One of the major hurdles to buying an electric vehicle (EV), for many car shoppers, is that buying the car alone usually isn’t enough. You often need to install a supercharger in your home to be able to charge it at a practical rate. It’s costly and involves an electrician rewiring part of your home. That hurdle? It’s gone.
California startup Splitvolt has developed a simple splitter switch allowing buyers to use a standard 240-volt outlet (something most homes already have to power clothes dryers) instead. Most EVs can charge from a standard 110-volt wall outlet, but only very slowly. The higher-capacity 240-volt outlet is usually necessary to charge to full power overnight.
The switch will manage power flow between the car and dryer, allowing users to plug in both and forget about power management. But the car won’t charge while the dryer is running.
Splitvolt says the switch works with EVs from Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Tesla, Volkswagen, and Volvo. It’s also compatible with third-party chargers, including Clipper Creek and Bensen, or with Splitvolt’s own line of chargers, extension cables, and adapters.
We should note that the product has not yet received the UL safety certification necessary for most insurance companies to approve of its use, but Splitvolt says the approval process is underway. The switch costs $319.
