Recommended EV chargers in UK ?

[MrNik]

Hi mates, I’m scheduled to buy a Tesla in the coming months. I live in the UK (Newcastle) and wanted to know what most of you Tesla owners are using for your chargers.

Do you have any suggestions as to which is better in terms of cost, reliability, custom service etc & how I can get started with installing them (electricians help?)

 

[ariharry]

I opted for the Tesla Wall Connector.

It looks stylish and has different coloured face plates to match the home style (or car colour). The mounting post looks smart with it.

I’m set to install solar + Tesla Powerwall and it appears that Tesla are now showing some firmware love towards the wall connector, so I hope/expect that over time they’ll improve solar/battery/wall connector interoperability, including excess solar charging, but there is no guarantee that they’ll actually Implement that.

 

[qwickshot]

Tesla are now showing some firmware love towards the wall connector, so I hope/expect that over time they’ll improve solar/battery/wall connector interoperability, including excess solar charging, but there is no guarantee that they’ll actually Implement that.

I can’t see that ever working independently, the charger doesn’t have its own CT clamp so it can’t measure import or export.

 

[scdoubleu]

I can’t see that ever working independently, the charger doesn’t have its own CT clamp so it can’t measure import or export.

With a Tesla Gateway/Powerwall in the mix there's no technical reason for this not to work. If only some firmware team at Tesla got the finger out and implemented it.

 

[qwickshot]

With a Tesla Gateway/Powerwall in the mix there's no technical reason for this not to work. If only some firmware team at Tesla got the finger out and implemented it.

That was my point, I can’t see it working independently (of the power wall equipment).

Hardly any wall connector owners will have a power wall, the OP certainly doesn’t.

 

[Itidiot]

Hypervolt.

• Looks brilliant (with/without LEDS)
• Nice App
• 5m / 7.5m / 10m Cables options ( Great for two EVs)
• Pen Fault built-in ( no extra earth rod etc)
• Cable management is brilliant... See so many houses with other EV chargers cables dangled on the floor.

 

[MrNik]

I’ve just installed an Easee charger. Very happy with it. Really like that it’s very small and that you can lock the charging cable into it via the app. Means you can effectively have the best of tethered or non-tethered depending on how you feel. I plan to leave the cable locked into it most the time and then take the cable out when going on holiday etc.

I’m curious , how exactly does that work ? What’s the point of the cable without being connected to the charging point? I mean it’s it always convenient to just come home and have it tethered? I’m obviously missing some advantage hence the curiosity

 

[chazman88]

I’m curious , how exactly does that work ? What’s the point of the cable without being connected to the charging point? I mean it’s it always convenient to just come home and have it tethered? I’m obviously missing some advantage hence the curiosity

For me it’s the ability to leave the charger neat and tidy if it’s not going to be used for a bit (on holiday etc) rather than having a coil of cable on the outside of my house.

I wanted to get a Andersen Charger as it holds the cable inside but they’re just too expensive.

I also didn’t want an un-tethered charger as I didnt want to be coiling up a wet cable to then put in the boot/frunk.

 

[Zakalwe]

Andersen A2 all the way. The best looking unit (the Zappi looks like you have a plastic urinal on your house) with a choice of colours and faceplates.
I hate the to notify look of cables draped over charging units-so untidy looking.
Plus it integrates well with solar PV to use excess PV generation.

 

[MrNik]

Andersen A2 all the way. The best looking unit (the Zappi looks like you have a plastic urinal on your house) with a choice of colours and faceplates.
I hate the to notify look of cables draped over charging units-so untidy looking.
Plus it integrates well with solar PV to use excess PV generation.

ROFL ... the urinal look is so true!

 

[RedMod3]

I also use a Sync EV charger. Super compact and seems to work well. My only complaint is that you can't disable the LED ring which goes blue when the charger is idle, only dim it.

As well as a Tesla dumb charger, I also have a SyncEV charger. They did some software updates 6 months ago which greatly improved its function. SyncEV have now been taken over by another company.

 

[RedMod3]

I can’t see that ever working independently, the charger doesn’t have its own CT clamp so it can’t measure import or export.

I have a Powerwall and the dumb Tesla charger, and it works fine. When the PW has reached a level of charge I am happy with, I just vary the charging in the Tesla App to adjust the charging power. very easy and simple.

 

[ariharry]

I have a Powerwall and the dumb Tesla charger, and it works fine. When the PW has reached a level of charge I am happy with, I just vary the charging in the Tesla App to adjust the charging power. very easy and simple.

Good to know. My install is set to be commissioned this week and the car is set to be delivered in September, so I’m keen to maximise my ROI on the panels and PW!

 

[qwickshot]

I have a Powerwall and the dumb Tesla charger, and it works fine. When the PW has reached a level of charge I am happy with, I just vary the charging in the Tesla App to adjust the charging power. very easy and simple.

That’s fine if that’s what you want to do but its really not comparable to the fully automatic solar modes of a Zappi and other chargers.

You literally plug it in and the charger sorts out the rest without dipping into the grid. Having to sit there and turn the car down every time a cloud comes over is not really something the vast majority of people are willing or frankly have the time to do.

Don’t get me wrong, dumb chargers have their place but providing a good experience with solar just isn’t it.

