United Chargers is focused on the research, development, and manufacturing of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations. All our charging stations are developed and manufactured in our facility in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Our company’s goal is to speed up the adoption of Electrical Transportation by providing more practical, effective, and affordable EV charging solutions. We produce high-quality and affordable chargers for electric cars, both for private and commercial use. We are strong advocates for the future of electric vehicles and believe in the many benefits that electric transportation offers for air quality, the environment, health, and the economy. We want as many people as possible to afford a quality charger made in North America.
The first company charger, the Grizzl-E Level 2 EVSE, was released in June 2020 and is the most affordable and robust 10 KW EVSE for home use. It quickly became one of the most popular Level 2 Home EV Charging Stations in North America because of its rugged construction and reliable performance. We are always looking to innovate the EV Charging business with continual research and development in the field. We have since released additional products, including the Grizzl-E Smart and Grizzl-E Duo.
Tell us about yourself?
I am originally from the IT world, working in software integrations. Back in 2012, I purchased a Tesla. Tesla had just started selling its cars in Canada. It was my first electric car. At that moment, I realized that electric cars are the future of transport. Driving the Tesla made me think about the charging infrastructure required for full EV adoption and how it was a major hurdle to the mass adoption of electric vehicles. This led to me opening Autochargers.ca corporation in 2013. Autochargers.ca was a reselling business that sold EV charging stations from other companies. As I operated Autochargers.ca, I started to believe that there could be a better way, and EV Charging stations could be less expensive with better performance. In 2018, I opened United Chargers Inc. to design, develop, and manufacture our own charging stations right here in Canada.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
A year or two is not that far away. I would do exactly what I am doing now. I started United Chargers with the goal of developing EV Charging stations for every application, including home, portable, smart dual, and commercial, and we have released or are developing products for every category.
What problem does your business solve?
Many people do not know that when you purchase an electric vehicle, you do not receive a Level 2 240V fast charger. You usually only receive a smaller Level 1 120V slow charger with the vehicle. These slower Level 1 chargers can be plugged into any standard 120V outlet and charge 200 kilometers in 20-24 hours. For most people, this is too slow of a charge and limits what they can do with their vehicle. For increased charging speeds, there are Level 2 240V chargers. Level 2 chargers are sold separately from the car. These chargers require a slightly more complicated setup, as they are plugged into a 240V outlet, which usually must be installed by an electrician. However, the Level 2 Chargers are up to seven times faster, charging 200kms in three to four hours.
United Chargers designs, develops and manufactures Level 2 Chargers for home and commercial use. Our company was founded with the principle that we could provide durable and reliable charging stations that were more affordable. Before we entered the market, many Level 2 home charging stations were expensive – ranging from $800 – $1,200. There were less expensive stations. However, these were not safety certified and were made from cheap components that were not built to last. We released Grizzl-E for $549, which was fully UL certified and built with a durable cast aluminum enclosure for protection in any outdoor condition. The goal of Grizzl-E was to lower the price of EV chargers to make them more affordable and accessible for everyone. Grizzl-E became the most popular non-Tesla Level 2 home charger in Canada.
Since the release of Grizzl-E, we have remained dedicated to providing the most robust, dependable, and affordable Level 2 EV charging stations on the market. We have released more products under the Grizzl-E brand, including the Grizzl-E Smart, which is the Wi-Fi-connected smart version of the Grizzl-E that can track power usage, set charging schedules, and control the charging station through the mobile app and the Grizzl-E Duo which has two charging ports and power sharing to charge two electric vehicles at one time as well as the Grizzl-E Commercial Bundle, which allows businesses to take advantage of EV Charging by setting prices, collecting payments, tracking users, and more.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
The inspiration behind United Chargers was to provide affordable, durable, and reliable EV chargers for the market. Our previous experience in the EV charging market made us believe that there could be a better solution than what existed at the time. United Chargers sought to make more affordable solutions that were durable and reliable. The goal of the Grizzl-E was to lower the prices on the EVSE markets to make EV charging more affordable and help speed up the adoption of EV transportation. Grizzl-E was a simple charging station with a rugged metal enclosure, the simplified design took components out rather than adding them to create a more cost-effective solution. Since the release of the original Grizzl-E, we have expanded our development efforts into creating more affordable EV charging solutions and profitable EV charging solutions for businesses.
