FLO Home X3 vs Emporia Classic

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The FLO is the charger people buy when winter is the design constraint. The Emporia is the charger people buy when they want a safe default. Both are good, and the honest comparison is less about performance than about what your driveway does to hardware in February.

Side by side

Cold, and what Type 4X adds

A Type 4X rating adds corrosion resistance to the weather protection of Type 4, which is the difference that matters where roads are salted. Add a -40 F published operating range and heat sensors in both the plug and the connector, and the FLO is plainly engineered for a harder life than a garage. Cold-weather chargers.

If your charger lives inside a garage, none of that is doing anything for you, and the Emporia covers the same job for less.

Adjustability from 6 amps

FLO's 6 A floor is unusually low, and it is useful in two specific cases: a shared or undersized circuit where the charger has to be dialed right back, and a household trying to stay under a tight load calculation. Most chargers stop at 16 A. Load calculation.

Which one to buy

• Buy the FLO for an exposed outdoor wall in a cold, salted climate, or if you need to dial the current well below 16 A.
• Buy the Emporia for a garage, a first charger, or a household that wants energy monitoring without paying for it.
• Buy either if the other is unavailable -- on a 14-50 they charge identically at 40 A.

The two chargers

Both ENERGY STAR. One is built for weather, the other for everybody.

1. A first charger, hardwired

Emporia Level 2 EV Charger (Classic)

Emporia · J1772 · 48 A / 11.5 kW · 24 ft cable

The safe default for a first home charger: 48 amps hardwired, a genuinely long cable, a NEMA 4 outdoor-rated case, and no subscription attached to the app.

What is good

• +48 A hardwired is the fastest tier most homes can realistically support
• +24 ft of cable reaches across a two-car garage without a fight
• +NEMA Type 4 enclosure is rated for outdoor mounting
• +Energy monitoring in the app with no subscription

What is not

• −Drops to 40 A if you use the NEMA 14-50 plug rather than hardwiring
• −The app is the only way to change the amperage setting

Published specifications for the Emporia Level 2 EV Charger (Classic)

Maximum output	48 A / 11.5 kW at 240 V (hardwired)
Plug-in output	40 A with the NEMA 14-50 plug
Connector	SAE J1772
Cable	24 ft
Enclosure	NEMA Type 4, indoor or outdoor
Certification	UL listed, Energy Star
Warranty	3 years

Skip this if: Skip it if you want a unit with no app or network connection at all. The Grizzl-E Classic is the simpler machine.

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

$449.00 · View on Amazon#ad how we are funded · price as of September 27, 2026

2. 50 A with an app

F50A

FLO Home X3

FLO · J1772 · 50 A / 12 kW · 25 ft cable

A 50-amp, Type 4X home charger adjustable from 6 A, sold with a J1772 or NACS connector and a 25 ft cable, hardwired or on a NEMA 14-50 plug. ENERGY STAR listed.

What is good

• +Adjustable from 6 A to 50 A
• +Type 4X enclosure -- waterproof and corrosion-resistant
• +Heat sensors in the plug and the connector
• +J1772 or NACS, and hardwire terminals that accept copper or aluminum wiring

What is not

• −Three-year warranty on the X3; FLO's five-year term is for the X6 and X8
• −The plug-in version's cord is 24 inches, so the receptacle must sit right beside it
• −Needs a 70 A circuit to run at the full 50 A

Published specifications for the FLO Home X3

Maximum output	50 A / 12 kW at 240 V
Adjustable	6 A to 50 A
Connector	J1772 or NACS, chosen at purchase
Cable	25 ft
Enclosure	Type 4X, industrial-grade thermoplastic
Installation	Hardwired, or NEMA 14-50 plug on a 24-inch cord
Heat sensors	In the NEMA plug and the connector
App	Schedules, access restriction, charging history
ENERGY STAR	Listed
Operating temperature	-40 F to 122 F
Warranty	3 years

Skip this if: Skip it if you want a charger with no app at all, or if you want the full 50 A but your panel cannot carry a 70 A circuit.

Specifications above are the manufacturer’s published figures. Source: FLO, FLO, X3 spec sheet, US EPA, ENERGY STAR. We have not tested this unit — see how we pick.

Check price on Amazon#ad how we are funded