 

[73henny]

That’s fine if that’s what you want to do but its really not comparable to the fully automatic solar modes of a Zappi and other chargers.

You literally plug it in and the charger sorts out the rest without dipping into the grid. Having to sit there and turn the car down every time a cloud comes over is not really something the vast majority of people are willing or frankly have the time to do.

Don’t get me wrong, dumb chargers have their place but providing a good experience with solar just isn’t it.

I'm about to order a charge point as my solar panels should be fitted in the next week or so. I want to divert any excess solar to hot water so will probably buy an iboost or something similar. The extra cost of a Zappi over a Tesla wall connector is around £300. It'd take a hell of a lot of excess over and above what could manually be sent to the car to recoup that cost. More often than not it'd only be saving me the off peak Go tariff of 8p. It'd take many years to save the nearly 4000 units it'd need to cover the extra outlay.

 

[Toblerone]

I'm about to order a charge point as my solar panels should be fitted in the next week or so. I want to divert any excess solar to hot water so will probably buy an iboost or something similar. The extra cost of a Zappi over a Tesla wall connector is around £300. It'd take a hell of a lot of excess over and above what could manually be sent to the car to recoup that cost. More often than not it'd only be saving me the off peak Go tariff of 8p. It'd take many years to save the nearly 4000 units it'd need to cover the extra outlay.

Devils advocate:
TWC requires additional pen fault detection device which narrows the cost.
Off peak Go at 8p won’t last forever. You can heat water using cheap gas potentially, put you can’t put gas in the car.
Immersion can also only take so much excess solar in the summer.
The car can take excess (read free) solar and zappi allows that at zero additional effort (as well as charging at go rates).

 

[73henny]

Devils advocate:
TWC requires additional pen fault detection device which narrows the cost.
Off peak Go at 8p won’t last forever. You can heat water using cheap gas potentially, put you can’t put gas in the car.
Immersion can also only take so much excess solar in the summer.
The car can take excess (read free) solar and zappi allows that at zero additional effort (as well as charging at go rates).

PEN fault device isn't required for an internal garage installation.
I forgot to mention I'm also getting a battery so will charge that in addition to the hot water from solar.

 

[Darreno]

PEN fault device isn't required for an internal garage installation.
I forgot to mention I'm also getting a battery so will charge that in addition to the hot water from solar.

I thought a PEN Fault Device is required regardless if the charger is inside or out, if on an PME (TN-C-S) earthing system? I have seen internal garage installs with a Matt:e device.

I could be wrong of course. It would be interesting to know for sure.

 

[RedMod3]

That’s fine if that’s what you want to do but its really not comparable to the fully automatic solar modes of a Zappi and other chargers.

You literally plug it in and the charger sorts out the rest without dipping into the grid. Having to sit there and turn the car down every time a cloud comes over is not really something the vast majority of people are willing or frankly have the time to do.

Don’t get me wrong, dumb chargers have their place but providing a good experience with solar just isn’t it.

Why on earth would you think I would want to do that? I've two PWs (soon to be three), and don't care too much if I partly drain them as I'll have plenty of power left over. I have the option of setting how much solar to go into the cars and PWs; I like that.

 

[qwickshot]

I'm about to order a charge point as my solar panels should be fitted in the next week or so. I want to divert any excess solar to hot water so will probably buy an iboost or something similar. The extra cost of a Zappi over a Tesla wall connector is around £300. It'd take a hell of a lot of excess over and above what could manually be sent to the car to recoup that cost. More often than not it'd only be saving me the off peak Go tariff of 8p. It'd take many years to save the nearly 4000 units it'd need to cover the extra outlay.

In that scenario I’d recommend the Zappi and the Eddi combination. By far the best solution for what you need. Sure the Zappi looks very fisher price but it’s by far the best solution and it means your charger and water heater can talk to each other to make best use of the solar energy and any cheap overnight tariff you have.

For the record, I don’t own one, and have no interest in suggesting it other than it’s the best solution for what you actually need and ultimately will maximise your generation and stop you drawing grid power when you don’t need to.

It’s not all about cost (and 4000 units is not that much in the context of an electric car), convenience is a huge factor. You plug it in, it works.

There is no ‘quick it’s sunny, turn the charger on, oh no there is a cloud, turn it off’.

Why on earth would you think I would want to do that? I've two PWs (soon to be three), and don't care too much if I partly drain them as I'll have plenty of power left over. I have the option of setting how much solar to go into the cars and PWs; I like that.

I don’t mean to come across as defensive but it’s probably worth pointing out that a) you didn’t mention that at all and b) you are compensating with £18+k* worth of batteries with plans to add another £9k+* worth. Something like a Zappi costs £200 over a tesla charger (after pen fault device).

It’s not really how they are intended to be used either way and frankly, I don’t think most people want to have/need to constantly intervene with it when there is a product that will just sort it all out for them or shell out for tens of thousands of batteries to compensate for not having a smart charger.

*current prices

 

[RedMod3]

It’s not really how they are intended to be used either way and frankly, I don’t think most people want to have/need to constantly intervene with it when there is a product that will just sort it all out for them or shell out for tens of thousands of batteries to compensate for not having a smart charger.

You have no idea; the 2nd and 3rd PWs are used to avoid peak power costs on spring/autumn and winter respectively, and they are nothing to do with a smart charger as we don't get much sun in winter.