Juice Americas launched its portable two-in-one EV charger, the J+ BOOSTER 2, in North America in August and invited Electrek to review it. Here’s how it went.
J+ BOOSTER 2 specs
Juice Americas is the US subsidiary of Swiss-based Juice Technology AG. The St. Petersburg, Florida-based Juice Americas sent me the J+ BOOSTER 2 set, which included a cloth-covered bag with velcro on the bottom so that it doesn’t slide around in the trunk; the J+ BOOSTER 2 with an SAE J1772 vehicle connector; and NEMA 14-50 and 5-15 adapters.
It also comes with a wall bracket, and that’s why the company says it’s a two-in-one: It can be used as both a wall charger and a portable charger.
Michael Boehm, managing director of Juice Americas, told Electrek in a video call:
In the US, people like wall chargers at home. Ours is just as fast if not faster, plus it has the added value of portability. We like to call it a portable wall charger. It’s basically a 2-in-1. Because most portable chargers are not really designed to be everyday chargers.
Adapters for NEMA 6-15, 6-50, and TT-30 charging outlets are now available for purchase as of this month.
The company is also now offering the 120-240 VAC, 40A heavy-duty cable in an extended 25-foot length option (list price $749.97) in addition to its original 21-foot length option (list price $699.97).
The 2.2-pound (1 kg) BOOSTER 2 is IP67 water and dust proof, and its aluminum housing is UV resistant, so it’s safe for outdoor use. It can withstand 6,600 pounds of pressure if you accidentally run over it with your car.
And the J+ BOOSTER 2 is compatible with any EV, including Teslas, if you use Tesla’s J1772 adapter.
J+ BOOSTER 2 review
The BOOSTER 2’s power input options cover all supply current variants, either 120V or 240V, and from 6 to 40 amps. The unit delivers a charging power ranging from 720 W to 9.6 kW. In my garage is a NEMA 6-50 outlet with a 30 amp breaker (I didn’t install it) and a standard 5-15 outlet. If I charge my 2021 Tesla Model 3 with Tesla’s portable EV charger, for which I have adapters for both outlets, I just plug it in, and the car takes care of the rest. Tesla’s 6-50 adapter can handle a maximum 32 amp output.
When I plugged in the J+ BOOSTER 2 charger to charge my 2023 Volkswagen ID.4, it recognized the adapter and defaulted to 40 amp capability, tried to draw too much power, and tripped the box.
The function display flashed a red LED “socket” fault indication. (Error messages are explained on page 15 of the product’s manual.)
I unplugged the BOOSTER 2 to reset the charger. My electrician also told me I could hold the “select” button down to reset it, but it doesn’t say that in the manual.
The permanent solution to my problem was to manually change the amperage by pressing the select button on the function display. I set it for 24 amps, and it now charges my VW ID.4 without tripping the box. I get 24 miles each hour, 8.5 kW.
Photo: Michelle Lewis
If I’d read the manual more carefully, I probably would have avoided this glitch. The Swiss are considering including a quick start guide for North America, which would be great for those of us who are a wee bit impatient.
Know your amperage and set the charger accordingly if necessary.
Electrek’s Take
If you already have a Level 2 EV wall charger and a portable EV charger that can charge at both Level 1 and Level 2, along with necessary adapters, then you probably don’t need a J+ BOOSTER 2.
If your utility offers special EV charging rates if you use their wall charger, then the BOOSTER 2 might not be your best option for everyday charging.
But if you are a new EV owner, and your car doesn’t come with a portable EV charger, and you haven’t yet installed an EV wall charger and won’t get special charging rates from your utility, then the BOOSTER 2 is a great option.
You don’t need to pay an electrician to install it, and you only need to buy one charger, so it’s cost effective.
Hang it on the wall bracket to charge up at home, and take it with you when you travel.
As a two-EV household, we found this to be a great option as it’s versatile, reliable, and portable.
Just remember to RTFM.
Photos: Juice Americas
(Editor’s note: Amazon product links are affiliate links.)
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With the launch of the first-ever Class 8 vocational EV in the North American market, PACCAR Kenworth is raising the battery-electric bar and underscoring just how far the market has come since the Tesla Semi made its debut nearly a decade ago.
When Tesla pulled the wraps off its all electric Semi truck all the way back in November of 2017, the rest of the industry was hardly thinking about BEVs. Nearly a decade later, the world is still waiting for the Semi to begin regular production, and PACCAR is launching its second generation of HDEVs with the debut of this, the all-new Kenworth T880E vocational truck.
“The Kenworth T880E marks a groundbreaking milestone in Kenworth’s history as we bring to market the first Class 8 battery-electric solution built for vocational applications,” explains Kevin Haygood, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “The T880E is engineered to meet the evolving needs of operators and vocational fleets while still providing the durability, reliability and customization our customers expect.”
