Home EV chargers aren’t complicated, even if they may seem it. To prove this, in our 60-second read we’ve provided all the key information you need to know in this easy to understand format.
1 Power – All home chargers run at 7kW (minor variances sometimes quoted). Home chargers cannot run at higher powers because they are limited by the power to your home.
2 Connections – All use Type 2 connections which are universal to 98% of cars in the UK, both EV and Hybrid
3 Size -and looks are the main differences, generally the older the design the larger they are.
4 Earth rods – Some require earth rods which means another cable and a 1m rod being put into the ground. This is fine if you have soft ground nearby but not if you don’t. Many other chargers do not require these now as earthing is built in. This gives a neater finish.
5 Data connections – All have to have Wifi and/or 4G connections to qualify for the OZEV grant.
6 Apps – All have Apps but these are hit and miss and it’s often best to ignore and just use the car App. Apps mostly just allow scheduling and monitoring. You do not need to use Apps, you can just plug in your car and charge, which most people do.
7 Tethers – Tethered chargers (ones with a cable permanently attached, like a petrol pump) are personal choice, there’s no right or wrong option.
8 Prices – Pricing varies but watch for low prices which are usually ‘From…’. Also worthy of note is that NICEIC, a large electrical body, found that 70% of charger installations they checked were incorrectly fitted. Choose your installer carefully.
9 Grants – To obtain your OZEV grant you need an EV on order or you need to own one and have your own private, off road parking space.
10 Longevity – Bear in mind that your charger will sit on your home for at least 10 years so looks can be quite important (but also personal to you of course).
These are the basics for choosing a charger. You’ll see negative comments and positive comments about every charger online but there are no universally bad ones. We hope you found this useful. If you’d like to know a little more then please contact us today.
If you would like to speak to a friendly and helpful member of our team, ask questions, discuss your EV charger options or would like help with anything related all you have to do is call us on the number below.