Installing the HCS-40P is a breeze– you need only to screw it to the wall and plug it into a dedicated 40 amp circuit. One screw goes at the top, and another at the bottom, so make sure to install it along a stud for extra stability. It’s a heavy unit, and you’ll also be wrapping the cable around it, so you don’t want to accidentally tear the device out of your drywall!

One nice feature of the HCS-40P is the fact that it comes with a side-mounted remote connection holster, allowing you to install it wherever is most convenient for you. It does not, however, have a lip to allow you to drape the cable over it. You might want to check out a holster and cable hook combo to use instead.

The ClipperCreek HCS-40P doesn’t allow for adjustable power, so once you plug it in, your vehicle will be receiving power at a maximum rate of 32 amps. Once you’ve started charging, you can expect to add about 24-30 miles of range per hour, depending of course on your EV’s efficiency.

This charger can automatically restart, meaning that if you’re recharging and are suddenly hit with a temporary power outage, the charger will restart the charging session once the power turns back on. Nobody wants to get in their car in the morning only to find out that it hadn’t finished charging!

Testing

We wouldn’t consider this a complete review if we didn’t put the EV charger through some sort of testing process. In addition to our own, the manufacturer also offered a rather violent (but impressive) trial of their own.

The Drop Test

ClipperCreek took a HCS-40P out to the parking lot and let their employees beat one with a mallet, a hammer, and a baseball bat. Both the mallet and the baseball bat actually broke during this test, while the unit survived without a scratch. Why’s that? Because ClipperCreek uses airline-grade plastic to build these, and they’re built to last.

The Cable Deep Freeze Test

In order to test charging cable flexibility in extreme cold, we tossed the ClipperCreek HCS-40P into a commercial ice cream freezer for about 14 hours. When we pulled it out, the temperature in the freezer measured at -14.5° F, and we could immediately tell that the cable was pretty stiff. With some handling, the cable retained its frozen shape and proved very hard to bend back, proving it to be a poor cold-weather cable. It wasn’t the worst we’ve seen, but close to it.

If you need a cable that can handle extreme cold, we suggest checking out the ChargePoint Home Flex instead.

Tom's Rating for the ClipperCreek HCS-40P

After averaging the ChargerRating score with my personal rating of 4.55 stars out of 5, the ClipperCreek HCS-40P walked away with a final score of 4.3 out of 5 stars. While ClipperCreek doesn’t build smart chargers, the chargers they do build are solid, well-built, American-made products that you can expect to keep working for years to come. It’s easy to see why this one is such a popular product.

The ClipperCreek HCS-40P is available from Enphase's website for $551.00. If you prefer the hardwired version, that can be purchased from the same location for $732.00. Take a look at the video a look and drop us a comment with your thoughts below.