generally the tidier result. Plug-in needs a matching outlet, usually NEMA 14-50. Portable units travel with the car and run from either.

Hardwiredwired to the panel · 21 statedPlug-ininto an outlet · 21 statedPortabletravels with the car · 25 stated

App control and scheduling

Scheduling charging for off-peak hours is where a smart charger pays for itself. Where a listing does not mention an app, this site does not assume it lacks one.

Yesonly chargers that state it

16 chargers match

Sort results Best documented first Largest charger output Smallest charger output

Lectron Level 1 EV Charger – ETL Certified, 110V, 15 Amp, 16 ft Extension Cord & J1772 Cable – Portable Electric Car Charger for J1772 EVs with NEMA 5-15 Plug

J1772PortableUnder $200

Breaker needed

20A

Power

1.6kW

Voltage

120V

Cable

16ft

W x D x H

4×15×11in

Weight

6lb

Check price on Amazon

Charger output

15A

Portable · up to 16 A charger · 16 chargers

Cable reach

16ft of cable

-36% vs the 25 median — shorter than most in its class

Output is -6% against the class median of 16.

EVDANCE Level 1&2 EV Charger, Electric Vehicle Portable Charger with 25FT Cable, ETL Listed J1772 EVSE for All EVs & PHEVs, 12A 120V/16A 240V(Black, 16A Max | NEMA 5-15&6-20(Standard Home Plug))

J1772PortableUnder $200

Breaker needed

20A

Power

3.8kW

Voltage

120V

Cable

25ft

W x D x H

4×8×25in

Weight

7lb

Check price on Amazon

Charger output

16A

Portable · up to 16 A charger · 16 chargers

Cable reach

25ft of cable

0% vs the 25 median — typical for its class

Output is 0% against the class median of 16.

VEVOR Level 1+2 Portable EV Charger, 16 Amp 120V or 240V, Electric Vehicle Charger with 28-Foot Charging Cable NEMA 6-20P Plug NEMA 5-15 Adapter, Plug-in Home EV Charging Station for SAE J1772 EVs

J1772PortableUnder $200

Breaker needed

20A

Power

3.8kW

Voltage

120V

Cable

28ft

W x D x H

not stated

Weight

7lb

Check price on Amazon

Charger output

16A

Portable · up to 16 A charger · 16 chargers

Cable reach

28ft of cable

+12% vs the 25 median — more reach than most in its class

Output is 0% against the class median of 16.

Level 1&2 EV Charger, Electric Vehicle Portable Charger with 20FT Cable, 3.5KW 16Amp Home EV Car Charging Station, 110V-240V NEMA 6-20 & NEMA 5-15 Plug Adapter, for All SAE J1772

J1772PortableUnder $200

Breaker needed

20A

Power

3.5kW

Voltage

240V

Cable

20ft

W x D x H

4×240×2in

Weight

6lb

Check price on Amazon

Charger output

16A

Portable · up to 16 A charger · 16 chargers

Cable reach

20ft of cable

-20% vs the 25 median — shorter than most in its class

Output is 0% against the class median of 16.

Level 1&2 EV Charger,12/16 Amp 6-20P/5-15 Adapter,25ft for J1772 EVs

J1772PortableUnder $200

Breaker needed

20A

Power

3.7kW

Voltage

240V

Cable

25ft

W x D x H

3×2×9in

Weight

8lb

Check price on Amazon

Charger output

16A

Portable · up to 16 A charger · 16 chargers

Cable reach

25ft of cable

0% vs the 25 median — typical for its class

Output is 0% against the class median of 16.

ELEGRP Level 1/2 EV Charger, 16 Amp, Portable J1772 Charger, 25FT Cable, NEMA 6-20 & 5-15 Adapter, Electric Car Charger 110V-240V for BEVs PHEVs, PBE & LRC Technology

J1772PortableUnder $200

Breaker needed

20A

Power

1.9kW

Voltage

240V

Cable

25ft

W x D x H

13×14×5in

Weight

7lb

Check price on Amazon

Charger output

16A

Portable · up to 16 A charger · 16 chargers

Cable reach

25ft of cable

0% vs the 25 median — typical for its class

Output is 0% against the class median of 16.

bokman Portable Level 1&2 EV Charger, 16A 20ft, NEMA 6-20P/5-15 Adapter

J1772PortableSmartUnder $200

Breaker needed

20A

Power

not stated

Voltage

not stated

Cable

20ft

W x D x H

3×2×8in

Weight

8lb

Check price on Amazon

Charger output

16A

Portable · up to 16 A charger · 16 chargers

Cable reach

20ft of cable

-20% vs the 25 median — shorter than most in its class

Output is 0% against the class median of 16.

Level 1 EV Charger, 25ft, 16A, NEMA5-15/6-20P for All J1772 EV.

J1772Plug-inUnder $200

Breaker needed

20A

Power

3.7kW

Voltage

110V

Cable

25ft

W x D x H

not stated

Weight

not stated

Check price on Amazon

Charger output

16A

Plug-in · up to 16 A charger · 16 chargers

Cable reach

25ft of cable

0% vs the 25 median — typical for its class

Output is 0% against the class median of 16.

Level 1 EV Charger – 2.8 Inch LED Touch Screen, 25FT, 110V/240V

J1772Plug-inUnder $200

Breaker needed

20A

Power

3.8kW

Voltage

120V

Cable

25ft

W x D x H

not stated

Weight

not stated

Check price on Amazon

Charger output

16A

Plug-in · up to 16 A charger · 16 chargers

Cable reach

25ft of cable

0% vs the 25 median — typical for its class

Output is 0% against the class median of 16.

2026 New Level 1&2 EV Charger, 8-16Amp, 25FT Cord, J1772 EV/PHEVs

J1772PortableUnder $200

Breaker needed

20A

Power

1.4kW

Voltage

120V

Cable

25ft

W x D x H

not stated

Weight

7lb

Check price on Amazon

Charger output

16A

Portable · up to 16 A charger · 16 chargers

Cable reach

25ft of cable

0% vs the 25 median — typical for its class

Output is 0% against the class median of 16.

16A Portable Level 1&2 EV Charger-ETL Certified,110V-240V Car Charger

J1772PortableUnder $200

Breaker needed

20A

Power

3.8kW

Voltage

240V

Cable

not stated

W x D x H

16×12×5in

Weight

not stated

Check price on Amazon

Charger output

16A

Portable · up to 16 A charger · 16 chargers

Cable reach

Cable length not stated, so reach cannot be compared.

Output is 0% against the class median of 16.

2026 Upgraded Level 1&2 EV Charger for ALL J1772 EV, NEMA5-15/6-20Plug

J1772PortableUnder $200

Breaker needed

15A

Power

3.7kW

Voltage

240V

Cable

not stated

W x D x H

not stated

Weight

7lb

Check price on Amazon

Charger output

10A

Portable · up to 16 A charger · 16 chargers

Cable reach

Cable length not stated, so reach cannot be compared.

Output is -38% against the class median of 16.

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Related

• The full EV charger finder — unfiltered, every install method.
• What size breaker does an EV charger need? — the full table.
• How we compile these figures.

Computed from the corpus on 2026-08-29.