After a break, State Of Charge returns with another residential charging station review. This time, Tom Moloughney tested the WolfBox WE50 smart charging station, which comes from a well-established brand with a range of electronics products.

The WolfBox WE50 is a 12-kW (50 amps at 240 volts) charging station in its default hardwired configuration. One can turn it into a plug-in charging station by using an attached cable with a NEMA 14-50 plug, although the output would then be limited to 9.6 kW (40 amps at 240 volts).

The maximum current level (and thus power) is adjustable. The primary hardware adjustment is made using dip switches, which offer 40-, 48-, or 50-amp limits (corresponding to 50-, 60-, or 70-amp circuit breakers, respectively). There is an additional adjustment layer in the smart app (ranging from 16 to 50 amps), but as always, it should be used carefully after the first hardware layer has been properly set. Tom tested the station in the hardwired configuration as a 50-amp charging station.

The WolfBox WE50 comes with a SAE J1772 charging connector — a decent one, and an integrated connector holster, which Tom called “ok”.

The 25-foot-long charging cable is relatively thick (with a diameter of 20.9 mm), and right out of the box, it felt plastic. As it turned out later, it does not do well in low temperatures.

The WolfBox WE50. (Source: WolfBox)

The WolfBox app is fairly good, offering basic settings, scheduling, and charging history, though Tom noted that it’s not the most advanced on the market. There are no power sharing or dynamic load management options, for example.

The station comes with three RFID cards (and one special management card) for the access control feature. This might be helpful if the station is used outside by different drivers.

The model features a NEMA 4-rated enclosure suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, with an operating temperature range of -22°F to 122°F (-30°C to 50°C).

Key Features of the WolfBox WE50

Key features of the WolfBox WE50. (Source: State Of Charge)

The WolfBox WE50 is $499.99 on the manufacturer’s website. On Amazon, the price is the same — please check the affiliate link if you wish to support State Of Charge.

An interesting aspect of the WolfBox WE50 is its 3-year warranty. It can be increased by 6 months after registering the product and by 12 months if the Expert Installation service is purchased in the US from Amazon. If the two options are combined, the total warranty can be up to 4.5 years.

Tests

State Of Charge’s thorough review includes the unboxing, key features, installation, and multiple tests. We have attached video timestamps for your convenience.

Video timestamps:

00:36 Unboxing
07:53 Wolfbox WE50 key features
09:37 Installation
19:10 Cold weather testing
24:12 Extreme heat test
26:19 Automatic restart test
35:33 The Wolfbox app
38:58 RFID remote access
40:34 Personal thoughts after using the Wolfbox WE50
44:20 The Wolfbox warranty
45:39 ChargerRater score
49:18 The Wolfbox WE50 hits and misses

The WolfBox WE50 performed flawlessly during State Of Charge’s tests. However, the deep freeze test revealed that the charging station has a weak point: the charging cable. It’s not the worst on the market, but it’s definitely challenging to manage in freezing temperatures, so it’s not recommended for outdoor use in cold-weather climates/winter.

The connector drop test and extreme heat test were passed without issues. During the automatic restart test, Tom noted that it did not work. However, the problem was solved through a software update.

Hits and Misses

After testing, Tom Moloughney listed the three best and worst things he noticed about the product. The Hits include the unit’s power of up to 12 kW (50 amps), good access controls (RFID cards), and the option to extend the warranty up to 4.5 years.

The Misses are: poor-performing cable in cold weather, no intelligent charging features, and no temperature sensor in the NEMA 14-50 plug, which would increase safety in plug-in configuration.

The hits and misses of the WolfBox WE50. (Source: State Of Charge)

ChargerRater

The WolfBox WE50 received 83 points, which equals 4.15 stars on the redesigned version of State Of Charge’s ChargerRater chart. That’s a good result, although it clearly has the potential for more.

For reference, other charging stations recently received 78-87 points in the updated ChargerRater (the Emporia Pro got 87 points, the EVIQO Evipower Gen 2 got 84 points, the Apex Mach 2 got 86 points, and the EvoCharge Home 50 got 78 points).

The new, redesigned version of State Of Charge’s ChargerRater more appropriately evaluates the new features of EVSE. Thus, the number of points can’t be compared directly with our older reviews. State Of Charge plans to recalculate some of our latest reviews soon.

The ChargerRater chart for the WolfBox WE50. (Source: State Of Charge)