Ohme does support solar charging. However it's more cost effective to export as much solar as possible, then charge the car on cheap rate. Octopus seems expensive to me. I'm with Eon Next, which give 7 hours at 6.7p, the remainder being 24.41p. I also get 16.5p export, so charging from solar makes absolutely zero financial sense.
Ive been using granny charger for the last two years, me and wife both have electric cars, i work from home so not a big deal, i just pop the charger on my wifes car twice a week when she gets home from work, works for us.
I’m convinced that these are priced according to what they think the average EV owner can afford rather than what they are worth. There’s a lot of marketing nonsense going on. They price them as if we can still get a grant to subsidise them. As EVs become widely adopted we will see them get more competitive on price. Essentially it is just a switch in a plastic box. The money spent on a good electrician is well worth it, but I’m sceptical about the differences between devices.
Any product is priced at what they think the market will take. I have Hypervolt and to be fair to them, they are constantly developing the software and do provide good back-up. They’re onto Hypervolt 3 now, so are consistently developing the hardware. As Nick said, it’s a solid unit which you can hammer and it’ll easily take a jet washer too. Like everything, you get what you pay for.
@@Swwils Great. But a few parts don’t make a product do they? It’s the manufacture, design, marketing, software development, ongoing support, distribution costs, packaging, product testing, patent registration etc. Profits need to be made, shareholders need paying, along with employees. Different markets also have different standards and regulations that need to be met and standards testing to attain marks like CE or UK CA. So the $30 of parts suddenly grows into far more, doesn’t it?
@@Swwilsyou can buy a lot of things cheaper doesn’t mean they the same product, chargers are competitive market if someone could undercut them for same product and quality they would of. I’ve done a video breaking cost down of these units there’s a lot more in them than you think
I use the screen on my Zappi every time I plug the car in to enter the pin and start the charge. The pin is important because it’s public facing on an alleyway at the back of my house. I could use the app but it’s far quicker to just use the on device buttons. So in this particular situation he’s wrong a screen is very useful and the reason I went with a Zappi, it’s usp.
Me & my wife both have ICE cars but our son bought his first car an EV so wanted to give him peace of mind with home Charging..Through our energy supplier we had fitted the Ohme home pro last year and using OVO charge anytime he can charge his Peugeot e208 at 6.67p/kw and run it for next to nothing..Its been great and dead reliable..Keep up the good work mate..👍😁
This was a great video, covered all the important considerations. I went for the hypervolt and have been really pleased. The app is great but nick is right, as soon as you enable intelligent octopus you stop needing the native app. Although I love the live monitoring of the house draw, it's better than the octopus mini. Not sure if you're lining it up for a future video but worth talking about installation. I went with an independent installer as a) wanted the advice as to which charger to get and b) a quality installation by someone who would come back to fix any issues. So many people go with an energy company where the work is subbed out to the cheapest contractor. I wanted someone who I knew would do a quality job and spend all day on it, rather than bash out as many as they can in one day.
I’ve got a Hypervolt and love mine. I bought mine through Wickes - they subbed it out to a solid electrical company though. Was installed within 3 weeks.
Really enjoy your channel!!! I live in the USA, I use the Emporia charger. I'm retired and I don't drive that much so I charge once a week. I plug in when I get home for the day and at 9 pm the car starts to charge. From 9 pm to 6 am I pay 4.9 cent per kwh. I don't have solar but it is on my list of things to do. I'm not sure if I'll be grid tied or not. I Iike the idea of getting paid for the extra electricity but not the cost of that type of system. Keep up the great work and I can't wait till you get another Ioniq 5. I have the 2024 model and I just love the car. I am also a big fan of your wife's honesty and she makes me laugh ---- so much fun.
22:40 Couldn’t agree more. The engineer who fitted my unit had no idea about where to fit the CT clamps or what setting to make on the unit. I ended up researching it and getting him back in to make the required changes!
I had the Hypervolt installed last May and it’s given me consistently good charging results ie max charging rate. The choice of cable is 5m, 7.5m and 10m (not 14m), which neatly wraps around the unit. The app is good as it gives you some great analytics which you can download to PDF. The Hypervolt’s party piece is that you can set the front LED to give you a light display (eg ‘Knight Rider’ mode). As Nick says, it’s solar capable and I would emphasise his point about it being compatible with both the Octopus AND Ovo smart tariffs. Finally, another benefit is that you can simply lock and unlock the charger from the app - or set it to lock as soon as you unplug from the car. A nice security feature.
Thanks for the video! Very timely. I just ordered my Zappi through Octopus. I think it is the best looking and functional (cable neatly tucked around it). The integration with battery and solar is a good future proofing. Sympsons looks like kitchen towel holder
We have a Zappi. I have used their support in the past and it was first class, although things can change I guess. The contactor went on ours and it was replaced within a couple of days by one of their guys. He also noticed that the installation did not meet the latest regs. Not our installers fault, it was correct when it was installed. Zappi updated the circuit breaker for the new regs FOC. Great support.
I have a Hypervolt home 3 pro and it is supplied with either 5 or 10 meter cables. Pretty sure you can get a longer one if necessary. PS it is brilliant and super smart
Been charging my EV6 form a variable speed granny charger (max 16A) for the last 2 years no problems, in fact the EV6 hasn't even seen a DCFC since I've owned it. Nice wrap up of the other options though !!!
Thank you Algorithm for feeding me this. Im spending this year researching EVs intending to get one in 26. Currently there is a phev in rhe household hence already having got a Hypervolt Pro 3.
