Complete review of the Wallbox Pulsar Plus EV charger

If you've bought an electric vehicle (EV) recently or are considering one, you're not alone! U.S. EV sales grew 76% year over year in Q1 2022 to make up 5.2% of automotive sales, according to Kelley Blue Book. Having an EV charger at your home allows you to more efficiently and quickly charge your EV at home while managing and monitoring your charging and energy usage. (Bonus: If you have solar, you can power your car with the sun!)

Wallbox is a leader in EV charging, with advanced EV charging and energy management systems for homes and commercial spaces. They're focused on innovative solutions so you can power your EV chargers with solar systems and manage charging to make it the most effective and economically efficient. In this article, we'll focus on the Pulsar Plus EV charger, which you can use both at home and on the go.

Before diving into Wallbox EV chargers specifically, it's important to know the different levels of charging you can do at home and how they vary. EV chargers are also known as EVSEs, which stands for electric vehicle supply equipment.

A Level 1 charger is just using a standard outlet at your home. To do this, you just use a standard 120-volt wall outlet with a J1772 connector. However, this is very slow, only adding approximately 2-5 miles per hour to your range. The Pulsar Plus is a Level 2 charger, the standard for home EV charging. It allows you to charge much more quickly than a Level 1 charger, providing up to 35 miles of range per hour, depending on which EV you own.

The Wallbox Pulsar Plus is a compact EV home charger with two options for power capacity, which is measured in amps (A) — 40A or 48A.

Key features of Wallbox Pulsar Plus home EV charger

Wiring and EV compatibility

The Pulsar Plus home charger is compatible with all EV models as long as they have the capability to charge with a J1772 charge plug, which most EVs today have other than Teslas. Teslas do come with a J1772 adapter, though, so you can still charge your Tesla with this common Level 2 charge plug.

Convenience

The Wallbox Pulsar Plus home charger can adapt and be used with most home's electrical systems. It also has adjustable power levels from 6A to 40A or 48A and is versatile enough to install either indoors or outdoors in most homes, apartments, and condo complexes. (Do keep in mind that if you live in a multi-unit complex, you will need to confirm with your HOA or complex that you can install an EV charger at your parking spot.) The Pulsar Plus's cable is lightweight and 25 feet long, providing flexibility in where you install it – whether that's in your garage, carport, or parking garage.

If you have two EVs to charge but don't have enough power for multiple electrical circuits, you are also able to connect multiple Wallbox Pulsar Plus EV chargers (up to three) to share power from one circuit while sufficiently charging your vehicles.

Connectivity

The Wallbox Pulsar Plus uses WiFi or Bluetooth (managed through the Wallbox app) for updates and access to smart features.

Pulsar Plus also has onboard intelligence, which means smart functionality, including scheduled charging and locking/unlocking, is managed in the charger, not the cloud. So, you're able to access and control your charger even when you can't connect to the Internet.

Warranty

The charger comes with a three-year limited equipment warranty, which is standard with EV chargers.

The Wallbox app

Wallbox Pulsar Plus chargers use the Wallbox app available for iOs or Google Play to manage and monitor your EV charging. MyWallbox enables you to monitor the status of your charger, control it remotely from anywhere, program it to charge at cheaper rates and view real-time statistics.

Additional Wallbox Pulsar Plus features

This home EV charger offers some additional features, including:

• Voice control: Connects to your smart home system with Alexa and Google Home voice commands.

• Eco-Smart Solar EV Charging: Offers two modes through the app – either full-green mode for 100 percent solar energy or eco mode that enables a mix of solar and grid-supplied energy. Note that you will need a connected energy meter to use this feature.

• Energy management capabilities: In addition to charging your EV with solar, you can use Wallbox's Energy Management Solutions suite of products that enables dynamic load balancing – increasing or decreasing the charging speed based on your home's real-time power demand and energy usage. Wallbox has a power meter available for $279 that connects directly to your Pulsar Plus to add this functionality.

The Wallbox Pulsar Plus EV charger costs $649 for the 40A version and $699 for the 48A one. Keep in mind that you'll also have EV charger installation costs, as you'll want a trusted, licensed, and experienced electrician to ensure your charger is correctly installed. Most standard EV home charger installations cost between $799 and $1,999. Additionally, depending on your home's electrical panel, floor plan, and wiring, you may need additional wiring, so your costs may increase.

The Wallbox chargers are compact and offer several safety and advanced technology features. While there are cheaper options for a smart charger, it is competitively priced and also easy to install.

Schedule your charging for off-peak hours if you have time-of-use (TOU) rates.

Like many home EV chargers, the Wallbox home EV chargers can help you schedule and manage EV charging if you live in an area with TOU or surge electricity rates. In the app, you can enter your TOU details and create a schedule to charge your EV when it costs the least.

One of the nice things about driving an EV compared to gas-powered vehicles (outside of avoiding the rising gas prices!) is that you can plug your car in overnight to charge and usually wake up to a full – or nearly full – charge. That said, the speed of your EV charger is helpful to know and consider. The Pulsar Plus EV home charger is capable of providing up to 35 miles of charge on average, with up to 11.5 kW/48A output, depending on your specific EV's make and model.

Your Wallbox charger can charge at different speeds depending on a few factors, including:

• Which option you select (40A or 48A)

• Your home's circuit breaker output: Higher output capabilities mean quicker charging.

• Energy use: Power may be limited at certain times because of other energy use in your home – limited usage equals slower charging

• The specific make, model, and options of your EV: Bigger batteries will take longer to charge, efficiency varies by EV, and different EVs have different onboard charging capabilities, which will impact the charging speed

• The age of your EV's battery: Over time, your battery will degrade, and its discharge rate (battery capacity/number of hours it takes to charge) will decrease

As with any EV charger, you'll want to get a licensed electrician to install your Wallbox chargers and ensure any additional supporting electrical work is covered, such as if you need to do added wiring or upgrades to your electrical panel. While these can add to your cost, covering both the safety aspects and enabling long-term savings (compared to filling up a gas tank) will usually make it financially beneficial to drive and charge your EV at home.

You can work with an experienced electrician near you or find one through Qmerit, a trusted EnergySage partner and home EV charging installation leader who works with a network of certified installers.

If you are looking for an easy-to-install, quick, and reliable charger, the Wallbox Pulsar Plus is a great option. With its added technological features, remote monitoring, and ability to charge multiple cars, this is a good match for someone who wants something more than just a basic charger. The Wallbox Pulsar Plus EV charger is also small and easy enough to take with you on the go.

There's sometimes a misconception that home EV charging is expensive. However, it's substantially less expensive in most areas than buying gasoline – especially if you're using solar to power your charging. Your exact comparison depends on the cost of electricity in your area and the make and model of the EV you own (since various models have different ranges).

One of the best long-term solutions to lower your home EV charging costs is to go solar. You can use the EnergySage Marketplace to compare several quotes from pre-screened installers, helping you find a system that fits your needs at the right price. If you're planning to charge an EV at home, make sure to add a note to your profile so installers can right size your solar system to sufficiently power your EV.