WHERE AND HOW

If you have recently or are seriously considering, buying your first electric or hybrid car, you’ll need to think about where and how you’re going to charge it. Unlike conventional vehicles, where you simply top up the tank at the local petrol station, charging an EV takes some forethought. Typically, charging can be done at home, at work or using a public charging point.

CHARGING AT HOME

Home charging is by far the most convenient and cheapest option since the UK’s fastest public chargers can cost you up to seven times more. You could opt for charging using a standard domestic three-pin socket, but the process is very slow and raises safety concerns if the cable, plug, or socket is not rated for continuous high-power use over many hours. As such, most EV owners opt for a dedicated home charger aka wall charger installed in their garage or off-street parking. The benefits of charging with a wall charger include:

• faster charging speeds for your EV
• access to additional safety features
• scheduled charging when the electricity tariff is a fraction of the normal rate
• tracking the running costs of your EV
• less reliance on the public charging network

With scores of wall chargers on the market and prices ranging from £300 to £1,500, choosing the device which is best for you might be tricky. Here is an overview of our top five chargers and why we swear by them.

EO MINI PRO 2

According to Expert Reviews, the EO Mini Pro (v2) is a clear winner when it comes to compactness, discretion of design and affordability. The charger has fuse protection, solar charging integration and power delivery of up to 7 kW, the typical rate needed for fast charging. With dimensions of 17.5 x 12.5 x 12.5 cm, the device is so compact that it’s difficult to recognise as a home charging point. The EO can be tethered or socketed, and installation only requires a solitary cable pinned to the wall. Additional features include a lock for security and a Smart Home app to manage charging. Designed and manufactured in the UK, the Mini will only set you back around £350 excluding installation although you could strike a bargain for as little as £225. In London, the installation costs start at £300 but these vary considerably depending on your supplier and the model to be installed.

OHME HOME PRO

Many EV owners have stated that they wished their wall charger had a screen and controller, thus negating the time spent with fiddly apps on a smartphone. Enter the Ohme Home Pro charger, a London-designed piece of tech with an LCD screen and an in-built control panel that lets you control charging at the charge point. The Ohme connects to the internet via a 4G SIM and is automatically updated. Size is also a plus, with dimensions of 17 x 20 x 10 cm and a power delivery of 7.4 kW, similar to that of the EO Mini Pro 2. While it is currently a tethering-only device and offers no solar charging integration, according to Top Charger, the Ohme Home Pro is a fantastic contender for a quality EV charger and those wanting visual engagement. The Ohme has a price tag of approximately £550, excluding earthing and installation.

HYPERVOLT

Green Mile claims that the Hypervolt, another British-made charger, will soon become the UK’s best-seller. The refined-looking, multi-lit device has been compared to something that Tesla might manufacture and has a range of features to please any EV driver. The Hypervolt has the longest guarantee of all chargers and includes free lifetime operating system updates and built-in PEN fault detection, preventing shock hazards. With dimensions of 24 x 33 x 10 cm, it is bigger than the EO Mini Pro or Ohme Home Pro but still retains the standard electrical output of 7 kW. It can be connected via Wi-Fi or Ethernet and has scheduled charging, solar integration, and load balancing so that the charging adjusts with your household load. Hypervolt also has Smart Home integration, including voice control using Amazon Alexa. Priced at £630 for the 5-metre tethered lead model, the Hypervolt appears to be an EV charging gamechanger. In the 2022 Driver Power survey, the Hypervolt took first place in seven out of nine categories, including reliability, charging speed and customer service.

ANDERSEN A2

Those that appreciate style over substance might opt for the Andersen A2 EV charger. Top Charger says it has the best design and build quality of any charger tested, with the built-in tidy hiding of its tethered cable being a true feat of engineering. Like other chargers, the A2 offers a 3 kW and 7 kW power delivery and a 22 kW option for households with a three-phase supply. Despite its relatively large size of 35 x 50 x 15 cm, the kit is easy to install, not needing an earth rod. The Andersen also has solar integration and can be upgraded to an 8.5-metre cable. On the downside, the Andersen has been faulted for hardware that is paired with an underperforming and unsupported app. It only works on Wi-Fi which can be problematic if your connection is unstable. With a premium starting price of £1,389 excluding installation, the Anderson doesn’t come cheap. Nevertheless, if money is no object and you want a James Bond look for the exterior of your home, then the Andersen A2 is your go-to technology.

MYENERGI ZAPPI 2.0

Last on our list but not least is the Myenergi Zappi 2.0 EV charger, one of the best-selling models out there. Coming in both tethered and untethered options, like the Andersen, the Zappi also has a built-in cable tidy and PEN fault detection. But the Zappi is perhaps the most well-known solar charging capability and can divert any surplus energy from your solar panels into your EV that would otherwise go back to the grid. In this time of soaring energy prices, this helps to keep bills as low as possible. As with the other chargers, the Zappi has a 7.4 kW power delivery capability. Unfortunately, it has come under fire for its clunky size with dimensions of 29 x 12 x 43 cm and a setup cost of about £1,200 including installation. However, conceived and manufactured in the UK, the Myenergi Zappi represents a high-quality, functional technology and is said to be the most functional charger out there.