I'm sorry to disagree about tethered verses untethered. I have an Ohme ePod and ALWAYS remove the cable after use, as I can't stand seeing charging cables hanging off wall boxes plus the ePod is the only one that is small enough to fit where I need it to be - job done. Oh and the Ohme Helpdesk REALLY is a Helpful Desk!!
I’ve got the Hypervolt. All good so far, & works well with Octopus intelligence EV. The app provides loads of data, you can see cost for each charge and stuff like that, I like the option to change the lights. Good advice on ordering the charger with the longest cable. Great video btw.
I received a free GiveEnergy charger when I ordered their All in one and Gateway. it does what I need but doesn't work with Intelligent Go (yet).Rumor has it it's coming soon 🙂 I tried to get my house fuse upgraded to 100 Amps as I thought I needed it for solar, house battery and EV but Northern Grid said I would need to have 3 phase installed. At a cost of course so I left it at single phase 80 Amps and have had no trouble so far, touch wood.
Love our Ohme Home Pro and works perfectly. Also it does have Solar integration and charging capabilities but as stated, I don’t use them because at the moment it would cost money vs exporting. Personally I’d also stick with a tethered cable just to remove the additional plug/socket connection.
I have to disagree with Nick on many points. 1. Of course it makes sense to get a non tethered unit in your case as you have a LEAF. Also you can lock the lead into the charger in future anyway and even buy a 20M T2 to T2 lead to charge your EV's on your large drive. Gives you options. 2. The Ohme app isnt great if you ask me. Recent updates have improved things but I have many communication issues with my charger saying the charger is offline. It might be an issue with my Ohme charger who knows? 3. The Zappi I have has been faultless and 100% reliable. The app is very quick and gives all the information I need, if a little dated now on the GUI side of things. 4. Ohme does support solar and has done for ages. 5. Charging from solar makes perfect sense if you have a very large array that is larger than the DNO allows you to export. The DNO has limited my export at 4.5kW. My roof could easily take 14kWp across both aspects, so why wouldn't you charge your EV on Solar if your solar generation is above 4.5kW. While still getting paid 15p export for the solar generation below 4.5kW.
HyperVolt user for a couple of years on Octopus Intelligent Go, been faultless, love it and the extra 7p slots it gives me for charging my home battery during the day.
2:05 Solar 'costing you twice as much' - that's the current situation, but as more residential solar comes online the rates could well come down, also if you're G98 3.68kw limited and you have panels/Inverter(s) that can out produce that, the power is effectively free.
I’m with Nick. I don’t do a high mileage normally 6-7K per year so vehicle charging is not my priority. I have a 5kwh array and a 9.5kw battery. I only got the Zappi fitted in December after having to wait 2 months. I have decided for the interim to stay on my current tariff Octopus Intelligent Flux. From 1900 to 1600hrs I can import or export electricity at 21p per kWh. Between 1600 to 1900hrs I import or export at 28p In practice I do not import at 28p. I’ve been running my solar/battery for a couple of years and the difference between seasons is noticeable. I may consider next to change to Intelligent Go between October and February. Switching back to Flux between March and September because of the higher export values.
I would also suggest considering your charging needs away from home too, as that was a key decision for us choosing the Podpoint Solo (tethered). It supports solar but the app allows you to control the home and away charging, and I regularly use Podpoint destination chargers at the other end of my commutes so I have a single, easy app for home use but also any Podpoint charger anywhere where I simply plug in and start charging without any faff. Then my Podpoint account tracks every penny of charging wherever I did it - home or away. Certainly worth considering if you commute and park a lot...
Funnily enough, I spoke to PodPoint yesterday and recalled how much I liked their app for exactly that reason. I had a PodPoint as my first charger years ago (it wasn’t a smart one).
Hypervolt 3 user. Seems solid - both stability and build quality. Never need to use the app though. Integrates with Octopus, so I use the Octopus app to set charging times and my car’s app to determine how much I want to charge too. Was on Ovo but I found it a PITA to use.
I have the tethered Wallbox and it has a light ring that tells me when it's charging, in standby or waiting for a scheduled charge. The cable "drapes" across the top rather than wrapping all the way round but it does the job.
I use a 16amp menekkes charge lead. My friendly sparks installed a proper outside socket and with the cable bought from a reputable online dealer I spent around £400. We get all the charge we need during off peak hours and the added bonus is that we are campers and our lead works on campsites too. Obviously I get permission before plugging in to a campsite bollard and I pay the going rate. I simply don't need a grands worth of 7kW charger.
The Zappi is the size it is because it takes the charging cable wrapped round it with no issues. All Zappis are now made three phase only that is also compatible with a single phase supply, they have reduced the price of the three phase so it costs what the single phase used to. I have a Zappi and did not use it for solar charging last year as Nick is correct, I just set a very large export margin so it does not use any solar, I agree with you the Zappi is the best looking unit too!
I love the Zappi, use the screen all the time so see what is going on with the solar. Don't chase tariffs much as have plenty of panel capacity and top up regularly 75% so always use solar to charge the Model Y.
13:41 only if you get paid for export. Don't forget not everyone does. Some people on the original FIT scheme get paid for generation not export & some who took out rent-a-roof schemes get paid nothing. I fall into the latter category, so I charge on solar whenever I can. Over my first year of EV ownership with the Zappi I've charged 35% solar, 65% grid (off peak). Sorry for the rant, I just get annoyed by people making blanket statements, saying that it doesn't make sense to charge from solar.
