At its full setting, the EV-ACS4005T charges at 9.6 kW — 40 A drawn from a 240 V NEMA 14-50 outlet. That is full-size Level 2 speed: the U.S. Department of Transportation puts Level 2 output at 7–19 kW, adding roughly 10–20 miles of range per hour. Your real speed is the lower of the setting you choose and the rate your car’s onboard charger can accept.
Key Takeaways
- The EV-ACS4005T charges at up to 9.6 kW — 40 A at 240 V, full-size Level 2 speed from a portable unit.
- Its four settings give 3.8, 5.8, 7.7 and 9.6 kW; session times are simple division before losses and taper.
- The car’s onboard charger is usually the real ceiling, whatever the setting says.
- Portable changes the installation, not the speed: the outlet and circuit decide what the top step can deliver.
Speed at Every Setting
The unit adjusts in four steps — 16, 24, 32 and 40 A — and each is a different speed from the same outlet. Power is volts times amps; at 240 V the steps land here:
| Current setting | Output at 240 V | Time to add 20 kWh | Time to add 40 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 A | 3.8 kW | about 5.2 hours | about 10.4 hours |
| 24 A | 5.8 kW | about 3.5 hours | about 6.9 hours |
| 32 A | 7.7 kW | about 2.6 hours | about 5.2 hours |
| 40 A | 9.6 kW | about 2.1 hours | about 4.2 hours |
Times are simple division, before charging losses, and most cars taper the rate as the battery nears full, so the last portion of a big refill runs slower than the table suggests. At 40 A this portable unit matches a plug-in wallbox amp for amp, and our overview of how many kW a Level 2 charger delivers sets these figures in the wider range.
What “Portable” Changes — and What It Does Not
Portable does not mean slow, and it does not mean a different kind of electricity. The charger is an AC Level 2 unit that lives on a plug instead of a wall: the same current from the same 240 V supply delivers the same power as a fixed charger set to the same amps. What changes is where the speed comes from. With no installation, the outlet is the installation — the full 40 A step needs a NEMA 14-50 outlet on a 50 A circuit, because EV charging is a continuous load. The current setting is chosen on the unit itself, and its display shows the session as it runs. Our test of whether portable chargers work, and how speed depends on the outlet, covers the outlet side in more depth.
The Car Is Usually the Ceiling
The charger offers power; the car decides how much of it to take. A car whose onboard charger accepts about 7.7 kW draws about 7.7 kW from this unit even at the 40 A setting, and most plug-in hybrids accept less than that, so the car’s number — not the charger’s — sets the time, which is why the same unit feels fast on one car and ordinary on another.
In miles, the gain depends on the car’s consumption. As an example — check your own car’s display for its figure — a car using 0.30 kWh per mile gains roughly 32 miles of range per hour at 9.6 kW and about 26 miles per hour at 7.7 kW. A less efficient car gains fewer. See our comparison of Level 1, Level 2 and DC fast charging for where this rate sits.
The Charger in Brief
The EVDANCE EV-ACS4005T is a 40 A NACS portable charger: 9.6 kW maximum, 16/24/32/40 A adjustable, NEMA 14-50P plug, IP66 enclosure, 25 or 28 ft cable. It sits at the top of the portable range — our roundup of the fastest portable EV chargers shows 9.6 kW is the fastest common portable rate in North America. If your car’s ceiling is lower, the EV-ACS3210T tops out at 32 A instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a 40 A portable charger as fast as a 40 A wallbox?
Yes. Same current, same supply, same arithmetic — 9.6 kW either way. The difference between the two is installation and permanence, not speed.
Why does my car only charge at 7.7 kW on it?
Because the car’s onboard charger is the limit. The portable unit offers up to 9.6 kW, but the car accepts only what its own AC charger is built for, and it controls the session throughout.
How long does a full charge take?
It depends on the battery and where it starts. As division: a 60 kWh refill at 9.6 kW takes about 6.3 hours before losses and taper; at a 7.7 kW car limit, about 7.8 hours. Most drivers refill part of the pack overnight, not all of it.
Related Reading
- What Is the Fastest Portable EV Charger?
- Do Portable EV Chargers Work? How Speed Depends on the Outlet
- How Many kW Is a Level 2 Charger?
- Level 1 vs Level 2 vs DC Fast Charging: A Practical Comparison
