Wallbox introduces new EV charger for the U.S. market

Wallbox, the Barcelona, Spain-based manufacturer of smart electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions, announced the arrival of Pulsar Plus, the company’s first home EV charger for North America.

Based on the company’s best-selling charger in Europe, Pulsar Plus is an entirely new charger built with features specifically for the North American EV market. Compatible with all EVs, Pulsar Plus is available in two configurations–48Amp (hardwired) and 40Amp, which can be hardwired or connected via an included NEMA 14-50 plug. The 40Amp Pulsar Plus is shipping now; the 48Amp version will go on sale later this year.

Pulsar Plus is the smallest available smart home EV charger in North America capable of 48Amp (11.5kW) charging. Standout features include flexible amperage setting, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, charge scheduling, power sharing, the myWallbox app, and voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.  Both versions come with a 25-foot charging cable and include a specially designed cable management holster.

“We’re excited to bring Pulsar Plus to the U.S. at a time when both the EV market and interest in EV charging at home is growing and accelerating,” said Douglas Alfaro, general manager of Wallbox North America. “As a company, our mission is to rapidly accelerate the transition to efficient and sustainable transportation worldwide, and with the launch of Pulsar Plus, we hope to contribute to the momentum of EV adoption across North America.”

The launch of the charger comes as the company closes €33 million ($40 million) in financing, which was led by new investors Cathay Innovation and WIND Ventures with participation from existing investors Iberdrola and Seaya Ventures, and others. The new funds will finance strategic growth initiatives including the opening of new offices globally, expansion of manufacturing and R&D facilities and the hiring of more than 400 new employees.

“The increase in market penetration of EVs, government incentives to purchase clean air vehicles, new legislation to limit air pollution, and expansion of EV supportive infrastructure are all paving the way for broader market expansion of EVs and EV chargers in the U.S. market,” said Kevin Mak, Principal Analyst at Strategy Analytics. “Furthermore, we expect a dramatic increase in the adoption of residential EV chargers as remote, work-from-home trends continue. We anticipate the EV home charging market in North America will grow in line with production for new battery electric and plug-in hybrid light vehicles, which Strategy Analytics’ forecasts to grow at a CAGR 2020-2025 of 30%.”

The onboard computing capability of Pulsar Plus–in combination with the myWallbox app and Bluetooth connectivity–makes Pulsar Plus unique among other smart chargers in the marketplace. Charger functions are managed locally–not in the cloud–allowing users to access and control the smart features of the charger even when an active Wi-Fi connection is not available.

Pulsar Plus Core Features and Benefits

• Compact design. Measuring at 7.8″ x 7.9″ x 3.9″ (240 cubic inches), Pulsar Plus is the smallest Level 2 charger on the market capable of 48A (11.5kW) power output.
• Flexible, adjustable. Pulsar Plus is adjustable from 16A up to the maximum rating for each model, and can be further adjusted down to 6A using the myWallbox app. This allows users to install Pulsar Plus on lower power circuits when higher capacity circuits are not available.
• Connected and smart. With both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, Pulsar Plus users can access, control, and manage their charger via the myWallbox app, including setting charging schedules that take advantage of off-peak utility rates.
• Power sharing. Owners of multiple EVs can connect two or more Pulsar Plus chargers on the same electrical circuit and the chargers will work together to automatically balance the energy distribution based on the demand and charging speed of each vehicle.
• Onboard intelligence. All programming functions are maintained within the charger–not the cloud–and can be accessed via Bluetooth using the myWallbox app, allowing users to manage their charging even when an active Wi-Fi connection is not available.
• Voice control. Pulsar Plus works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing users to connect their charger to their smart home system and manage charger functions and notifications via voice control.
• Safe indoors and outdoors. Pulsar Plus is UL listed and NEMA Type 4 rated for watertightness and dust resistance, making it safe and suitable for indoor and outdoor installations.

Additional Product Details 

• Compatible with all EVs. Pulsar Plus is compatible with all EVs, including Teslas (using the Tesla-provided J1772 adapter).
• Rebate eligible. Pulsar Plus is eligible for available federal, state, and local tax credits and rebates where available, including the U.S. federal tax credit for up to 30% of total equipment and installation costs up to $1,000.
• Easy to read status lighting. The LED halo on Pulsar Plus lets you know your charger’s status at a glance, whether it is standing by (green), charging (pulsing blue), or locked (yellow).

Where to Buy Wallbox Pulsar Plus

The 40Amp Wallbox Pulsar Plus is available for $649 starting today on the Wallbox website (www.wallbox.com/en_us), Amazon, and from Wallbox-certified resellers and installers. The 48Amp Pulsar Plus, coming later this year, will retail for $699.