You’re right. Also power prices will change, and not all people will be on EV cheap overnight tariffs for other reasons, such as I’m on Octopus Cosy, because my heat pump will always use far more electricity than my car.
Liked his point on why would you use solar power to charge car when you can export it for 15p & buy it back later off peak for 7.5p with the information that this could change round in the future guy talks logic
Ohmes look awful with a cable in them but not plugged into a car, there is nowhere to wrap the cable around or have the plug end secured. I'm with you in loving the Zappi, I still think it looks cool.
Good choice! I've an untethered Zappi because I sometimes need to park 5m away and need a 10m cable and other times park next to the zappi and don't want to trip over excess cable. I'm in the process of installing solar PV and battery storage, so I was pleased to hear the Zappi getting a thumbs up for its ability to work with all that. And, like you, I *do* take a look at the display from time to time. The only thing I don't like is the bright, multi-coloured LED indicator. It's a real light pollution maker, so I've masked mine with a piece of black gaffer tape.
I agree, tethered all the way, and the Ohme homr pro works well. Have you considered Eon Next? Octopus isn't as competitive for either cheap rate time or cost, and solar export is less. We currently export as much as we can at 16.5p, then charge the EV at 6.7p per kWhr between 00:00 and 07:00. Eon Next also fix the rate in 12 month increments, which octopus doesn't do.
You make a very good point, most tethered chargers only come with a short cable, not long enough to reach a second car. The info on the zappi screen is useful, instead of starting up an app each time.
Got an ohme epod. Very happy. Just works. We have a gen 1 leaf so charger is controlled by octopus rather than ghe car. Worked brilliantly. Assume itll do the same when we get a second EV too.
have the 8m Ohme Pro tethered, its great and so much easier to use than untethered. I bought a backpack cover in white the same as our house colour and it just fits over the whole thing including cable. Keeps it out of the weather and blends in with the house better. Works well with octopus agile, although thinking of moving to Go as rates are rubbish lately. Cheers Andrew.
We have a Zappi. Our last house we had a tethered Zappi installed for my first BEV. Two years ago we moved to a new build that already had a charger 3.8 kW. You could only switch it on or off, changed it for a Zappi, with out hesitation. I've had experienced, in the early days of ownership, MyEnergie (Zappi owners) very helpful and responsive when I wanted to set up some of the parameters. As for Solar changing. This is the second UA-cam video that argues against Solar charging in preference for overnight and exporting. We have tried this. With one electric car I would fully agree that is the best way to charge. If you have more than one electric car, not so. We found we had to juggle which car to charge, leaving one on a low state of charge.Then you end up charging during the day at a higher rate. We have gone back to Solar charging whenever we can and charge the car that needs it during the night. Another reason to buy a charger that charges on Solar, you are in control. Any changes in export and use tariffs would not affect you so much as if you bought on of the others.
A big "in theory" for the Ohme talking to Octopus via Kia Connect, in my experience. Never yet managed to get properly intelligent charging going on my e-Niro, sadly. Lots of notifications from apps saying the car finished charging unexpectedly and some anxious nights before heading off on big trips...
I've got an Ohme Pro and use Kia Connect to my Soul. Particularly of late I have problems with the Ohme not reading the current charge of my car and hence it charging beyond the set limit. I have contacted Ohme support who told me to uninstall the Kia app then reinstall. That worked once next time if failed again.
Don’t know if it’s a Hyundai/Kia thing but lots of people have issues smart charging with ohme on intelligent octopus(don’t think being with octopus is relevant). They keep saying a solution is coming soon but there is an api issue which Hyundai are now saying that they have a solution coming soon. At the moment I charge my ioniq5 without being able to link the car so it charges by charging your battery to a percentage based on the battery size and I have to limit the charge through the cars settings. Was previously using hypervolt who have great customer service but octopus only had ohme as a recognised charger at the time
I just got an Easee charger (Norwegian) as it’s sold with different covers, and they had a cover that matches the garage wall, making it almost invisible (apart from the 7 meter cable…). Having learned my lesson I got a Tesla Wall Connector at the summerhouse. Half price of the Easee and tethered, and works every bit as well.
I have been watching your channel for a while now, I have a tethered Zappi, it's easy to use I just type in my code and it is ready to use, the unit is set up to use Octopus intelligence, it monitors my batteries and the solar panels on the roof, I am very happy with the whole system, in the summer when the solar have topped up my batteries to full it charges my EV battery I also get the FIT. What more could you want.
I can recommend the Easee One. Had it since November 22 and no problems whatsoever. Also looks good as it's untethered. EON Next Drive tariff is good too.
Does it have usable access control, I'm looking for a solution for a workplace charger that need to be secure, discreet and untethered? The online info on their website is barely comprehensible, we just need it set up with an app that can give 3 or 4 people access without faff. Ta.
I have a commando adaptor for the charging cable from Tesla (£42.00), a commando wall socket (waterproof & lockable) only £22 from Amazon and a 32amp breaker for my consumer unit (£12), 3m of 6mm cable to the outside commando socket fitted by an electrician (£80). Total £156.00 to enable Octopus off peak charging (23:30-05:30) which gives 30miles per hour (180 miles per night) for £2.80p. Why spend near £1000 for a fitted charge point as that represents 3 years worth of electricity (currently although that may change). I say “hay Siri” open Tesla bonnet, the frunk pops open, I plug in the lead at both ends (30 seconds) and my app has the schedule added…. THATS IT, simple & cost effective.
would that work for any car? I thought the "charger" had to hand-shake with the car? Or is only the charger fussy about that and the car just accepts the electrons?
