Hi, what are you looking for?
The City of Cape Town Will Pay Cash For Your Excess Solar
Paul Krugman: The Inflation Reduction Act Is “A Very Big Deal” For The Climate
DTE Energy Sells Ford Largest Renewable Energy Deal Ever
CleanTechnica Series A Coming Soon!
Comparing The US & China On Climate, Economy, & Other Outcomes Should Be Deeply Humbling For America
Paul Krugman: The Inflation Reduction Act Is “A Very Big Deal” For The Climate
Comparing The US & China On Climate, Economy, & Other Outcomes Should Be Deeply Humbling For America
Historic California Offshore Wind Energy Goals Adopted, Could Power 25 Million Homes
Virginia Wades Into Offshore Wind Race, Bigly
Siting Solar & Wind Energy Projects: NREL Releases Comprehensive Databases of Local Ordinances on Solar & Wind Siting
Decarbonizing Data Centers — It’s Fun!
Most Renewables Now Cheaper Than Cheapest Coal
Kenya Elections: Electric Mobility, Utility Scale Battery Storage, Energy Efficiency & Green Hydrogen Feature Prominently
More Electricity from Wind & Solar than Nuclear for 1st Time in USA
Funding Notice: Community Geothermal Heating & Cooling Design & Deployment
Tesla Adds Model Y Variant With BYD Blade Batteries In Germany
Redwood Materials Plans Major Expansion In Nevada
Comparing The US & China On Climate, Economy, & Other Outcomes Should Be Deeply Humbling For America
Home Solar+Storage Will Get A Boost From The Recent Climate Bill, Claims Bloomberg
Comparing The US & China On Climate, Economy, & Other Outcomes Should Be Deeply Humbling For America
San Diego Electric School Bus Puts Electricity Into The Grid
Can Virtual Power Plants Provide Revenue for Householders?
ERCOT & Tesla: How Virtual Power Plants Can Help Texas Electricity Grid & Save Lives
Energy Security at the Edge of the Grid
New Heat Pumps For Old Apartments
Our Water Heaters Could Help Save the Wilderness
Heat Pumps Proved Themselves During A Harsh Maine Winter
Decarbonizing Data Centers — It’s Fun!
Greener Air Conditioning for a Warmer World
Tesla Adds Model Y Variant With BYD Blade Batteries In Germany
Yes, EVs Are Greener Than Gas Vehicles
Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Maintenance Cost Update at 3 Years & 27,000 Miles
Delta Will Provide Chargers For GM/Pilot/EVgo Deal
WiTricity Raises $63 Million In New Funding Round (With Video)
Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Maintenance Cost Update at 3 Years & 27,000 Miles
75,000 Miles With My Tesla Model 3: Maintenance Costs, FSD (Beta), Hauling, Etc.
Putting The EcoFlow DELTA Pro Power Station To A Hard Test
The Tesla App — Informing Driving & Having Fun
BioLite AlpenGlow Lanterns & Solar Charger — CleanTechnica Review
22% Of New Car Sales Now Electric In The Netherlands!
Germany’s EV Share Cold Comfort Against 34% Shortfall In Overall Auto Market
UK Plugin EV Share Shrinks In July, BEVs Still Growing
French New Auto Sales Crash 37%, BEVs Still Growing
Norway’s Plugin Market Share Drops, BEVs Still Growing
Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Maintenance Cost Update at 3 Years & 27,000 Miles
75,000 Miles With My Tesla Model 3: Maintenance Costs, FSD (Beta), Hauling, Etc.
Putting The EcoFlow DELTA Pro Power Station To A Hard Test
The Tesla App — Informing Driving & Having Fun
BioLite AlpenGlow Lanterns & Solar Charger — CleanTechnica Review
Tesla Q4 Shareholder Conference Call — Watch & Listen Here
Volkswagen Group — In-Depth Conference Call Highlights Company’s Focus On Transition
Bill McKibben On Unions, Tesla, & Elon Musk — CleanTechnica Interview
How To Watch & Listen To Tesla Q3 Earnings Call — Most Useful Livestream
Tesla Sales & Future of Tesla Discussion with Ride the Lightning, Starman, & EVANNEX
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.
There is no app, internet connection, or Bluetooth connection for the Blink HQ 150, and while that means a few less features, the reality is that the vast majority of EV drivers simply want to charge their vehicle. Blink makes it easy, with the ability to quickly install the Blink HQ 150 and get up and running with a Level 2 EV charger in a matter of minutes.
Overall, the Blink HQ 150 is a no-nonsense home EVSE that, as a unit with a plug, makes it easy for homeowners to get up and running with an EVSE with minimal fuss. At $549.99, it is value priced compared to the competition. Its power output of 32 amps is a bit lower than the 40 amps many EVSEs can put out, but still more than sufficient to provide meaningful overnight or on demand charging for most drivers.
For context, charging an EV overnight for 10 hours on a 220 volt circuit at 32 amps, or just over 7 kW of power output, translates to just over 70 kWh of capacity added to the vehicle. That’s massive and unless you’re rocking a long range Tesla Model 3, Rivian, or an unnecessarily large Hummer EV, you’re still going to wake up with a fully charged vehicle.
Head over to the official Blink HQ 150 homepage for all the juicy details about the unit or to order one for yourself.
I'm a tech geek passionately in search of actionable ways to reduce the negative impact my life has on the planet, save money and reduce stress. Live intentionally, make conscious decisions, love more, act responsibly, play. The more you know, the less you need. As an activist investor, Kyle owns long term holdings in Tesla, Lightning eMotors, Arcimoto, and SolarEdge.
#1 most loved electric vehicle, solar energy, and battery news & analysis site in the world. Support our work today!
Advertise with CleanTechnica to get your company in front of millions of monthly readers.
The auto industry’s burgeoning transition to electric vehicles poses new challenges to auto service centers, as higher hybrid and EV adoption rates require companies...
umlaut has named ElectrifyAmerica and Tesla as its top two US electric vehicle charging networks. Following behind at number three is ChargePoint. In partnership...
The Barcelona-based EV charging gurus at Wallbox sent us their first entry into the North American residential EV charging market, the Pulsar Plus, for...
After 24,000 miles, with a Tesla Model 3, Car and Driver says charging at home costs far less than using Tesla's Supercharger network.
Copyright © 2021 CleanTechnica. The content produced by this site is for entertainment purposes only. Opinions and comments published on this site may not be sanctioned by and do not necessarily represent the views of CleanTechnica, its owners, sponsors, affiliates, or subsidiaries.