JuiceBox Pro Series

• Connection: Hardwired or Plug-in, NEMA 14-50
• Power Level: 240V
• Amperage: 32A or 40A
• Cable Length: 25′
• Safety Certification: UL Listed
• Warranty: 3 years
• Made in: USA
• MSRP: See today’s price on Amazon

Cons:

• WiFi difficult to set up
• Interrupted charging times due to over the air updates
• Mounting bracket not secure
• Cable can be hard to unwind when cold

NOTE: After JuiceBox was bought by Enel they released a new generation of the JuiceBox Pro which brings about a few changes. The cable length is now 25′ instead of 24′ and the unit has an integrated cable wrap, but from what we’ve seen online the cable can still be difficult to bend. The older JuiceBox has a metal casing while their new generation has a plastic casing.

JuiceBox Pro 40 Review

I ordered the Juicebox Pro 40 from Amazon. The station arrived in good packaging with no damage. The installation manual was straightforward, but since this is a plug version, the mounting was not complicated (but set up and connection to the app left a lot to be desired, see below). I already have a NEMA 14-50 receptacle, so no need to call an electrician.

There is an option to get a hardwired version of the Juicebox Pro but it is in a 32 Amp version only. Since I have the receptacle, it was a lot less expensive to avoid an electrician. When I bought mine, the 40 Amp plug version was the same price as the 32 Amp. After owning an older model Nissan LEAF for over a year now I know without a doubt that my next car will be electric. My next EV will have more battery power and the ability to charge faster (with a higher acceptance rate) so I opted for the higher-powered 40 Amp Juicebox Pro so that even when I move up in car, it will be able to charge it quickly. I don’t typically let my LEAF get too low on range so the longest charging times are around 3 hours. It all works out to gain about 20 miles of range per hour when using the Level 2 Juicebox Pro 40 Lite.

The ‘installation’ was easy as it was really just the installation of a separate mounting bracket for the wall and one for the station. A problem for me, and I now see other reviews mentioning this as well, is that the mounting bracket takes two screws and because of how its laid out only one can go into a stud and the other into the wall, which is not ideal.

One of the cons to the Juicebox Pro 40 is there is no integrated cable wrap, but it does come with a separate cable hanger and connector dock combo, which was easy to install. It seems a little flimsy especially when it holds the whole cable, though, so time will tell.

Note that for an outdoor installation, the manual advises against installing the Juicebox Pro 40 in direct sun and somewhere protected from the rain, yet it needs to be within Wi-Fi range. Juicebox recommends against using a GFCI circuit breaker, but the electrician told me that is against code so he had to install it that way. This EV charger also requires a NEMA 14-50R outdoor enclosure, which is easy to add.

The cable is 24 feet long which is long enough to reach my vehicle anywhere in the garage or driveway. Some EV charging stations do come with a 25 foot cable length, which is the max allowed under National Electric Code, but one foot doesn’t make a difference to me.  If someone were planning to have multiple EVs in a garage or driveway it may be more convenient to have that extra foot of cable reach. I have noticed that the cable becomes stiff and hard to bend when it’s cold, which is strange and can make the cable wavy even when it’s extended for a charge.

One thing that I appreciate about the Juicebox Pro 40 is that it is safety certified (UL Listed). After reading several articles pointing out that many on Amazon are not, I was careful to double check before purchasing. It’s worth paying a little more to ensure my family’s safety.

As far as the “Quick Start” instructions to set up WiFi, the directions left a lot to be desired. I had trouble connecting to the network and there is a 2 minute window to do the set up or you have to unplug the unit and start over, which I had to do several times. Eventually I had to enlist the help of one of my sons to complete the set up. I doubt I will ever want to use the app to see my energy usage or program charging times since my car has that ability, but I wanted to do the complete installation to see how hard it was. For me, it was hard!

I did have to inquire with Juicebox about the dozens of email alerts I’ve received about the EVSE going offline and then back online. It appears that there’s nothing wrong with my Internet connection, but sometimes their programmers are working on something that affects my EV charger for some reason. They didn’t give me much more than what I’m sure is their standard reply so I’m still not sure why their updates affect my use of the charger.

Caution: Units cannot be returned or refunded after 30 days. There is a 3 year warranty, but they will not repair units out of warranty, even if you want to pay. If you are under warranty, Juicebox will only ship the replacement to you upon receiving the failed unit (unless the failure is within 6 months of purchase) meaning you will have to uninstall the EV charger, wait for it to arrive at their business, wait for them to ship an EVSE back to you, and re-install before you can use your level 2 home EV charger again. Another tidbit I found out: for those of you who are outside the continental US, be aware that you will be responsible for all shipping costs in case of a warranty replacement on the Juciebox Pro 40.