@ from my limited understanding the handshakes is initiated by octopus when you inform them you have an EV eg you plug it in and they then have what they need. And as you put it, the car accepts the electrons so basically if you can charge from a granny socket you can charge from a commando socket (the primary difference is the throughput eg 2-3kw (13amp) vs 7kw (32amp).
@@Hyfly13 isn't that the difference between Go and Intelligent Go. Set up described above would work for Go, but not Intelligent Go. Cost effectiveness will be complicated to calculate as it will surely depend on how many extra day time hours you get when house is running on 7p rate and how much load shifting you can do to these times.
Totally agree I have the same a dumb charge point 32a commando - 7kw. Cheap reliable and easy to replace if it does break. Im on IGO which is controlled direct to the car by octopus and I can do anything I need via the car app like charge limits , off peak etc. I also have a wifi contactor (breaker) on the supply so I can control the power on and off remotely by timer or manually. I have solar with a battery which makes things more complicated to ensure the battery charges and discharges when I want and not to the car. Intelligent charger really is only of benefit to those with vehicles that cant be controlled by IGO but the economics are iffy vs GO.
Our Alfa Romeo Tonale Hybrid came with £1000 credit to install a home charger. We chose an Ohme tethered and so far it been perfect. It's a very neat install on the outside side wall of an integrated garage, almost next to the electricity meter cupboard . . .
I've had an Easee One charger (untethered) for just over two years - don't need to charge every day, so untethered looks neater (and it is a small box on the side of the porch 😂). Integrates with Octopus perfectly (for Cupra Born EV). Did have to call support once, apparently the supply voltage can actually vary quite a bit, and it was going out of "setup" range. They sorted the issue really quickly (remotely) 😁. I also used a specialist EV charger installer, rather than a general electrician, the guy was really good - so that was definitely worthwhile 😁.
I have solar and a battery and so went for a Zappi. Very happy with it. I don’t charge from solar as I can sell for 15p and buy for 6p. However, tariffs can change so I wanted the flexibility in case I needed to do so.
Remember for those still on FIT payments who get paid for solar production not output we want the charger to work with solar and only charge the EV when export is detected.
Have charged our Niro almost exclusively with the included granny charger since 2021. Recently bought a Grizzle-e (Canadian made) level 2 charger, and it’s been flawless. Our next car will also be electric so we’ll have options for charging both cars. The chargers are in the garage and cords run under the garage door so I’m not concerned about the aesthetics. Good luck with your choice!
I have a PodPoint Solo, it was fitted in 2018. Still going strong. You can get them in tethered or untethered, 3 phase or single phase. Also, with a choice of tethered cable length.
I have a Zappi, as I fitted a long time ago and wanted the solar to be able to charge my EV with the excess. As Nick said, this became senseless as the 7p overnight rate was setwith a 15p export. So now my Powerwall also fills up even in the summer, to allow more solar to be exported. I agree with tethered unless it was almost on the street where it may be too much temptation for someone to mess with. Certainly some nicer designs of wall chargers are now available to suit your eye and one that works with Octopus in the UK is certainly an easier way to ensure compatability. A great review of features by Nick.
Interesting and timely, as we have just bought our first EV and now need a charger. I think we are going with the Ohme based on a few factors. We want something Octopus Intelligent Go compatible, the Ohme is the smallest and in untethered form the cheapest (though Nick has made me think about the tethered), finally we have no solar and given orientation of our house and number of trees around us think it is unlikely we will ever get it. What was it about the point on not using solar to recharge the car that made you seem resistent? The fact exporting solar and using grid power to charge the EV being both cheaper and greener seemed pretty compelling to me.
In the US we only have 120V vs 220V on normal house outlets, so we get even slower charging w/ L1 chargers. I've read in multiple places that, at least for the 2015 Leaf, there's a significant efficiency difference b/t L1 and L2 charging--L2 wasting less electricity. Most likely due to the EV's AC to DC conversion and thus EV-dependent.
Personally I'd always go for the untethered option. It looks neater when not in use and you never know what will happen in the future (look how the Tesla standard is being adopted in the US). Unlikely I know, but always a consideration. Also the length of cable can be altered and also the cable colour doesn't have to be black which could be handy in the dark. Depends on where the unit is sited I guess, but you could have a double drive or tandem spaces that might need a longer reach one day as there is no standard location on the car for the charge port. Again, fairly minor point but you never know.
Hiya, if you want to solar charge your car (I did awaiting export tariff) use the granny cable. You’re less likely to exceed your actual solar production, temp cloud cover can be battery balanced. Does require more manual monitoring through good solar day, but can work well. But as said with Octopus export tariff no need when established.
Hilarious comments from Nick R about the looks of the Leaf! But otherwise it’s great to hear from someone so knowledgable - as a person who has never had home-charging (is there a trendy name for us “Nomads”?) all this was going to be Double-Dutch to me…but he does make it really accessible to my little brain! 👏
I have a Zappi and the units fine. I bought it 3 years ago to integrate with Solar and the Boiler. As your man says though, ALL solar is exported at 15p as I can charge the car and house batteries at 7p. So the Eddi (Solar diverter for boiler) and the Zappi are no longer used for solar. Of course rates may change. The only issue I've has is that the fused connection to the Zappi (in the meter box) burned out after 3 years. The Electrician put that down to a poor quality breaker and upgraded the breaker to 40A as the draw is 32A typically. Definitely get tethered, its easier, tidier and coiling up a thick lose cable that can be dirty, wet and heavy isn't any fun. The Zappi has been unchanged for may years now and I would agree that others like the Ohme and Hypervolt are smaller and neater.
