Autel MaxiCharger AC 80A review

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The verdict: this is the 80-amp charger to buy if you want it to be smart. Against the Grizzl-E Ultimate it trades a metal-cased, deliberately simple design for app configuration, card-reader access control and ANSI-grade energy metering; against the Enphase HCS-80 it trades the Enphase's five-year warranty and total absence of software for 19.2 kW instead of 15.4 kW and a lot of configurability. But read the second half of this page before any of that, because the circuit requirement decides it for most houses.

The charger in full

The two questions before the spec sheet

The same two gates as every 80-amp charger, and failing either one makes the rest academic:

1. 1.Does your car actually accept more than 11.5 kW? Most do not. The EPA makes this checkable for GM's EVs because it rates the 11 kW and 19 kW onboard-charger versions as separate trims and names the charger in the trim title. For everything else, the car's own charging screen is the answer.
2. 2.Can your panel carry a 100 A continuous circuit? 80 A continuous needs a 100 A breaker. On a 200 A service with little else going on, maybe. On a 100 A or 150 A service, no -- and a service upgrade usually costs more than the charger.

Eleven miles an hour is real, and on a truck that is driven hard and turned around same-day it is worth having. Over a ten-hour night it is the difference between 160 and 270 miles, both of which cover a normal day. That is the honest frame for this purchase.

What you are actually paying for

The 6-amp floor

The widest dial-down range here. A charger that can be set to 6 A is usable on a borrowed circuit, during a panel constraint, or while load-sharing. Most chargers stop at 12 or 16 A. If you expect your electrical situation to change, this is the most practical feature on the list. Load management explained covers the related approach.

RFID access control

A card reader to ISO 15693 and ISO 14443 A/B. This is the feature that matters if the charger is not exclusively yours -- a shared driveway, a duplex, a rental unit, a small business bay. The site's other access-control option is the Leviton EV480; best EV charger with access control compares the approaches.

Revenue-grade metering

ANSI C12.20 at 0.5% is utility-meter accuracy. It matters if you are reimbursing or billing someone for charging -- a tenant, an employer, a housemate. For a single household it is a specification you will never exercise, and worth nothing.

The temperature range

-40 F to 131 F is the widest published range of any charger on this site, and Autel is explicit that it derates above 113 F, which is the kind of detail that suggests the figure is measured rather than aspirational. If you are in genuinely extreme cold, this is the spec sheet to beat. Cold weather chargers and hot weather chargers rank the field both ways.

Who should buy it, and who should not

The 80-amp field

Autel's connected unit, the Grizzl-E Ultimate for a simpler metal-cased alternative, and the Enphase for the longest warranty. Live Amazon prices with the date they were read.

1. 80 A with an app and access control

Autel MaxiCharger AC 80A

Autel Energy · J1772 · 80 A / 19.2 kW · 25 ft cable

The connected 80-amp charger: 19.2 kW, adjustable all the way down to 6 A from the app, an RFID card reader and a -40 F to 131 F rating. It asks for a 100 A circuit at full output.

What is good

• +19.2 kW, the ceiling of AC Level 2 charging
• +Adjustable from 6 A to 80 A in the app, so one unit fits almost any circuit
• +Built-in RFID card reader, which is rare outside access-control models
• +Published -40 F to 131 F range, the widest of the 80 A units here
• +Long list of published safety standards plus ENERGY STAR certification

What is not

• −80 A continuous needs a 100 A circuit, which most homes cannot spare
• −Derates above 113 F, so a hot garage will not see the full figure
• −Hardwired only, with no plug-in version
• −4G connectivity is an optional extra, not standard
• −Costs far more than the 48 A chargers most households can actually use

Published specifications for the Autel MaxiCharger AC 80A

Maximum output	19.2 kW (240 V AC x 80 A)
Adjustable	6 A to 80 A, in the app
Voltage	208/240 V AC, 60 Hz, single phase
Connector	SAE J1772 or NACS
Cable	19 ft (6 m) or 25 ft (7.5 m)
Installation	Hardwired; wall or pedestal mount
Enclosure	NEMA 3S, IK10
Operating temperature	-40 F to 131 F, derating above 113 F
Ground fault	20 mA CCID
Access control	Card reader, ISO 15693 and ISO 14443 A/B
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, Ethernet, RS485 and Wi-SUN; 4G optional
Metering	ANSI C12.20 (0.5%) compliant
Size	14.5 x 8.5 x 5.1 in; 20.3 lb with the 19 ft cable
Warranty	3 years, extendable up to 5

Skip this if: Skip it if your panel cannot spare a 100 A circuit or your car tops out at 11.5 kW -- the 48 A tier does the same job for far less.

