The published specifications, side by side
Every cell is the manufacturer’s own published figure. “Not published” means we read the maker’s page and datasheet and the figure is not there — an honest gap, not a guess.
| Specification | Grizzl-E Classic Connect 40A | ChargePoint Home Flex (NEMA 14-50) |
|---|
| Max output | 40 A — “40A 10kW” direct, 9.6 kW on the listing | 40 A on the plug-in models |
| Adjustable current | “40A - 16A” | Yes, set at install; circuits rated 40 or 50 A |
| Install | Plug-in, NEMA 14-50 | Plug-in, NEMA 14-50 (6-50 and hardwired are separate models) |
| Cable | 25 ft (7.6 m) | 23 ft, per the datasheet |
| Enclosure | UL Type 4 indoor/outdoor, cast metal | Type 3R per UL 50E |
| Operating temperature | -30 °C to +50 °C (-22 °F to 122 °F) | -30 °C to 50 °C (datasheet; storage -40 to 60 °C) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, mobile app | Wi-Fi, ChargePoint app, 24/7 support |
| Certification | UL/cUL E510712 | UL and cUL to UL 2594, UL 2231-1/-2; NEC Article 625; ENERGY STAR |
| Connector | Type 1 (SAE J1772); NACS version sold separately | J1772 or NACS depending on model |
| Warranty | 3 years, with a 5-year option from the maker | 3 years |
Two notes on reading that. First, United Chargers publishes two different output figures for the same unit — “40A 10kW” on its own page against 9.6 kW on the Amazon listing. Both are defensible: 40 A × 240 V = 9.6 kW, and 40 A × 250 V = 10 kW. We quote both rather than pick one. Second, ChargePoint’s cable length, enclosure rating and temperature range are in the datasheet, not on the product page — which is the pattern across this whole category and the reason we read datasheets.
What the enclosure difference actually means
Type 4 and Type 3R are both real outdoor ratings, and this is not a waterproof-versus-not question.
Type 3R is rated against falling rain, sleet and snow. Type 4adds windblown dust, splashing water and hose-directed water. On a sheltered garage wall the distinction is academic. On an exposed driveway wall, under a gutter, or anywhere the charger will get hit by a pressure washer or sprinkler, Type 4 is the one you want.
The material matters at least as much as the digits. The Grizzl-E is a cast-metal shell: there is no plastic to go brittle over a decade of freeze-thaw and no plastic seam to open up. The ChargePoint is a well-made plastic unit with a lower rating. If your charger lives outside, that is the strongest single argument on this page, and it is why the Grizzl-E leads our cold-weather roundup and features on best outdoor chargers.
What the app difference actually means
Both chargers have Wi-Fi and an app. They are not the same kind of app, and we should be straight about which one is better: ChargePoint’s is.
ChargePoint runs a public charging network, so the home app sits inside a product the company has been iterating on for years: scheduling, energy reporting, cost tracking against your utility rate, reminders, and 24/7 support that ChargePoint publishes as part of the offer. If you want to schedule charging to an off-peak window from the charger rather than the car, or you want a tidy monthly kWh figure for an expense claim or a tenant, that is a real reason to pay more. Our smart charger roundup ranks on exactly this.
The counter-argument, which we make at length on best chargers without Wi-Fi: every EV sold in the US can schedule its own charging, the car always knows its own state of charge, and a cloud-dependent charger at the edge of your Wi-Fi is one more thing that can fail to start a session. If you intend to set it up once and never open the app again — which is what most owners do — you are paying for software you will not use.
The price gap, and what it buys
Both live prices are on the cards above with the date we checked them. The gap has been consistently wide: the Grizzl-E is one of the least expensive 40-amp chargers from a named manufacturer with a published enclosure rating, and the Home Flex sits at the top of the 40-amp band on brand and software.
Put plainly, the extra money on the ChargePoint buys software and documentation, not charging. Both units will put the same 9.6 kW into your car, on the same circuit, for the same years of warranty. If that reads as a recommendation for the Grizzl-E, it is — but a charger you enjoy using is worth something too, and nobody has ever described the Grizzl-E app that way.
Where each one wins outright
- Buy the Grizzl-E if the charger goes outside; if you want metal; if you want the longest cable of the two; if you want the lowest price from a manufacturer that publishes a real temperature range; or if you plan to set it and forget it.
- Buy the ChargePoint ifyou want scheduling and energy reporting from the charger; if you want the most thoroughly documented charger in the category, certification list and all; if you want the option of the hardwired model configured up to 50 amps for a car that can use it; or if you want a NACS version from the same product line.
- Buy neither ifyou need 48 amps on a plug-in circuit — neither of these plug-in models goes there. See best 48-amp chargers, and 40A vs 48A for whether you need it at all.
The circuit either way
Both are 40-amp chargers, so both want a 50-amp circuit: a continuous load is sized at 125% of its draw, which is 50 A for a 40-amp charger. Both plug into a NEMA 14-50 receptacle, and the receptacle grade is worth real money — see NEMA 14-50 outlets. A receptacle installed for EV charging needs GFCI protection under NEC 625.54, and a charger’s own ground-fault protection can conflict with an external GFCI breaker, which is the nuisance-tripping complaint; our plug-in versus hardwired guide works through it, and installation cost covers what the electrician will quote.
The short answer
Same amps, same circuit, same warranty. The Grizzl-E gives you a tougher box, more cable and a lower price; the ChargePoint gives you better software and a fuller specification sheet. For a charger bolted to an outside wall and expected to survive a decade, we would take the metal one and schedule charging in the car.