I'm a fan of wallbox max. Never let me down once. Really smart and compact design without a breakout box needed. Does solar excess if that becomes a thing in the future. Works really well with Octopus intelligent. Connects via Bluetooth or WiFi, no sim needed! Highly recommended. Coming up to 2yrs ownership 👍
I fully realize that this channel is focused on the UK, but here in California, you get almost nothing for your solar export, regardless of time of day, and public chargers cost on the order of $0.56/kWh. I have a level 2 charger that does know when my solar would otherwise be exported and uses it to charge my car, and I use this feature all the time. Maybe the UK will never get to the point that power is basically free in the middle of the day when solar is so prevalent, but if it does, the economy of things will probably look more like what I'm experiencing now.
The problem here is that the price of UK electric is tied to the cost of the most expensive means of electric production, which is natural gas. So although we have lots of renewables, we don’t really benefit in terms of pricing. My daytime rate is 25p (31 cents) p/kWh and the overnight EV rate is 7.5p (9 cents) p/kWh. Public charging can be ridiculously expensive, with 79p (98 cents) p/kWh not being uncommon. The UK Government are currently undertaking a consultation (called ‘REMA’) concerning how electric is priced, hopefully with a view to delinking the renewables from fossil fuel electric production.
I have an eo mini untethered from octopus. Had it for 4 years because the location is quite tight, right at the front of the house and I wanted a charger that people could walk past the house and not notice. And in that it has been a great success. I had a leaf so I also went through untethered because of the type one cable but now have a type two car but did not need to change anything. If I needed to I would absolutely go with that ohme unit for exactly the same reasons.
I have Andersens (2x 3 phase) and they have worked well so far (about 3 or 4 years so far) and have been more reliable than the previous single phase rolec unit that was always burning out. Still supported and can still get spares and app updates. Bit pricey to buy though, but discreet when fitting to a listed building. Was lucky that the property had a legacy 3 phase supply as it used to be a school and then a village hall with night storage heating. Nice if you've got it, probably not worth 15k to install though, and there is a disappointing lack of other alliances that can take advantage of it such as water heaters etc.
I’m literally about to have an Andersen fitted. It now has a 7 year warranty. It’s more aesthetically pleasing and comes in many colour combinations, and the cable and plug is hidden inside the unit behind brushes, so keeps the cable cleaner. I’ll let you know how I get on.
I very nearly went with an Anderson as the looks and the warranty were very appealing. But the lack of octopus intelligent integration was a deal breaker for me in the end.
I’ve got a BP chargemaster untethered and seems reliable. Once your car is charged, you’ve either got to roll the lead round the charger or put it in the boot so I can’t see the point of a tethered one as it won’t look as compact with a permanent lead.
I've a wallbox pulsar plus the was 4 years now no issue. Cheap easy to use, has all the safety features built in does solar and power sharing with multiple chargers and depending on you're taste comes with or with out cable
Here in Spain ... we moved at the end of last year and had a home charger installed by Octopus in December ... just went with what they recommended ... V2C Trydan. The other option was Ohme Home Pro but they said we should take the Trydan ... so, okay. - Communal garage with our own spot (i.e., everyone can see the charging unit hanging on the wall). - Tethered - good, reaches all corners of the garage spot, should we change EV. - Intelligent - yes, but we are on Octopus Go, so no real need for it. - Load balancing - amazing, must-have. - It looks nice, the logo is illuminated (LED - not sure if it indicates charging or not) and there's a tiny screen showing power use in the home. - App - meh, never use it other than checking the total charged at the end of the month to calculate the cost of EV charging. - Can add solar ... but seeing as we live in a duplex apartment that's not going to happen any time soon. - Can add battery ... maybe in a future home update. What I miss: - Integration with a home network/Matter/Thread (in our case Google) ... but would probably never use the functionality. :) The previous home had a Wallbox Pulsar Plus ... but to be honest, the V2C is better ... although the Wallbox was excellent too. Agree with EV Nick on all points.
I have a Zappi, but wouldn't worry about solar. When i tried with my set up couldn't provide enough surplus a lot of the time, there is a minimum before it will charge. If you tightly coil the cable, I don't like the tight angle the cable is at as it enters the unit, it looks like it is under a lot of strain. I tend to leave it quite loose, which can look untidy. If i was buying today, I think I would go for the Ohme, I like the idea it can send the state of charge to Octopus rather than faffing about working out how much percentage i need to add.
We have a Leaf and an Ioniq 5. We have a Zappi with a tethered type 1 cable, we also have a type 1 to type 2 adapter. No problem with charging and no pulling out cables from the boot in the rain.....
The Zappi (tethered) size is not an issue - you have a nice place to wrap the cable round. The display allows you to display/change all of the configuration from the unit if you need (I have needed to totally reset it once, assisted by Zappi support on the phone!). I have solar but don't charge the car with it now as its better to feed to the excess to the grid during the day.
I have the Ohme e pod, it’s been flawless in use, plus after use I put the cable safely away, no cable on display to be stolen, a problem soon to be prevalent I suspect.
