Wallbox recently introduced the Pulsar Plus 48 EV charging station to the North American market, so we quickly requested a demonstrator unit for the next installment in the InsideEVs ultimate EV charging station review series.
Back in March, we reviewed the Wallbox Pulsar Plus 40, and it received very high marks, putting it at the top of our list of recommended high-end smart-chargers. The Pulsar plus 48 is basically the same as the Pulsar Plus 40, except it can deliver a little more power.
However, there are different installation requirements, a higher price point, and we noticed it uses a different J1172 connector, so when all was said and done, our final score was a little lower than that of the 40-amp version.
The Wallbox Pulsar Plus employs a remote connector holster
Notable timestamps in the video:
- 1:45 Unboxing
- 3:15 Inspecting the connector
- 4:52 Mounting advice
- 7:18 Installation
- 10:32 Cable deep freeze test
- 14:06 Pulsar Plus 48 competitors
- 18:50 Smart charging features
- 23:47 Extreme weather dunk test
- 25:43 Smartphone app overview
- 29:00 Ratings
The Pulsar Plus 48 (like the 40-amp unit) is NEMA-4 rated for extreme weather events, which makes it a good choice for outdoor installations. When we did the review of the 40-amp unit, we soaked it with a garden hose to demonstrate the enclosure’s ability to keep out unwanted moisture.
This time we dunked the Pulsar Plus 48 in a bucket of water repeatedly, and then opened it up to make sure no water made it inside the enclosure.
The Wallbox Pulsar Plus 48 was nice and dry after our bucket dunk test
As we always do in the ultimate reviews, we froze the Pulsar Plus 48 overnight in a commercial restaurant freezer to see how the cable responds to extended exposure to extreme cold (under 0° F). Unfortunately, as with the Pulsar Plus 40, it failed our cable deep freeze test and wasn’t very easy to manipulate when frozen.
Both versions of the Pulsar Plus come standard with a 25-foot cable, which is the longest cable you can get on home charging equipment. While the 40-amp unit has a NEMA 14-50 plug, the 48-amp version must be hard-wired according to code. The customer also has the ability to de-rate the power delivery if they prefer, all the way down to 6-amps.
The Cable deep freeze test for the Wallbox Pulsar Plus 48
While delivering the full 48-amps, the unit can charge an EV at a rate of 11.5 kW, which should add somewhere between 35 and 48 miles of range per hour, depending on how efficient your EV is.
The Pulsar Plus 48 is a smart charger and comes with an app. Through the app the owner can check the charging status of their EV, they can start and stop a charging session, review past charging history, set reminders, and even remotely lock the Pulsar Plus to prevent unauthorized use.
The Pulsar Plus can also power share across multiple units, and in the future, Wallbox is going to introduce the ability to directly bill users that are sharing the units, which is a perfect solution for apartments, condominiums, and even workplace charging.
The Wallbox Pulsar Plus 48 ChargerRater score
We gave the Wallbox Pulsar Plus a final rating of 4.5 stars out of 5. That’s slightly less than the 4.6 stars we gave the 40-amp version. The higher price, as well as the fact that it now has a less desirable J117 connector combined to pull down its score a little. However, it’s still one of the highest-rated charging stations we have tested and definitely on our recommended list.
The Pulsar Plus costs $699.00 and those interested can order one on Amazon. So check out the video and let us know what you think in the comment section below.