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Blink residential chargers downgraded to 24 amps without warning

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reddy

Active Member
Jan 26, 2013
1,127
1,939
Amarillo, TX
I've had a Blink in my garage since March 2011 when my Leaf arrived. Outside of it needing a new SD Card once to boot from, it's been reliable.

After we added the Tesla, I didn't mind so much that it could only deliver 30 amps when the MS can handle 40 amps.

I was surprised the last 3 -4 weeks when I found the MS only charging at 24 amps instead of 30. I thought perhaps the MS had sensed a glitch in the current and had automatically reduced the current.

However I later noticed the Blink screen now showed 24 amps as max current. I looked further, and found that all the other Blink owners had received the following email.

"As you may know, in October of 2013, CarCharging acquired the Blink Network and the Blink EV charging stations. While the warranty for the Blink residential Level 2 charging station (Blink L2AC) previously deployed by ECOtality at your residence is no longer active, safety is of the utmost concern to CarCharging. It has come to our attention that there may be safety concerns with some of the cords included on Blink residential Level 2 EV charging stations.

This concern is related to high temperatures, which can potentially cause overheating. While this may not be a current issue with your charger, as a precaution, CarCharging has elected to reduce the amperage of your specific charging station to 24 Amps at this time. In all cases where Blink L2 chargers have been rated to 24 Amps, there have been no reported high-temperature or safety issues. This reduction has been completed remotely and does not require any action by you.

Please note that most older model EVs whose onboard chargers draw power at lower rates, such as pre-2013 Nissan LEAFs and the Chevy Volt, should not experience a change in charging times due to the reduction in amperage. EVs with higher capacity onboard chargers should still be able to fully charge during a typical overnight charging session.

While we anticipate that this reduction in amperage is only temporary until replacement parts are available for purchase, we invite you to upgrade to our newly designed residential charging station, the Blink HQ (http://www.BlinkHQ.com). With the purchase of the Blink HQ and upon the successful return of your existing Level 2 charger (shipping box and label provided), you will be eligible to receive a $100 rebate for the return of your Blink L2AC, as well as a $100 credit for the Blink Network, which includes use on any of our public Blink charging stations.

If you have any questions or would like more information on upgrading and/or start the upgrade process to the Blink HQ, please contact Blink Customer Support at (888) 998-2546 or [email protected]

Sincerely,"

Any suggestions for a good 40 amp J1772 replacement for the Blink? I think I will pass on their rebate offer.

 
I'd confirm with a local electrician, but the Clipper Creek HCS-40 should be a direct swap for your current EVSE and at a price of $590. This unit goes on a 40 amp breaker and provides 32 amps. HCS-40, 32A, 240V Charging, 25 Cord | ClipperCreek EV Charging Station | ClipperCreek Vehicle Charging Station

If your only vehicle is a Model s, you might consider a Tesla HPWC, which is rumored to be $750 now, although the web pricing wasn't updated last night. You would lose j1772 compatibility with that change, but that wouldn't be an issue if your only vehicle was a Tesla. Page 12 of the HPWC install guide tells how to set the operating current, including for your existing 40 amp circuit.