The new electric K-whopper is motivated by PACCAR’s in-house ePowertrain platform, capable of putting up to 605 hp and 1,850 lb-ft of peak torque to work, while delivering the same levels of drivability and dependability fleets expect from a Kenworth – but power and torque are only part of the T880E’s work-ready résumé.
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Open to work
Kenworth T880E; via PACCAR.
In addition to a stout, Class 8 electric chassis fitted with heavy-duty Kenworth brakes and axles, the T880E’s central drive eMotor allows for significant wheelbase flexibility so fleet buyers can spec out exactly the machine they need to get the job done. The T880E was also designed to enable lift axle installations from trusted Kenworth upfitters for a vocational-friendly BEV integration.
Additionally, the T880E features a wide selection of factory-installed options that include both high- and low-voltage ePTO (electric Power Take Off) ports, mechanical ePTOs, and the same wide array of body configurations as the ICE version.
Speaking of the ICE version, the electric T880E also can also be had in the same set-back front axle and set-forward front axle configurations with the same multi-piece hood construction. Inside the cab, the latest in driver-focused technology includes the Kenworth SmartWheel and a new 15″ DriverConnect digital touchscreen. Dash and vocational features like RAM Mounts and factory-installed PTO switches are available. The T880E is also offered with Kenworth ADAS packages for customers interested in DigitalVision Mirrors, Bendix Fusion, and Lane Keeping Assist.
It’s so big, you guys
Kenworth T880E; photo by the author.
The T880E was on static display at last week’s ACT Expo in Anaheim, California. Check with your local Kenworth dealer for availability.
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The tire-blistering SU7 Ultra has been the Xiaomi brand’s flagship super sedan since its launch, but a controversial software setting has limited the car to “just” 900 hp in regular driving – resulting in an outcry from owners who ponied up for the big boy numbers. With its latest software update, that missing 648 hp is back on tap!
The SU7 Ultra made waves throughout the performance car world when a bright yellow striped example lined up alongside a white quarter mile king, the 1,000+ hp Tesla Model S Plaid, and promptly smoked it.
That wasn’t all. A preproduction SU7 Ultra prototype lapped the legendary Nürburgring circuit in just 6 minutes and 46.874 seconds, firmly stamping the 1,500+ hp Xiaomi’s alphanumeric into the track’s record books with a time nearly fifteen seconds quicker than a Rimac Nevera or, on the ICE front, either a Corvette ZR1, Viper ACR, or Porsche 918 (take your pick).
It’s hardly any wonder, then, that the customers who signed up – in droves, too – were disappointed to learn that the SU7 they were allowed to buy had been neutered by the safety nannies to the tune of nearly 650 hp. (!)
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We’re so back
The outrage from SU7 Ultra owners was immediate. And, facing mounting pressure online and on social media, Xiaomi ultimately decided to withdraw the performance-limiting features while acknowledging the need for more transparent communication about future software updates they messed up, saying in a statement, “we appreciate the passionate feedback from our community and will ensure better transparency moving forward.”
So, rich people can rocket themselves down the road in 9 second hypercars again and all is right with the world. A happy ending – but one that sort of illuminates a fresh set challenges for automakers peddling “software-defined vehicles” to a market that still thinks of their cars as very much hardware defined products.
The new reality is playing out in real time now, and the Jeff Bezos-backed $20,000 electric compact pickup from Slate Auto is going the other way entirely – time will tell whether more, or less tech is the answer.
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Tesla (TSLA) has started offering reduced interest rates on the new Model Y in the US — this equates to a direct discount on the brand new vehicle that was supposed to spark Tesla’s demand back.
The automaker has announced “1.99% APR or $0 Due at Signing available for well-qualified buyers” on the new Model Y in the US for the first time:
This amounts to a direct discount worth a few thousand dollars. It is the first widely available discount on the new Model Y coming just weeks after the cheaper non-Launch Edition launched in the US.
These discounts and subsidized financing point to soft demand for the updated best-selling vehicle in the US. Tesla just delivered a disastrous first quarter, which it mostly blamed on the Model Y changeover, resulting in lower inventory.
However, industry watchers, including Electrek, noted many signs that the Model Y changeover was not the only issue. Tesla added significantly to its inventory in the first quarter, and the wait times for the new Model Y were extremely short.
Now, the discount weeks after launching the new Model Y confirm the soft demand in the US.
I think it’s clear by now: the new Model Y is not coming to save Tesla.
Let’s be honest: It will still be a significant vehicle program by volume. It just won’t help Tesla return to growth this year.
The RWD Model Y is still coming and has a chance to help in the US. It is already available in China, and it’s not helping Tesla much there, but that’s in a hyper-competitive market, especially at lower prices where the RWD Model Y operates.
Tesla’s performance in Q2 in China will be interesting since it is basically back to its regular lineup for the whole quarter.
The US appears to have been Tesla’s least affected market, but Q3 will be the real test with the full lineup and no backlog of demand for new Model Y.
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