I got my first EV in 2017 and took advantage of the government grant to get a 7kw charger. It lasted 4 years. So I paid £600 for a Wallbox which lasted 1 month. It was replaced free of charge but only lasted one day. Since then I have used the granny charger with a waterproof timer socket that charges on Octopus Go. I don't plan to waste my money on a "charger" anytime soon.
For me the only option was the Zappi - needed IOG support, but also it's the only one that also supports a hard-wired ethernet connection so you're not faffing about with wifi and dropouts.
I’ve been charging my leaf off a 3-pin for 6 years now and found the 5 hours of cheap energy on Go is plenty. We’re going to get a long range next year and planning to stick with 3-pin. If we ever find ourselves doing more than 40 miles a day average then I’ll go to a rapid charger. Might cost a few quid but it’s a lot cheaper than these.
Worth checking if you have looped electric supply (you and neighbour) was thinking of getting charger for easier off-peak charging, but realised I supply another property (two cables at service head). So, competent installer would stop and ask DNO for permission / rerouting (worst case digging up yours or neighbour's drive). Interestingly across the road they have an installed charger through Octopus without any additional work. Think I'm sticking to granny charger as I'm low mileage/work from home.
Regarding cable length, if you get the lengths he was saying, surely you have to unwind it every time you use it? Or unlike a cable reel, can you leave the non-required cable coiled up? Love the way he is trying to put you off the Zappi while telling you how it is the best option 😂Are people still using Octopus? We saved lots moving to Tomato Energy
I use a Zappi on IOG. I've stopped using the solar charging because it's turning off and on again every time a cloud passes by and I'm concerned about the extra wear on the contactors. Other than that I'm happy with it
Nick loves the Mk 1 Leaf 😅😅 ...and im with you Andrew , i love to see solar coming off the roof into the EV on the zappi screen it must be an age thing ! Nicks a ' young un ' 😂😂
I have a tethered Zappi and its fine. Support has been good (via email) and the only thing I would do differently is choose a slightly longer cable. It has a bright light in addition to the display that indicates charging status.
Stop press! Ohme got in contact with me to confirm that they do also now support solar.
Ohme does support solar charging. However it's more cost effective to export as much solar as possible, then charge the car on cheap rate.
Octopus seems expensive to me.
I'm with Eon Next, which give 7 hours at 6.7p, the remainder being 24.41p. I also get 16.5p export, so charging from solar makes absolutely zero financial sense.
Yep, it's supported it since at least July last year as we had our Ohme installed then and it had the option.
on which model? pro or the normal pod or both?
@@MrEV not only are they taking over the EV charging sphere but the entire Solar System too! HURAGH
@@toadinashotglass they are both the same, only difference is the unit screen and the tethered cable.
Ive been using granny charger for the last two years, me and wife both have electric cars, i work from home so not a big deal, i just pop the charger on my wifes car twice a week when she gets home from work, works for us.
Simpson & Partners I'd be constantly trying to dry my hands under it.
😂😂😂😂
Haha, I thought it looked like a paper towel dispenser.
Look up easee charger that’s more hand dryer
Hehe
At least it doesn’t look like urinal , like one of these 4
I’m convinced that these are priced according to what they think the average EV owner can afford rather than what they are worth. There’s a lot of marketing nonsense going on. They price them as if we can still get a grant to subsidise them. As EVs become widely adopted we will see them get more competitive on price. Essentially it is just a switch in a plastic box. The money spent on a good electrician is well worth it, but I’m sceptical about the differences between devices.
Any product is priced at what they think the market will take. I have Hypervolt and to be fair to them, they are constantly developing the software and do provide good back-up. They’re onto Hypervolt 3 now, so are consistently developing the hardware. As Nick said, it’s a solid unit which you can hammer and it’ll easily take a jet washer too. Like everything, you get what you pay for.
They have about 30 USD of parts inside.
@@Swwils Great. But a few parts don’t make a product do they? It’s the manufacture, design, marketing, software development, ongoing support, distribution costs, packaging, product testing, patent registration etc. Profits need to be made, shareholders need paying, along with employees. Different markets also have different standards and regulations that need to be met and standards testing to attain marks like CE or UK CA. So the $30 of parts suddenly grows into far more, doesn’t it?
@northyorkshirechris5735 you can buy one delivered for £55.
@@Swwilsyou can buy a lot of things cheaper doesn’t mean they the same product, chargers are competitive market if someone could undercut them for same product and quality they would of. I’ve done a video breaking cost down of these units there’s a lot more in them than you think
I use the screen on my Zappi every time I plug the car in to enter the pin and start the charge.
The pin is important because it’s public facing on an alleyway at the back of my house.
I could use the app but it’s far quicker to just use the on device buttons.
So in this particular situation he’s wrong a screen is very useful and the reason I went with a Zappi, it’s usp.
I had no idea it had that functionality actually. That's great!
@@MrEV Its brilliant. You see instantly that IOG has started a charge straight away and is draining your batteries at 3pm. ;-)
@@Pablo-tw7ttyou need to set an export margin, I set mine to the maximum of 10kW
The Zappi also has a light when it's charging. I like how the Zappy handles the cable.
Me & my wife both have ICE cars but our son bought his first car an EV so wanted to give him peace of mind with home Charging..Through our energy supplier we had fitted the Ohme home pro last year and using OVO charge anytime he can charge his Peugeot e208 at 6.67p/kw and run it for next to nothing..Its been great and dead reliable..Keep up the good work mate..👍😁
Great video. Great info and two great channels/people coming together to provide a great service ❤
Thanks so much!
