Rolec EV smart charger

[navneeth1986]

Hi guys,

Trying to get quote from electricians to get EV charger pod installed. A lot of then are recommending rolec EV smart charger.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks.

 

[Pict]

We have a Rolec which we use for the MG ZS EV and Skoda Enyaq.
It is not the most feature packed device but it has been reliable for us. You can tell it your electricity tariff and it will smart charge during your off peak period if you have one. We do not have an off peak tariff so it just gets used as a dumb charger as and when we need it.

There is an app that you can use to stop/start the smart charging and will give you details of cost of charge.

We had the Rolec installed because our install required a lot of groundwork with trenches etc and the installer with the most competitive quote was only authorised for it.

 

[Alb]

I'd rather make my own choice based on my own requirements and priorities.
If you do a wider search, you'll find threads giving Pros and Cons of all the major suppliers.
I favour Hypervolt but you'll find owners of pretty much every other system here too so there's plenty of knowledge.

 

[navneeth1986]

We have a Rolec which we use for the MG ZS EV and Skoda Enyaq.
It is not the most feature packed device but it has been reliable for us. You can tell it your electricity tariff and it will smart charge during your off peak period if you have one. We do not have an off peak tariff so it just gets used as a dumb charger as and when we need it.

There is an app that you can use to stop/start the smart charging and will give you details of cost of charge.

We had the Rolec installed because our install required a lot of groundwork with trenches etc and the installer with the most competitive quote was only authorised for it.

Ok. Thanks. Will the rolec, are you able to choose the percentage of battery that you would like to charge to ? i e the healthy mode, I am unable to control that using the app or on the car. I know it does only during the off peak hours. I just want to make sure I don't charge it to 100% whenever I charge.

 

[navneeth1986]

I'd rather make my own choice based on my own requirements and priorities.
If you do a wider search, you'll find threads giving Pros and Cons of all the major suppliers.
I favour Hypervolt but you'll find owners of pretty much every other system here too so there's plenty of knowledge.

Thanks. I just want something that charges giving me control over the battery health/mode.

 

[N2STY]

It's worth looking at your energy supplier as the often offer discounts with some brands like wallbox and ohme can work out alot cheaper

 

[navneeth1986]

It's worth looking at your energy supplier as the often offer discounts with some brands like wallbox and ohme can work out alot cheaper

Thanks. One electrician quoted for £600 for rolec, including the govt grant.

 

[N2STY]

Depends who your supplier is Ovo do ohme for like £500 ish they do another for £400 ish fitted nothing to lose worth a look
And remember 25mm tails 100amp fuse and a non looped supply

 

[N2STY]

Octopus do ohme for £299

 

[navneeth1986]

Depends who your supplier is Ovo do ohme for like £500 ish they do another for £400 ish fitted nothing to lose worth a look
And remember 25mm tails 100amp fuse and a non looped supply

I am with British gas. Not sure if they that service.

 

[N2STY]

British gas do hive charger but I think its a bit more

 

[navneeth1986]

British gas do hive charger but I think its a bit more

Yes I can see. About £900 , pricey

 

[Pict]

Ok. Thanks. Will the rolec, are you able to choose the percentage of battery that you would like to charge to ? i e the healthy mode, I am unable to control that using the app or on the car. I know it does only during the off peak hours. I just want to make sure I don't charge it to 100% whenever I charge.

The Rolec has no control of the % charge. We just charge both cars to 100% once or twice a week. Our 1st gen ZS has no setting to limit charge and while I can on the Skoda I don't bother. The car will be used within 36 hours at the most

 

[navneeth1986]

The Rolec has no control of the % charge. We just charge both cars to 100% once or twice a week. Our 1st gen ZS has no setting to limit charge and while I can on the Skoda I don't bother. The car will be used within 36 hours at the most

My MG ZS ev has it, but I am unable to control it., It's always set to 100%. Hope they update the app soon.

 

[Lovemyev]

I have a dumb Rolec unit that was installed in 2015.
I have control via an App and a Wi-Fi relay installed inside.
As the Gen1 ZS EV has no provision for controlling the level of Soc to the car and will hit 100% every time you plug it in.
You can charge close to the percentage you require by doing this.
Plug in the car and let it commence the charge, then go to the driver window and check the dash panel.
Firstly it will show your current SOC and the range.
After about 30 seconds it will then display the length of time it will take to hit the 100% full mark.
If you take your remaining range and then quickly work out, that for every hour you spend on a 7kw wall box, this will add about 25 miles of range for each hour on charge.
So, if your remaining range is showing 50 miles when starting, then 2 hours of charging from the wall box is going to give you 100 miles of range when you stop the charge.
Set a reminder in your phone ?.
It’s a bit of a “Faff” but it will offer you some control.
If you using a night time off peak tariff, this is not very practical of course !.
This is why I upgraded my dumb Rolec with a Wi - Fi relay for the cost of around £15.
Now I can set my start and stop times from my phone.
You can’t set to a percentage, but I have become use to judging the length of charge and converting that length of time, into a percentage SOC in the way disproved above.
One hour charge, equals 25 miles of added range.

 

[Alan]

We have a Rolec, and its fine for us!

 

[navneeth1986]

We have a Rolec, and its fine for us!

OK. thanks. how are you managing the scheduled charge? via the rolec app or via the MG ismart app?

 

[navneeth1986]

I have a dumb Rolec unit that was installed in 2015.
I have control via an App and a Wi-Fi relay installed inside.
As the Gen1 ZS EV has no provision for controlling the level of Soc to the car and will hit 100% every time you plug it in.
You can charge close to the percentage you require by doing this.
Plug in the car and let it commence the charge, then go to the driver window and check the dash panel.
Firstly it will show your current SOC and the range.
After about 30 seconds it will then display the length of time it will take to hit the 100% full mark.
If you take your remaining range and then quickly work out, that for every hour you spend on a 7kw wall box, this will add about 25 miles of range for each hour on charge.
So, if your remaining range is showing 50 miles when starting, then 2 hours of charging from the wall box is going to give you 100 miles of range when you stop the charge.
Set a reminder in your phone ?.
It’s a bit of a “Faff” but it will offer you some control.
If you using a night time off peak tariff, this is not very practical of course !.
This is why I upgraded my dumb Rolec with a Wi - Fi relay for the cost of around £15.
Now I can set my start and stop times from my phone.
You can’t set to a percentage, but I have become use to judging the length of charge and converting that length of time, into a percentage SOC in the way disproved above.
One hour charge, equals 25 miles of added range.

Yes, thanks, I have heard about the relay. I will also consider that. or alternatively, like you have done, I could calculate the charge capacity for a time range and set the time accordingly during the night, keeping it under 100.

 

[ARealHuman]

We have a Rolec too which is fine for us, used with the ev.energy app. We only got it as it was supplied free with the car, so no charger choice but it's fine for how we use the car.

 

[Alan]

OK. thanks. how are you managing the scheduled charge? via the rolec app or via the MG ismart app?

i'm not as I don't have a special tariff right now