Buy the Emporia Level 2 if you want the most charger for the money - 48-amp capability when hardwired plus a genuinely useful app, for a price that shames most smart chargers. Buy the EVIQO if the lowest sticker price wins and you are happy at 40 amps: it is a well-specified plug-in unit that costs even less. Both punch above their price; they just aim at slightly different buyers.
These two are the reason you do not need to spend big-brand money on a home charger. Both anchor our best budget chargers thinking - the Emporia as the value-with-headroom pick, the EVIQO as the price-leader. Here is how they compare on what actually matters. We compile published specs and do the math rather than bench-testing either.
Speed
The Emporia, on paper. It is rated up to 48 amps / 11.5 kW when hardwired, while the EVIQO is a 40-amp / 9.6 kWunit. The nuance: the Emporia only reaches 48 amps hardwired on a 60-amp circuit and with a car that accepts it; the plug-in version is capped at 40, the same as the EVIQO. On a standard 50-amp circuit the two charge at an identical rate, so the Emporia's edge is real only if you hardwire it and your car can use 48 amps - see 60-amp vs 50-amp circuit.
Smart features
The Emporia, clearly. Its Wi-Fi app adds scheduling and genuine energy monitoring - the tools that save money on a time-of-use plan by shifting charging to cheap overnight hours. The EVIQO keeps things simpler and cheaper; it is a capable charger but not the data-and-scheduling hub the Emporia is. If you are on a variable electricity rate, the Emporia's app can pay for the small price difference by itself.
Build and connector
A close one, both good. The EVIQO carries UL and ETL listings with an IP66 enclosure and a NEMA 14-50 plug; the Emporia is a listed unit with a 25-foot cable that reaches across a two-car garage. Both are safe, weather-tolerant choices - the spec we never compromise on for a device pushing 40-plus amps unattended is exactly the listing both of these carry. Cable length and connector are a wash.
Value
This is the whole contest, and it splits. The EVIQO usually wins the raw sticker price - it is among the cheapest legitimate Level 2 chargers you can buy. The Emporia costs a little more but adds 48-amp capability and a real app for that small premium, so it wins "value" in the sense of most-capability-per-dollar. Pick the EVIQO to spend the least; pick the Emporia to get the most for only slightly more.
The verdict
For most buyers, the Emporia - the app and 48-amp headroom are worth the small step up, and it is our overall value pick. Choose the EVIQO when the lowest price is the deciding factor and 40 amps is plenty, which for many cars it is. Read the full Emporia and EVIQO reviews, and confirm your circuit in the amperage guide before you buy.
How to choose between them
Does the 48-amp headroom help you?
Only if you will hardwire the Emporia on a 60-amp circuit andyour car's onboard charger accepts 48 amps. Plug both into a 50-amp circuit and they are identical at 40 amps. If you are staying plug-in, the Emporia's speed advantage disappears and the decision comes down to app versus price.
Will you use the app?
On a flat electricity rate with one car, scheduling and monitoring are nice-to-haves and the cheaper EVIQO loses you nothing that matters. On a time-of-use plan, the Emporia's automatic off-peak scheduling and energy tracking can save more than the price gap every year - that is the case for spending the extra.
Certification is a tie - and non-negotiable
Both carry the safety listings (UL/ETL) that a continuous-40-amp device must have, so neither asks you to compromise there. Whichever you pick, if it is plug-in, pair it with an industrial-grade, listed NEMA 14-50 outlet - a cheap receptacle is the real weak point, not either charger.
