Best Portable EV Charger in Australia 2026: Every Option Compared

A portable EV charger plugs into a standard power outlet and charges your car without any permanent installation. No electrician, no wall mount, no switchboard work.

That makes them useful in specific situations — renting, travelling, waiting for a wall charger installation, or keeping one in the boot as a backup. But they come with real trade-offs in speed and features.

This guide covers every portable EV charger available in Australia, what each one actually delivers, and whether a portable unit is the right call or whether you should spend the money on a proper wall charger instead.

Every portable EV charger in Australia: compared

	EVSE Australia 10A	Alchemy Charge 10A	Alchemy Charge 15A	Alchemy Charge 32A
Price	$249	$299	$349	$499
Power	2.4kW	2.4kW	3.6kW	7.4kW
Amps	10A	10A	15A	32A
Range/hr	~12km	~12km	~20km	~40km
Cable	7.5m	8m	8m	8m
Plug type	Standard 10A	Standard 10A	15A outlet	32A outlet
IP rating	IP55	IP55	IP55	IP55
Warranty	2 years	2 years	2 years	2 years
Smart features	None	None	None	None
Installation needed	No	No	Maybe	Yes

None of these chargers have apps, scheduling, solar integration, or OCPP. They are simple, dumb charging cables — plug in and charge.

The four options, ranked

1. EVSE Australia Portable 10A — best value backup charger ($249)

The cheapest portable EVSE from an Australian distributor. It charges at 2.4kW from any standard 10A household power point — no installation needed.

At 12km of range per hour, an overnight charge (10 hours) recovers 120km. That covers the average Australian daily commute of 38km with plenty of margin.

The 7.5m cable is half a metre shorter than the Alchemy Charge models, but adequate for most garage and carport setups. Local Australian warranty and support.

Best for: renters, travellers, and anyone who wants a cheap backup charger in the boot.

2. Alchemy Charge Portable 15A — the speed sweet spot ($349)

The 15A model charges at 3.6kW — 50% faster than the 10A units. That translates to roughly 20km of range per hour, or 200km from a 10-hour overnight charge.

The catch: you need a 15A power outlet. Many Australian garages and laundries already have one (they’re the outlets with a larger earth pin). If you don’t have one, an electrician can install a 15A outlet for $150–$250 — still cheaper than a wall charger installation.

The 8m cable is the longest in the portable category.

Best for: buyers who want meaningfully faster portable charging without the cost of a wall charger.

3. Alchemy Charge Portable 10A — longer cable alternative ($299)

Functionally identical to the EVSE Australia 10A — same 2.4kW, same 10A plug, same IP55 rating. The difference is a slightly longer 8m cable (vs 7.5m) and a $50 higher price.

If cable reach matters — say your power point is at the back of a deep garage — the extra 0.5m is worth the premium. Otherwise, the EVSE Australia unit is better value at $249.

Best for: setups where the extra 0.5m of cable reach is the difference between reaching the charge port or not.

4. Alchemy Charge Portable 32A — wall charger speed, portable ($499)

This is the outlier. At 32A and 7.4kW, it charges at the same speed as a hardwired wall charger like the Evnex E2 or Zappi. That’s roughly 40km of range per hour — a full battery overnight.

The trade-off: it requires a 32A power outlet, which is not standard in Australian homes. Installing a 32A outlet costs $300–$500 with an electrician. At that point, you’ve spent $800–$1,000 on a portable charger plus outlet — and a proper Evnex E2 Flex wall charger with OCPP and load management costs $799 plus $400–$650 installation.

The 32A portable only makes sense if you specifically need portability at full speed — dual properties, or a charger you move between home and a workshop.

Best for: buyers with existing 32A outlets or who need full-speed charging across multiple locations.

Portable vs wall charger: when each one wins

The honest answer is that most people should buy a wall charger. Here’s why:

Wall charger wins when:

• You own your home — a $799–$1,300 wall charger with $450–$700 installation gives you 7kW+ charging with smart scheduling, solar integration, load management, and an app. A portable charger gives you none of that.
• You charge daily — a 10A portable adding 12km/hr is fine for light use, but if you’re driving 60km+ daily, the maths favours a wall charger.
• You have solar — portable chargers can’t divert solar surplus. A solar-capable wall charger like the Evnex E2 Plus or Zappi can charge your car for free during the day.

Portable charger wins when:

• You’re renting — no permission needed, no installation, take it with you when you move.
• Strata won’t approve a wall charger — common in apartments and units. A 10A portable plugged into your allocated parking spot’s power point is a workaround.
• You’re waiting for installation — wall charger installations can take 2–6 weeks. A portable keeps you charging in the meantime.
• You travel regularly — keep a portable in the boot for destinations without public charging.
• You have a second property — a portable at the holiday house avoids a second installation.

What to watch out for

Circuit sharing

A 10A portable draws the maximum current a standard circuit can deliver. If the same circuit runs your garage lights, a fridge, or a power tool, the combined load can trip the circuit breaker during an overnight charge. Ideally, plug the charger into an outlet on its own circuit.

Continuous load ratings

Australian 10A outlets are rated for 10A continuous, but older wiring and outlets can overheat under sustained load. If your outlets are decades old or show signs of discolouration, have an electrician check them before running a portable EVSE overnight.

State compliance for 32A portables

Using a 32A portable EVSE on a general-purpose 32A outlet may not be compliant with wiring rules in all states. Some jurisdictions require a dedicated EV charging circuit with specific RCD protection. Check with your electrician before assuming a 32A outlet is ready to go.

The bottom line

For a backup or travel charger, buy the EVSE Australia 10A at $249. It’s the cheapest, it works on any power point, and it covers overnight top-ups for typical daily driving.

If you want faster portable charging, the Alchemy Charge 15A at $349 is the best compromise — 50% faster than 10A without the installation complexity of a 32A outlet.

If you’re considering the 32A portable, seriously consider a wall charger instead. By the time you install the 32A outlet and buy the portable, you’re in wall charger territory with none of the smart features.

For a full comparison of wall-mounted chargers, see our best home EV charger guide and EV charger installation cost breakdown.