This was a great video, covered all the important considerations. I went for the hypervolt and have been really pleased. The app is great but nick is right, as soon as you enable intelligent octopus you stop needing the native app. Although I love the live monitoring of the house draw, it's better than the octopus mini. Not sure if you're lining it up for a future video but worth talking about installation. I went with an independent installer as a) wanted the advice as to which charger to get and b) a quality installation by someone who would come back to fix any issues. So many people go with an energy company where the work is subbed out to the cheapest contractor. I wanted someone who I knew would do a quality job and spend all day on it, rather than bash out as many as they can in one day.
I’ve got a Hypervolt and love mine. I bought mine through Wickes - they subbed it out to a solid electrical company though. Was installed within 3 weeks.
Really enjoy your channel!!! I live in the USA, I use the Emporia charger. I'm retired and I don't drive that much so I charge once a week. I plug in when I get home for the day and at 9 pm the car starts to charge. From 9 pm to 6 am I pay 4.9 cent per kwh. I don't have solar but it is on my list of things to do. I'm not sure if I'll be grid tied or not. I Iike the idea of getting paid for the extra electricity but not the cost of that type of system.
Keep up the great work and I can't wait till you get another Ioniq 5. I have the 2024 model and I just love the car.
I am also a big fan of your wife's honesty and she makes me laugh ---- so much fun.
22:40 Couldn’t agree more. The engineer who fitted my unit had no idea about where to fit the CT clamps or what setting to make on the unit. I ended up researching it and getting him back in to make the required changes!
I had the Hypervolt installed last May and it’s given me consistently good charging results ie max charging rate. The choice of cable is 5m, 7.5m and 10m (not 14m), which neatly wraps around the unit. The app is good as it gives you some great analytics which you can download to PDF. The Hypervolt’s party piece is that you can set the front LED to give you a light display (eg ‘Knight Rider’ mode). As Nick says, it’s solar capable and I would emphasise his point about it being compatible with both the Octopus AND Ovo smart tariffs. Finally, another benefit is that you can simply lock and unlock the charger from the app - or set it to lock as soon as you unplug from the car. A nice security feature.
Thanks for the video! Very timely. I just ordered my Zappi through Octopus. I think it is the best looking and functional (cable neatly tucked around it). The integration with battery and solar is a good future proofing. Sympsons looks like kitchen towel holder
Another great video Andrew. MMMH think Nick could be a suitable foil to Flavia. Superb information in an ever complex world of EV charging.
We have a Zappi. I have used their support in the past and it was first class, although things can change I guess. The contactor went on ours and it was replaced within a couple of days by one of their guys. He also noticed that the installation did not meet the latest regs. Not our installers fault, it was correct when it was installed. Zappi updated the circuit breaker for the new regs FOC.
Great support.
I have a Hypervolt home 3 pro and it is supplied with either 5 or 10 meter cables. Pretty sure you can get a longer one if necessary. PS it is brilliant and super smart
I have the 7.5m version, which I got sent as they were out of stock of the 5. For the same price. Great charger.
Been charging my EV6 form a variable speed granny charger (max 16A) for the last 2 years no problems, in fact the EV6 hasn't even seen a DCFC since I've owned it. Nice wrap up of the other options though !!!
Thank you Algorithm for feeding me this. Im spending this year researching EVs intending to get one in 26. Currently there is a phev in rhe household hence already having got a Hypervolt Pro 3.
I'm sorry to disagree about tethered verses untethered. I have an Ohme ePod and ALWAYS remove the cable after use, as I can't stand seeing charging cables hanging off wall boxes plus the ePod is the only one that is small enough to fit where I need it to be - job done. Oh and the Ohme Helpdesk REALLY is a Helpful Desk!!
Not to mention you can just buy another cable if it gets damaged rather than employing an electrician
Also, if you're a Tesla owner, you can buy a cable with a button on the car end that stops charging and unlocks the charge port.
I’ve got the Hypervolt. All good so far, & works well with Octopus intelligence EV. The app provides loads of data, you can see cost for each charge and stuff like that, I like the option to change the lights. Good advice on ordering the charger with the longest cable. Great video btw.
I received a free GiveEnergy charger when I ordered their All in one and Gateway. it does what I need but doesn't work with Intelligent Go (yet).Rumor has it it's coming soon 🙂
I tried to get my house fuse upgraded to 100 Amps as I thought I needed it for solar, house battery and EV but Northern Grid said I would need to have 3 phase installed. At a cost of course so I left it at single phase 80 Amps and have had no trouble so far, touch wood.
Love our Ohme Home Pro and works perfectly. Also it does have Solar integration and charging capabilities but as stated, I don’t use them because at the moment it would cost money vs exporting. Personally I’d also stick with a tethered cable just to remove the additional plug/socket connection.
I have to disagree with Nick on many points.
1. Of course it makes sense to get a non tethered unit in your case as you have a LEAF. Also you can lock the lead into the charger in future anyway and even buy a 20M T2 to T2 lead to charge your EV's on your large drive. Gives you options.
2. The Ohme app isnt great if you ask me. Recent updates have improved things but I have many communication issues with my charger saying the charger is offline. It might be an issue with my Ohme charger who knows?
3. The Zappi I have has been faultless and 100% reliable. The app is very quick and gives all the information I need, if a little dated now on the GUI side of things.
