Leviton EV480 vs Emporia Classic

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Leviton is a wiring-devices company that happens to make chargers, and it shows: the EV480 is built around the problems of a charger somebody else might use. Emporia is an energy-monitoring company that happens to make chargers, and that shows too.

Side by side

Cable length is the practical difference

Eighteen feet is workable when the charge port parks within a few feet of the wall, and a problem the day you park the other way around. Twenty-four feet covers most two-car garages. This is the specification people underestimate and then cannot fix. Cable length has the measuring method.

Who needs RFID

An open driveway, a shared parking area, a small business, or a household that wants a charger nobody else can start. The card reader is disabled out of the box, so it costs nothing to ignore. Chargers with access control covers the category.

Behind a closed garage door, it is dead weight. That is not a criticism of the charger, only of buying it for the wrong situation.

Heat, and where each one belongs

Leviton publishes 122 F at the top of its range, which is worth having in a closed garage in a hot climate -- chargers reduce their output when they get hot. Emporia's Type 4 enclosure is the better-sealed rating of the two. Hot-weather chargers.

The two chargers

Same 48 amps. Cable, access control and installation flexibility decide it.

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. RFID access control

Leviton EV Series 48 A charger (EV480)

Leviton · J1772 · 48 A / 11.5 kW · 18 ft cable

Leviton's hardwired 48-amp EV Series unit: an 18 ft J1772 cord, a NEMA Type 3R enclosure rated -22 F to 122 F, optional RFID access control and ENERGY STAR certification. The EV48W version adds Wi-Fi and the My Leviton app.

What is good

• +Optional RFID access control for a shared or open driveway
• +NEMA Type 3R enclosure rated -22 F to 122 F
• +ENERGY STAR certified, with a long list of published UL standards
• +Pre-attached input cable and mounting hardware included

What is not

• −18 ft cord, shorter than most 48 A units on this site
• −Hardwired only
• −The app is on the Wi-Fi EV48W, not the EV480

Published specifications for the Leviton EV Series 48 A charger (EV480)

Output	48 A, 208/240 V; Leviton quotes 11.6 kW
Breaker	60 A
Connector	SAE J1772
Cord	18 ft
Enclosure	NEMA Type 3R
Operating temperature	-22 F to 122 F
Access control	Optional RFID, disabled when shipped
Status lights	Power present, charging, fault
Standards	UL 2594, UL 2231-1, UL 2231-2, UL 2251, among others
Wi-Fi version	EV48W, with the My Leviton app

Skip this if: Skip it if your charge port is far from the wall -- the cord is 18 ft -- or if you want a plug-in unit. The EV480 is hardwired only.

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

$712.22 · View on Amazon#ad how we are funded · price as of September 27, 2026