EV charger problems

"It charges slower than advertised." Usually the car, not the charger. The vehicle's onboard AC charger sets the ceiling. A wall unit rated toward the top of the Level 2 range — AFDC puts Level 2 at roughly 7.2 to 19.2 kW — delivers nothing extra to a car that accepts less. Check your vehicle's specification before blaming the install.

"The breaker trips." This is an electrical issue and it needs an electrician, not a workaround. The NEC treats EV charging as a continuous load, which affects how the circuit and overcurrent protection must be sized. Repeatedly resetting a tripping breaker is not troubleshooting; it's ignoring a warning.

"The quote doubled after they saw the panel." Annoying but often legitimate. AFDC notes some homes have insufficient capacity for Level 2. What isn't legitimate is quoting a price sight-unseen and then presenting a $1,500–$4,000 breaker box as a surprise. Insist on the site visit before the number.

"The unit failed / got hot / smells." Stop using it and call an electrician. ENERGY STAR warns that not all EV chargers for sale are safety certified, including some sold through large online and storefront retailers. Uncertified equipment on a high-current circuit is a genuine fire risk, and this is one of the few places where saving $200 is a bad idea.

How to choose

Check the car's AC limit before troubleshooting the charger

It resolves the majority of "it's too slow" complaints in about two minutes.

Never keep resetting a tripping breaker

It's protecting a circuit. Repeated trips mean something needs an electrician's eyes, not persistence.

Demand the site visit before the price

It's the only defense against a mid-project panel-upgrade surprise.

Retire uncertified hardware

ENERGY STAR's warning about uncertified chargers is not boilerplate. If the unit has no recognized lab mark, replace it.

Report faults while under warranty

Manufacturers can only help if the unit is registered and the fault is documented early.