The 32 Amp Blink HQ 150 Residential EV Charger

Republished By Plato

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Blink was one of the first companies to move into the public charging space at scale and now has thousands of AC and DC charging stations deployed. More recently, the company moved into the residential EV charging space and now boasts two dedicated units to support different home charging needs.

They sent us the Blink HQ 150 32 amp residential EVSE (electric vehicle service equipment) to install and review and after spending a few weeks abusing it like it were one of our own, we’re back to talk about the experience.

Disclaimer: Blink provided the HQ 150 to the author free of charge for the purposes of this review.

Before the Blink HQ 150 arrived, we reviewed the product page for it online, as many prospective buyers do. Right out of the gate, it has an attractive price, at $549.99 on Amazon. That’s on the lower end of what most J1772 EVSEs sell for, though still a tad higher than Tesla’s EVSE at $500. Granted, Tesla’s EVSE can only charge Tesla vehicles and the Blink HQ 150 can charge any electric vehicle including Teslas.

Upon unboxing the unit, the size of the primary module is very typical of EVSEs, at 11.1″ high x 7.6″ wide x 3.1″ deep. It’s light in weight, with the majority of the weight of the shipped box coming from the 25-foot-long charging cable.

As a wired unit, installation is primarily related to ensuring the appropriate outlet has been installed in the home before the EVSE arrives. At that point, the unit is essentially just a plug and play installation. A simple mounting bracket needs a few screws sunk into a stud or with secure drywall anchors. I personally always try to sink at least 2 screws directly into the stud as EVSEs should provide a long service life with almost daily bumps and jolts from removing and replacing the charging cable.

I mounted the back plate and had the unit up on the wall ready to charge our vehicle in a matter of minutes. It’s extremely easy to install if you already have the appropriate plug ready. Check out the official Blink HQ 150 installation manual for all the supporting details you may be looking for related to installation best practices, current ratings, charging times, and the like.

With the unit up on the wall, I appreciated its sleek matte black finish and its durable J1772 charging nozzle. The design makes it easy to loop the cord around it for storage when not in use without the need for a separate holster and the requisite holes in the wall.

the official Blink HQ 150 homepage for all the juicy details about the unit or to order one for yourself.