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Pergear P2 Portable EV Charger Review

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Pergear P2 EV Charger

Tom Moloughney Tom Moloughney

By: Tom Moloughney

Feb 20, 2023 at 4:07pm ET

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The Pergear P2 is a portable dual voltage L1 / L2 electric vehicle charger with some decent specifications and is currently available for only $299.00 (with a $60 off coupon). We receive a lot of requests for recommendations for dual-voltage portable EV charging equipment so we decided to review the Pergear P2 and see if it's worthy of recommendation.

Unlike most dual-voltage EVSE, the Pergear comes with its NEMA 14-50 plug tethered to it. Typically, dual-voltage EVSE have removable adapters that allow the user to switch between 120-v and 240-v charging without needing to purchase anything. If you want to use the unit to charge from a 120-volt household outlet, you need to purchase a NEMA 5-15P to NEMA 14-50R adapter, but make sure you buy one that specifically states it's for EV charging use. 

Pergear P2 EV Charger key features

PERGEAR P2 EV Charger key features

Most of those adapters are made for RV use and aren't compatible with EV charging. We found that out the hard way by initially purchasing the wrong adapter first.

We put the Pergear P2 through all of our usual tests: Automatic restart (pass), cable deep freeze (fail), connector drop (pass) weatherproof rating (fail). We also used the unit for a few weeks and charged a Tesla Model 3, a Ford F-150 Lightning, and a Rivian R1T with it and the unit delivered the full 40-amps that it promises to all three vehicles. 

The unit also allows the user to de-rate the power output to 32, 24, 16, and 10-amps directly from its 2.4" color touchscreen. In each case, the power de-rated properly and the Pergear delivered the correct amount of power to the vehicles.

Chapters:

The cable deep freeze test revealed that the Pergear's thick 21mm cable doesn't perform well when it's cold, making it a poor choice for outdoor installations in areas where the temperature frequently drops below the freezing point. On the plus side, the standard length cable is a long 25-feet. 

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Weatherproof Fail

The Pergear P2 is advertised as having an IP67 weatherproof rating, which is very high for portable EV charging equipment. Most of the equipment we come across is either rated IP65 or IP66. 

IP65 and IP66 enclosures protect against dust and spraying water. IP 65 can withstand lightly pressurized spray, and IP66 units are watertight against highly pressurized spray and should be able to keep rainwater from penetrating the unit even in the most severe rainstorms. 

However, IP67 units like the Pergear P2, are not just water resistant, they are waterproof and should be able to keep water from entering the enclosure for up to 30 minutes when submerged in up to one meter of water. 

Pergear P2 failure

Even though the Pergear P2 has an enclosure rating of IP67, it failed our submersion test and allowed water into the unit which rendered it unusable. 

We perform a submersion test when we review IP67-rated devices and the Pergear P2 was no exception. Unfortunately, the Pergear P2 failed the test and in only about 10 seconds shut off and short-circuited because the water had filled the enclosure. 

The problem is the cable strain connection for the cable for the NEMA 14-50 plug isn't properly watertight, and a simple tug pulls the cable out of the enclosure and opens it to liquid and contaminant intrusion. We're not sure how such a design received an IP67 enclosure rating, but we urge users to use caution when using the Pergear P2 in outdoor applications when the unit will be exposed to wet conditions.

Scoring and Recommendations

Stacking up the points in our ChargerRater, the Pergear P2 received 78 points, which translated to a 3.9-star rating. We then add our personal score and average the two scores for the final rating. 

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Based on the failures we observed, we gave the Pergear P2 a 2.5-star rating, and when combined with the ChargerRater score, offered a final score of 3.2 stars. The fatal failure was unfortunate because the unit has some nice features. 

We like that it can deliver 40-amps, has a nice touchscreen display, and is currently available for only $299 with the $60 off coupon being offered. If Pergear can improve the build quality and perhaps replace the cable with a thinner, more flexible one, we would add this to our recommended EV charger list. However, in its current configuration, we cannot until the unit is safety certified and upgraded to prevent water from entering the enclosure. 

Pergear P2 EV Charger ChargerRater Score

The Pergear P2 EV Charger ChargerRater Score

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Source: State Of Charge

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