You can charge properly tonight with a portable unit, or plan a fixed wallbox for the long term. Here is an honest decision tree — no pressure to overbuy.
The question nobody asks first
Dealers love to jump straight to wallboxes. The better first question is: when do you need to be charging properly?
If the answer is this week, a certified portable charger wins. It arrives, you plug it into a suitable outlet, and you are charging at proper AC speeds without waiting for a fixed install.
If the answer is in a few months and you own the property, a wallbox mounted where the car parks is the tidier long-term setup — installed and certified by your licensed electrician, not by Evtronix.
When portable is the right call
You are in a rental or may move within a few years.
You want to charge properly while you plan a permanent install.
You charge in more than one place — home, work site, a rural property.
You drive a new EV home from the dealer and the granny lead is not cutting it.
Portable does not mean compromise if the unit is certified: you get app control, scheduling, adjustable current, and Type 2 as standard — just without tearing open walls.
When a wallbox is the right call
You own your home and know where the car will park for years.
You want a fixed, tidy install with a tethered cable always ready.
You are ready to book an electrician for a dedicated circuit and compliance certificate.
Two EVs share one driveway and you want load balancing between them.
Remember: we supply wallboxes and the install documentation. Your electrician installs and certifies the work. That separation is deliberate and protects you.
Speed: will one feel slower than the other?
Not necessarily. Both are AC chargers — the speed limit is usually your home supply and your car's onboard charger, not whether the unit is portable or wall-mounted.
A 7 kW portable on a suitable circuit adds the same km per hour as a 7 kW wallbox. Where wallboxes pull ahead is convenience and cable management, not magic extra power.
If someone quotes you 22 kW, check whether your home is three phase and whether your car can use it. Otherwise you are paying for headroom you cannot use yet.
A sensible path many drivers take
Start portable the week the car arrives. Learn your real daily km, your outlet or circuit, and your tariff.
Plan the wallbox once you know where the car sits and what your electrician says about the board.
Either way, buy Australian-certified gear. The handshake between charger and car is the safety layer — that is not where you shop on price alone.
Key takeaways
- Portable gets you charging properly immediately; wallbox is the long-term fixed install
- Renters and new EV owners often start portable — that is a valid permanent choice too
- Speed is set by your supply and car, not by portable vs wallbox alone
- Evtronix supplies wallboxes; your licensed electrician installs and certifies them