The ‘universal’ portable chargers burst in so that you never run out of batteries in your electric car. Are they worth it? We tested one of the most famous to explain its advantages and disadvantages.
Recharging an electric car is still not an easy task. And there are few things as distressing as calculating that you have enough autonomy to travel a route and, when push comes to shove, break a sweat because you see that you’re not going to make it.
And although manufacturers do their homework regarding the performance of their batteries, weight reduction, increased autonomy and recharging speed, what is the use if in the end you do not find an optimal plug among the few available, either because the head is not compatible or because the installation is not adequate to support your demands?
Fortunately, there are already companies that sell so-called universal portable chargers, which not only adapt to any model of car and power outlet, but also have a more capable transformer that works as an independent Wallbox-type charging station but mobile. They’re worth it?
How does a portable charger work?
To answer, we have tested one of the coolest of the moment, the Juice Booster 2: as you can see in the image, it consists of a cylinder 225 mm long, 70 mm in diameter and 1 kg in weight, with a 230V load capacity , 6–32 A (single-phase) or 400V, 6–32 A (3-phase) AC and 1.4–22.0 kW AC power output, depending on input current.
Includes a soft cloth case to carry everything in the trunk (black cable with 12 adapters, 1.4 m power cable, type 2 vehicle-side connector -EN 62196-, 3.1 m long) and use it wherever be necessary.
It’s time to do miles to several electric. And with that suitcase there is an extra point of peace of mind, although you must take care that it is not stolen, because the kit is around 1,000 euros. After a failed journey through public chargers, it is urgent to plug in wherever, due to charge and time available for this operation.
The Juice Booster 2 cylinder is pleasant to use, practical and aesthetic; it has an optional bracket to hang it on the wall as if it were a portable station (again watch out for the crooks); provides the peace of mind that he alone regulates the maximum power within safety…
And since it works even in those that do not have an earth connection –not like in the chargers on board cars–, it cuts off the flow if there is any anomaly. For your part, with a comfortable click and without tools, you adapt the ends that you need, you connect it to a plug and to the car and it works.
We could see this first-hand with different electric cars. For example, when plugging in the Honda e with its conventional AC charger, with a 31% charge (51 km), you had to wait 14.30 hours.
With the Juice Boost 2, the estimated time was 10. Doing the same with a Citroën ë-C4, the estimated time also changed a lot, from 7.35 hours to 4.40 hours (with 73% load and 180 km autonomy), enough to get to the airport the next day and return on time.
Drawbacks? In addition to being a sweet tooth for friends of other people (although you can ask for a lock for the adapter), its price makes plug-in vehicles even more expensive. But if you want to switch to electromobility and venture far from home, you will invest in speed and peace of mind.
The sad reality
It doesn’t matter if you have a large or small battery: electromobility is an unstoppable process, but one that has a long way to go to standardize.
Today, charging a plug-in vehicle at a public outlet can be an ordeal, due to problems like the ones described above. That’s why these portable chargers try to make things easier.
Happy ending
Whether you have an electric car with 100 km of autonomy or 400, at some point you will have to recharge. And since it is difficult to measure your day to day to the millimeter, these portable universal chargers, although expensive, can be profitable to save time, freedom of movement, installation security and not be left lying.