The EVDANCE 40A portable is the pick when you want a travel-ready Level 2 charger that can also catch cheap overnight rates without any app or smart wiring. Its built-in delay timer starts the charge hours later, its current is adjustable to fit different outlets, and its 25-foot cable is long for a portable. It is our value choice for off-peak charging you control with a button, not a phone.
The EVDANCE is a standout in our best portable chargers roundup for one reason most portables miss: it schedules itself. This is the closer look. We compile the manufacturer's published specs and owner reports and do the math - we have not bench-tested the unit - so treat this as documented research, not a lab test.
Who it is for
This is the portable for someone on a time-of-use electricity plan who does not want to buy a smart wall charger to get off-peak charging. Set the delay timer when you plug in after dinner, and the unit starts drawing power in the cheap overnight window on its own. It also suits the classic portable buyer - a renter, a two-home driver, or anyone who wants a charger that travels. If you want full app-based energy monitoring and remote control, a wall unit like the Emporia is the better tool.
The specs that matter
EVDANCE rates it at 40 amps / 9.6 kW with a J1772 connector, a NEMA 14-50 plug, and a 25-foot cable. Three things define it:
- A built-in delay timer. The headline feature: it can hold off starting the charge for a set number of hours, so you plug in at night and it begins on off-peak rates by itself. It is scheduling without an app - the whole reason to pick this over a plainer portable.
- Adjustable current. The output steps down through several levels (reported at 10 / 16 / 20 / 24 / 32 / 40 amps), so you can match it to a full 50-amp circuit or dial it down for a smaller one - or a dryer outlet. That flexibility is what makes a portable genuinely useful across locations.
- A 25-foot cable.Long for a portable, which matters when the outlet and the car's port are not conveniently close - a real advantage over the 16-21-foot cords some rivals ship.
What is good
The EVDANCE's value case is strong. You get true 40-amp Level 2 speed - the same as many wall chargers - in a package you can throw in the trunk, plus the delay timer that hands you off-peak savings without the cost or setup of a smart charger. The adjustable current makes it adaptable to whatever outlet you find, and the long cable removes the usual portable frustration of not quite reaching. For a car that lives at one 14-50 outlet, it can even serve as a permanent home charger that happens to travel.
Where it falls short
The trade-offs are the usual portable ones. There is no app and no energy monitoring - the delay timer is the entire extent of the scheduling, so you cannot track kWh or control it remotely. And EVDANCE is a value brand with a shorter track record than the established names, so you are trading some brand pedigree for price. Neither is a dealbreaker for what this is - a capable manual charger - but if data and remote control matter, buy a smart wall unit instead.
Using it safely
Like any 40-amp portable, the EVDANCE is only as safe as the outlet it plugs into. A continuous 40-amp draw is exactly what makes a cheap receptacle overheat, so it belongs on an industrial-grade, listed NEMA 14-50 outlet on a proper 50-amp circuit installed by a licensed electrician - not a bargain part. On a smaller circuit, dial the current down to match. And never run a portable through a household extension cord - see extension cord safety.
Bottom line
The EVDANCE 40A portable earns its place by doing something most portables cannot: it schedules itself for off-peak rates with a simple hardware timer, at full Level 2 speed, on a long cable, for a value price. If you want app-based monitoring, spend more on a wall unit; if you want cheap overnight charging you can take with you, this is the one. Compare it against the field in the portable chargers roundup and the cheaper MUSTART portable.
