Anyone here with a Zappi who can provide any comment on it? Or similar alternatives for a data nerd?
I have a Zappi 2 but I don't currently use it's special features (looking at solar later this year so that is on the cards for the future). I suspect that any smart charger introduces potential issues.
I have not had any problems with reduced charging rate when using timed charging (setting start time on the car). I use the Octopus Go tariff and it coordinates effectively. The charger is not required to do anything smart in this respect... however... I have had 3 occasions since the beginning of September (when it was installed) when the charger has "crashed" ... meaning that the car was not charged in the morning. There have been some firmware updates and this may or may not now be a resolved issue.
In the same way that we deal with the myriad software developments relating to the car you then have the same thing with the charger! Unless you are going to need the smart functions I would probably lean towards a dumb charger and make your like simpler!