Specifications above are the manufacturer’s published figures. Source: Autel Energy. We have not tested this unit — see how we pick.

$908.65 · View on Amazon#ad how we are funded · price as of October 17, 2026

2. A 19.2 kW car and a large service

Grizzl-E Ultimate 80A

United Chargers · J1772 · 80 A / 19.2 kW · 25 ft cable

The top of AC Level 2: 80 A and 19.2 kW, hardwired, adjustable down through eight settings. The catch is the circuit -- 80 A continuous asks for a 100 A circuit, which most houses cannot spare.

What is good

• +80 A / 19.2 kW is the ceiling of AC Level 2 charging
• +Eight current settings, from 80 A right down to 16 A, so one unit fits almost any circuit
• +25 ft cable and a cast-aluminum UL Type 4 enclosure rated -22 F to 122 F
• +UL listed with a published file number, plus Energy Star certification
• +OCPP support alongside the maker's own app, which is rare at this price

What is not

• −80 A continuous needs a 100 A circuit, which most homes cannot spare
• −Very few cars accept more than 11.5 kW on AC, so the headline figure is unusable for most buyers
• −Hardwired only -- there is no plug-in version
• −Costs far more than the 48 A tier that most households will actually use
• −2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only, like the rest of the Grizzl-E Connect range

Published specifications for the Grizzl-E Ultimate 80A

Maximum output	80 A / 19.2 kW
Adjustable	80, 64, 56, 48, 40, 32, 24 or 16 A
Connector	SAE J1772 or NACS, chosen at purchase
Cable	25 ft (7.6 m)
Installation	Hardwired only
Enclosure	Cast aluminum, UL Type 4 indoor/outdoor
Operating temperature	-30 C to +50 C (-22 F to 122 F)
Enclosure size	10.25 x 6.25 x 3.75 in
Weight	26.46 lb (12 kg), shipped
Connectivity	Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz), the Grizzl-E Connect app, and OCPP
Country of origin	Canada, per United Chargers
Certification	UL, file E510712; Energy Star
In the box	Charger, hardwire kit, mounting cradle, EasyEvPlug
Warranty	3 years, or 5 years chosen at purchase

Skip this if: Skip it unless your car actually accepts more than 11.5 kW and your panel can carry a 100 A circuit. Both have to be true, and for most homes neither is.

Specifications above are the manufacturer’s published figures. Source: United Chargers. We have not tested this unit — see how we pick.

$899.00 · View on Amazon#ad how we are funded · price as of October 17, 2026

3. A fast charger with no software

Enphase HCS-80

Enphase · J1772 · 64 A / 15.4 kW · 25 ft cable

The no-app option in this tier: 64 A continuous on an 80 A breaker, a watertight NEMA Type 4 case and a five-year warranty. Formerly sold as a ClipperCreek.

What is good

• +Five-year warranty, the longest in this group
• +Watertight NEMA Type 4 enclosure, rated -22 F to 122 F
• +No app, no account and no network dependency
• +Integrated cable wrap and a wall-mounted J1772 holster
• +Published compliance with six UL standards plus ENERGY STAR

What is not

• −64 A, not 80 A, so 15.4 kW rather than 19.2 kW
• −Still needs a dedicated 80 A circuit, which many panels cannot spare
• −No scheduling or energy reporting -- that has to happen in the car
• −J1772 only, so a NACS car needs an adapter
• −The most expensive unit covered here

Published specifications for the Enphase HCS-80

Maximum output	64 A continuous / 15.4 kW
Circuit breaker	Dedicated, 2-pole 80 A
Connector	SAE J1772
Cable	25 ft (7.6 m) or 18 ft (5.5 m), pre-wired
Input	Pre-wired 8 AWG service whip, 3 ft
Enclosure	NEMA Type 4, watertight
Operating temperature	-22 F to 122 F
Size	19.7 x 8.9 x 5.3 in; 17.8 lb
Mounting	Wall or pedestal (pedestal sold separately)
Ground fault	Integral CCID, 20 mA, auto reset
Indicators	Four LEDs: power, charging, power fault, charging fault
Warranty	5 years

Skip this if: Skip it if you want 19.2 kW -- this is 15.4 kW -- or if you want app scheduling. It has no network connection at all.

Specifications above are the manufacturer’s published figures. Source: Enphase Energy. We have not tested this unit — see how we pick.

$1,600.00 · View on Amazon#ad how we are funded · price as of October 17, 2026