Portable EV Charger Selection Guide for Workshop Resale

Portable EV chargers (Level 1/2 EVSE — Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) are one of the most logical EV accessories for workshops to stock. Every EV owner needs one, installation is minimal, and the margins are reasonable at B2B volumes. But the product quality variation is enormous, and stocking the wrong units creates support headaches.

Here's what actually matters when selecting units for resale or workshop use.

Current Rating: The Most Important Spec

Portable EVSE units are rated in amps: 8A, 10A, 16A and 32A are the most common options. Higher amps = faster charging, but also higher cost, heavier cable and more heat generation.

• 8A (1.8kW): Emergency use only. Adds ~10km/hour. Fine for overnight emergency charging; not suitable as a primary home charger.
• 10A (2.3kW): The default "travel charger" spec. Adds ~12–13km/hour. Suitable for EU Schuko, AU Type I and UK Type G markets where the socket limits current anyway.
• 16A (3.6kW): The most practical option for home charging. Adds ~20–25km/hour overnight. Requires a 16A rated socket (most modern EU installations).
• 32A (7.2kW / 7.4kW): Maximum AC single-phase. Adds ~45–50km/hour. Requires a dedicated circuit in most markets; the EVSE cable becomes noticeably heavier and stiffer.

For resale: Stock 16A as your primary unit and 32A for customers with confirmed dedicated circuits. Having both available allows upsell conversations.

Protection Features That Matter

Not all protection features are equal. The ones that protect both the vehicle and the installer:

• Earth fault (ground fault) detection: Mandatory in any unit sold in EU/AU. Detects loss of protective earth before enabling charge. Without this, a socket with a disconnected earth passes no power — but the EVSE doesn't know and attempts to charge anyway.
• Over-temperature protection: Should cut power if the EVSE cable or connector exceeds ~85°C. Cheap units often omit this.
• Over/under voltage protection: Protects the OBC from poor supply quality. Should cut off below 190V and above 265V (EU range).
• Surge protection: Particularly important in markets with unstable grid supply.

AmpLink portable EVSE units include all four. LED indicator arrays show which protection is active at a glance — useful for end-user diagnostics.

Connector Types by Market

• EU/EEA: Type 2 vehicle connector, Schuko or CEE plug on mains side
• UK: Type 2 vehicle connector, Type G (BS 1363) or commando plug on mains side
• Australia/NZ: Type 2 vehicle connector, Type I (AS 3112) on mains side
• North America: J1772 or NACS vehicle connector, NEMA 5-15 (120V) or NEMA 14-50 (240V) on mains side
• China: GB/T vehicle connector, standard CN plug on mains side

Certifications Required for Resale

Before stocking any unit for resale, confirm:

• CE mark (EU mandatory — covers LVD, EMC, RoHS)
• RCM mark (Australia mandatory)
• FCC Part 15 (US, if selling into the US market)
• IEC 61851-1 compliance documentation (the core EVSE standard)

A supplier that can't provide the actual test reports (not just a certificate) should be avoided. AmpLink provides full CB reports for all EVSE products.