Home chargers - which one did you buy, and why?

[Simon J]

Hopeful that I’ll be joining the world of EV motoring in the coming months as we've finally made the decision to move house and downsize, I’d like to know what were the criteria that people used when choosing their home charger. I should say that being in Northern Ireland, our electricity suppliers haven’t moved beyond the concept of Economy 7 (which we had in our first flat when we got married nearly fifty years ago) so sophisticated tracking of electricity pricing isn’t relevant here although one supplier is promising to have an EV rate but with no indication of when. But what other features are worth considering?

All suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

[Marcad]

Check out Rightcharge.co.uk to get the most out of the site choose a car MG ZS or 5 it doesn't matter then this allows to choose with or without grant just skip past your name if you don't want to enter it right now, this will show you some chargers. For the OLEV grant the charger has to be smart so the so called Dumb chargers no longer eligible. There are cheaper chargers out there this would give you an idea of some of the functionality. I hope this helps to narrow your search.

 

[Simon J]

Thanks for this speedy reply. I should have said that I’d looked at Rightcharge but all it seems to do is list all the features of the various chargers but is no help in trying to decide which features are 'essential' and which are just 'desirable'. Hence my query about what criteria people used in making their own choices.

 

[Marcad]

Okay, my considerations were Solar and not to have an earthing rod if possible, I'm lucky I have a drive and a reasonably modern home and electrics so my install should be straight forward. As they are all smart now there is little to consider, how you interact, the app, updates and connection, ie wifi, ethernet 4g I think are the things to consider.

 

[Jonhklee]

Gone for the Zappi, loading control (we already have a basic Rolec in the garage, so load is a issue) and PEN fault detection built in, no Earth rod installation plus solar compatible (we are still deciding on solar panels).

 

[Simon J]

Thanks, guys, just the sort of information I’m looking for. Very helpful.

 

[mystreet]

The existing wiring/fuseboard/power into the house may also have a bearing on what you can have. Some older houses the power coming in is on a 'loop' with a few other houses which means new feeds for all.

 

[Simon J]

Good point about the wiring but we’re aiming for a new build, or relatively new at least, so hopefully the wiring should be ok.

What benefit is there to having a 4G connection rather than just wi-fi? I can’t imagine needing to connect to the charger from afar.

Edit: On reflection perhaps the 4G is enable the charger to call home for the purposes of determining optimal charging times depending on pricing, and if so, not relevant for us yet.

 

[Fishettibean]

Zappi - I have solar and one of zappi features is to adapt the charge to match the power output of the solar panels. Also it has timed support as well as other features.

 

[Simon J]

Many thanks. At the moment I don’t have any plans to go solar.

 

[ARealHuman]

Went for Rolec as I only had a choice of two - both Rolec chargers. Full installation paid for by MG/governemnt grant. OThers have had problems with timed charges with Rolec, but as we're in lockdown and I only drive to do our weekly shop, this hasn't affected me yet.

 

[Simon J]

Thanks. I’d read that when MG provided the charger they used Rolec but I see mixed reviews on them.

 

[Deleted member 2439]

Zappi - I have solar and one of zappi features is to adapt the charge to match the power output of the solar panels. Also it has timed support as well as other features.

The Zappi, if properly configure, has the ability to ensure that the total house supply doesn’t exceed a certain amount. Our installer set ours to 65amps on the basis that we have an 80amp main fuse. Seems that the actual limit is a local issue determined in agreement with your DNO (Distribution Network Operator - such as Western Power). Zappi also communicates via a Hub which is Ethernet connected to your router/home network so is essentially on-line all the time with no need for 4G. This also gives control via an app.
I had some issues with timed charge when mine was initially installed, this was resolved quickly via very proactive support from Myenergi.

 

[Simon J]

Very interesting. Many thanks.

 

[Iain]

I had my charging point installed early last year and approached this from a different angle.
I contacted local approved electrical contractors in my area and chose one who gave me an estimated cost based on the agreed cable route and point position, after checking the existing wiring was to current specification.
The charging point providers, I previously contacted, all gave me a fixed costs but extra charges would be incurred if cable had to be concealed, was over a certain distance etc.
I have a basic Rolec charger which is adequate for my needs. (I could easily change the point without having to renew any cables)
I was delighted with the installation and have the knowledge that a local company can provide any future advice, updates or maintenance I require.
The electrical contractor is independent and not “tied” to any one charging point provider so advice should be impartial.
Hope this helps.

 

[Simon J]

Good advice, Iain, many thanks. Over here in 'Norn Iron' local contractors are plentiful, but whether they know about EV chargers remains to be seen. But a good approach.

 

[bb1922]

I did get the Rolec Homesmart EV Chargepoint. With hindsight, it does not meet my needs.

Rolec works well if you just want to plug in and charge.

If you want to smart charge and schedule charging to coincide with cheap rate electricity, it will not work on any MG EV, without contacting their app provider ev.energy and requesting the enabling of trickle charge mode. This uses a 6amp (approx 1.5kW) charge to keep the car awake, wasting peak rate power.

I hope this helps you to decide if the Rolec meets your needs.

 

[Simon J]

Many thanks. It doesn’t sound promising, I have to say but I must admit I thought that timed charging was now possible with the ZS EV after one of the software upgrades last year?

 

[Cocijo]

My car doesn’t need the trickle charge and will wake up when charger starts. You can try this yourself and see if your car responds.

 

[Simon J]

Thanks again. I’m still at the planning stage so can’t test anything yet but it was certainly my understanding from reading the threads about software updates that timed charging was now possible.