Skip to main content

How Your Emporia EV Charger Works *

This article explains how the Emporia EV Charger works, including its charging performance, smart features, certifications, firmware updates, and what to expect when charging your EV at home.

Updated this week

The Emporia EV Charger is a smart Level 2 home charging solution designed to be fast, flexible, and fully app-controlled. This article covers how the charger works, what it's certified for, how it stays up to date, and what to expect when it comes to charging your vehicle's battery.


Charging Rates and Performance

The Emporia EV Charger delivers Level 2 charging with a dynamic, fully adjustable charge rate:

  • Plug-in (NEMA 14-50): Supports up to 40A, delivering approximately 9.6 kWh per hour of charging

  • Hardwired: Supports up to 48A when connected to a 60A breaker

  • Adjustable range: Charge rate can be set in single-amp increments between 6A (minimum) and 48A (maximum) for hardwired installations

Charging regulation is primarily managed by the vehicle itself, ensuring safe and efficient charging at all times.


Key Features

  • Smart Energy Management — Monitor and control charging in real time via the Emporia app, including scheduling, notifications, and automated energy management

  • PowerSmart — Automatically adjusts charging rate to prevent electrical panel overload, avoiding costly upgrades. Included with the Pro; available as a paid upgrade for the Classic

  • Flexible Installation — Choose between a NEMA 14-50 plug-in or hardwired installation to suit your setup

  • Durable Design — 25-ft cable, J1772 or NACS connector, and NEMA 4 enclosure rated for both indoor and outdoor use

  • North American Compatible — Operates on split-phase 120V/240V power, standard in North American residential and light commercial setups


Energy Consumption and Network Usage

  • Standby consumption: Less than 5W (typically around 3W)

  • Internet usage: Approximately 2.6MB per day (~70MB per month)

Detailed power consumption data across different operational states is available on the Energy Star website.


Certifications

Both the Classic and Pro EV Chargers carry the following certifications:

  • UL Certified — Tested and listed by Underwriters Laboratories, meeting rigorous safety standards for electrical equipment in the United States and Canada

  • Energy Star Certified — Meets the EPA's energy efficiency guidelines for EV charging equipment

  • Overcurrent Protection — Built-in protection safeguards your home and vehicle from electrical faults

  • NEC Compliant — Meets US National Electrical Code requirements for EV charging equipment


Firmware Updates

The Emporia EV Charger receives regular firmware updates to improve reliability and introduce new features. Updates are handled automatically — your charger checks the Emporia cloud daily and installs new firmware when available without any action needed on your part.

How to check your firmware version:

  1. Open the Menu (☰) in the Emporia app

  2. Go to Settings > Manage Devices

  3. Select your EV Charger

  4. Tap Device Info to view the firmware version near the bottom of the screen

If you experience any issues with a firmware update, contact our Customer Support team for assistance.


Charging Limitations: Battery Percentage

The Emporia EV Charger does not control or read your vehicle's battery percentage. Vehicle battery state is not transmitted through the charge port — charging stops when the vehicle signals it is full, or when your vehicle's own charge limit setting is reached.

To stop charging at a specific battery percentage, configure the charge limit directly in your vehicle. Most vehicles allow this through the dashboard or infotainment system:

  1. Open your vehicle's charging settings screen

  2. Navigate to Schedule or Charge Limit (wording varies by vehicle brand)

  3. Find the charge limit slider and move it to your desired percentage (e.g., 80%)

  4. Plug in — your vehicle will stop charging once the limit is reached

Estimating charging time: Divide your vehicle's battery capacity (kWh) by the charger's rate (9.6 kWh at 40A). For example, an 80 kWh battery charged to 80% at 40A would take approximately 6.6 hours.

Note: Charging to 80% is widely recommended for day-to-day use to help maintain long-term battery health.


Feedback and Suggestions

This knowledge base is continuously updated to provide the most helpful guidance for Emporia customers. If you found this article unclear or have suggestions for improvement, please contact our Customer Support team.

Did this answer your question?