What is your magic sauce?
- Price: One of the main reasons the Grizzl-E EV Charger became one of the leading chargers in North America is because it is less expensive than other residential EV Charging brands. Other EV chargers sell for $800 to $1,200 CAD, and Grizzl-E currently sells for $549 CAD. This makes Grizzl-E one of the most affordable Level 2 Chargers on the market. Grizzl-E is inexpensive because our manufacturing process is more efficient, using only one PCBA in the design and excluding other unnecessary components or designs that have aesthetic appeal but do not increase functionality. Level 2 chargers can be a significant expense for many people who use an electric vehicle. In many cases, people choose an electric vehicle because of the savings on gas and maintenance, so having a more affordable charging station is important. Despite the lower cost, Grizzl-E has the same features as other EV charging stations with full UL Certification and protection features, including self-monitoring and recovery, over current over-voltage, ground fault, and over temperature.
- Durability: Grizzl-E has a NEMA 4 aluminum cast robust enclosure and a durable premium cable. This allows the charger to work in any condition, indoors and outdoors. Grizzl-E is designed to operate in rain, snow, and freezing temperatures. The hard enclosure can survive being put in ice and snow and run over by a vehicle, as seen on our YouTube channel. Other EV Chargers on the market have plastic enclosures and are not outdoor rated. They are not designed to withstand harsher weather or remain outdoors. This gives the customer more options when installing the EV Charger. Our chargers also come with a three-year warranty and a full guarantee on the operation for the warranty period.
- Versatility: The design of the Grizzl-E allows us to manufacture the units with options for plug type and can be hardwired directly to the panel. This gives the customer multiple options to install the charger and allows them to save on installation costs. Grizzl-E also has adjustable switches that control maximum output current, so customers can install Grizzl-E on lower-rated circuit breakers without having to perform expensive upgrades to their electric panel. Many other chargers in the market do not have these options, and several brands even have to train electricians how to set up their equipment. This makes installation and connection more expensive and complicated for the customer.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
In the next five years, we hope to be the leading EV charging manufacturer with a complete product line for various uses, including portable, residential, and commercial. We have several new products in development that we hope to release in the next few years. This includes Grizzl-E Ultimate, which is an 80A Charger that is twice as powerful as the typical EV Charger, and the Grizzl-E Mini, which is a small, portable charger that automatically adjusts to different circuit types. We are always looking to innovate the EV Charging market with new technologies and functionality in our chargers.
We also seek to expand beyond North America into other markets worldwide. Currently, we are in the process of expanding our EV Charging sales to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Japan. In 2022, United Chargers Inc. purchased an EVSE company in Ukraine and will build a European manufacturing center as soon as the war ends. Our goal is to open Distribution Centers to cover 80 per cent of the world’s population. The proposed locations include France, the UK, UAE, Japan, India, China, Australia, and New Zealand. Global Electric Vehicle sales are projected to reach 10 million vehicles by 2025 and be the majority of all vehicle sales by 2035. Charging infrastructure, both residential and commercial, is projected to be a $210 billion industry.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
The EV Charging industry is still new, and the technology is still developing. As such, there are many challenges involved in developing and manufacturing EV Chargers from scratch. We must ensure that all our EV Chargers are safety certified by UL and meet all compliance requirements. Certification is an expensive and lengthy process that tests every aspect of the EV Charger. This is also an issue with expanding to different markets, as every country has its own certification standards.
How can people get involved?
If you are looking for a Level 2 Charger for your home or business, we have a product that will suit your needs. You can find and order all our Canadian products on our official website, www.grizzl-e.com. If you are looking for more than five units or want to become one of our official resellers, contact us at sales@unitedchargers.com.