TOPDON PulseQ AC Portable EV Charger Review

As electric vehicles become more popular, so does the demand for quality home chargers or EVSEs. The latest charger to cross our path at the AutoGuide.com garage for testing and evaluation comes from TOPDON, with the PulseQ AC Portable EV Charger. We opted for the 32A model with a NEMA 14-50P at the end so that we could evaluate its Level 2 charging capabilities. The unit also comes with a 5-15P adapter if you need to do Level 1 charging off a standard household outlet. My test vehicles for this evaluation were a 2022 Toyota Prius Prime (plug-in hybrid) and a 2023 Polestar 2.

Overall, the TOPDON PulseQ AC Portable EV Charger resembles many of the other portable EV chargers on the market. Our particular model offers up to 7.7kW or 32A, although the user can choose from 10A, 16A, 24A, and 32A settings. The charger measures 24.6 feet in length, with the main box measuring 9.45 inches by 3.94 inches by 2.56 inches. The charger has an operating temperature range of -22°F to 122°F, and a storage temperature of -40°F to 176°F. In other words, unless you live in Mordor near Mount Doom, this charger will be safe to use. Other protection features on it include over/under voltage protection, over/under frequency protection, over/low temperature protection, over current protection, current leakage protection, and grounding protection. It has been ETL and FCC certified, conforms with UL2594/CSA C22.2#280 safety standards, and has received a NEMA Type 4 rating, meaning it's safe to use even with water nearby.

With the technical details out of the way, TOPDON deserves praise for the quality carrying bag included with the portable charger. Some may find it a bit bulky and may just decide to store the charger on its own, but I found it convenient to use. The charger itself is pretty standard within this segment. I was a bit disappointed by the LCD display. While I didn't have any visibility issues inside my garage, I did find it a little frustrating to use outdoors in bright sunlight. I was also not a huge fan of the touch buttons that provide no feedback and trying to setup a countdown for "scheduled charging" requires repeated presses on the button to set the countdown for charging. It reminded me of manually setting the time on a bedside alarm clock, where you accidentally go past the hour you want to set and have to go through the entire cycle again.

When it came to testing the charger itself, I connected it to the Toyota Prius Prime, and it went straight to charging with no issues. The charge rate was as advertised, which is to be expected since the plug-in hybrid has a maximum acceptance rate of 3.3 kW. Things got a bit strange, however, when it came time to test the Polestar 2. The first time I plugged the charger into the vehicle, I actually got an error from the car. Now, this isn't the first time I have run into compatibility issues with the Polestar 2. I had previously tested another EVSE that wouldn't connect with the car, and I had to get a replacement unit from the manufacturer.

After some experimentation, I managed to get the charger to work with the Polestar 2 by using the Smart Schedule feature, which essentially sets a countdown before the unit starts charging. I have a feeling this issue is specific to the Polestar 2, since I've encountered problems with that specific vehicle in the past. It's worth mentioning, though, as it is a strange issue. Again, I had no problems testing with the Toyota Prius Prime, and eventually I was able to get the charger to connect and charge the Polestar 2.

Overall, the TOPDON PulseQ AC Portable EV Charger is a competitive offering within the segment, especially at this price point. It comes from a much more reliable and reputable brand than other products you might find randomly on Amazon. I even stopped by the company's booth earlier this year at CES 2024 and chatted with a few of its representatives, who gave me a quick overview of some of the brand's other EV chargers. My biggest gripe with the charger is its LCD display, but if you're mainly using it inside a garage, it isn't much of an issue. Also, once you have everything set up the way you like, it really comes down to plugging it in and letting it work. And for that, it does an excellent job.