4. Ohme does support solar and has done for ages.
5. Charging from solar makes perfect sense if you have a very large array that is larger than the DNO allows you to export. The DNO has limited my export at 4.5kW. My roof could easily take 14kWp across both aspects, so why wouldn't you charge your EV on Solar if your solar generation is above 4.5kW. While still getting paid 15p export for the solar generation below 4.5kW.
HyperVolt user for a couple of years on Octopus Intelligent Go, been faultless, love it and the extra 7p slots it gives me for charging my home battery during the day.
2:05 Solar 'costing you twice as much' - that's the current situation, but as more residential solar comes online the rates could well come down, also if you're G98 3.68kw limited and you have panels/Inverter(s) that can out produce that, the power is effectively free.
I’m with Nick. I don’t do a high mileage normally 6-7K per year so vehicle charging is not my priority. I have a 5kwh array and a 9.5kw battery.
I only got the Zappi fitted in December after having to wait 2 months. I have decided for the interim to stay on my current tariff Octopus Intelligent Flux. From 1900 to 1600hrs I can import or export electricity at 21p per kWh. Between 1600 to 1900hrs I import or export at 28p In practice I do not import at 28p.
I’ve been running my solar/battery for a couple of years and the difference between seasons is noticeable. I may consider next to change to Intelligent Go between October and February. Switching back to Flux between March and September because of the higher export values.
I would also suggest considering your charging needs away from home too, as that was a key decision for us choosing the Podpoint Solo (tethered). It supports solar but the app allows you to control the home and away charging, and I regularly use Podpoint destination chargers at the other end of my commutes so I have a single, easy app for home use but also any Podpoint charger anywhere where I simply plug in and start charging without any faff. Then my Podpoint account tracks every penny of charging wherever I did it - home or away. Certainly worth considering if you commute and park a lot...
Funnily enough, I spoke to PodPoint yesterday and recalled how much I liked their app for exactly that reason. I had a PodPoint as my first charger years ago (it wasn’t a smart one).
Am just commenting on this as your logo is Alfa and that makes you a a wonderful person with great taste in cars
5:40 Wow, Nick is brave! Will he incur the wrath of Flaviana?
Probably 😂.
8:43 Go for tethered and then get an adapter for when you need to charge the leaf.
I have a Zappi and no complaints, it’s reliable and easy to use.
Hypervolt 3 user.
Seems solid - both stability and build quality.
Never need to use the app though. Integrates with Octopus, so I use the Octopus app to set charging times and my car’s app to determine how much I want to charge too.
Was on Ovo but I found it a PITA to use.
I have the tethered Wallbox and it has a light ring that tells me when it's charging, in standby or waiting for a scheduled charge. The cable "drapes" across the top rather than wrapping all the way round but it does the job.
I use a 16amp menekkes charge lead. My friendly sparks installed a proper outside socket and with the cable bought from a reputable online dealer I spent around £400. We get all the charge we need during off peak hours and the added bonus is that we are campers and our lead works on campsites too. Obviously I get permission before plugging in to a campsite bollard and I pay the going rate.
I simply don't need a grands worth of 7kW charger.
The Zappi is the size it is because it takes the charging cable wrapped round it with no issues. All Zappis are now made three phase only that is also compatible with a single phase supply, they have reduced the price of the three phase so it costs what the single phase used to. I have a Zappi and did not use it for solar charging last year as Nick is correct, I just set a very large export margin so it does not use any solar, I agree with you the Zappi is the best looking unit too!
I love the Zappi, use the screen all the time so see what is going on with the solar. Don't chase tariffs much as have plenty of panel capacity and top up regularly 75% so always use solar to charge the Model Y.
My teathered Zappi is in our garage in Victoria and being cool is a feature I appreciate.
Tethered or untethered... that is the conundrum.... 😅 great video nick and Tim..
13:41 only if you get paid for export. Don't forget not everyone does. Some people on the original FIT scheme get paid for generation not export & some who took out rent-a-roof schemes get paid nothing. I fall into the latter category, so I charge on solar whenever I can. Over my first year of EV ownership with the Zappi I've charged 35% solar, 65% grid (off peak).
Sorry for the rant, I just get annoyed by people making blanket statements, saying that it doesn't make sense to charge from solar.
You’re right. Also power prices will change, and not all people will be on EV cheap overnight tariffs for other reasons, such as I’m on Octopus Cosy, because my heat pump will always use far more electricity than my car.
Liked his point on why would you use solar power to charge car when you can export it for 15p & buy it back later off peak for 7.5p with the information that this could change round in the future
guy talks logic
You can export at 15p at the moment but that's unlikely to be the case for much longer. Export rates are likely to fall soon.
Ohmes look awful with a cable in them but not plugged into a car, there is nowhere to wrap the cable around or have the plug end secured. I'm with you in loving the Zappi, I still think it looks cool.
Good choice! I've an untethered Zappi because I sometimes need to park 5m away and need a 10m cable and other times park next to the zappi and don't want to trip over excess cable.
I'm in the process of installing solar PV and battery storage, so I was pleased to hear the Zappi getting a thumbs up for its ability to work with all that.
And, like you, I *do* take a look at the display from time to time.
The only thing I don't like is the bright, multi-coloured LED indicator. It's a real light pollution maker, so I've masked mine with a piece of black gaffer tape.
At least with the Zappi, you can see how the charger is operating. Very please with the ones we have installed
I agree, tethered all the way, and the Ohme homr pro works well.
Have you considered Eon Next?
Octopus isn't as competitive for either cheap rate time or cost, and solar export is less.
We currently export as much as we can at 16.5p, then charge the EV at 6.7p per kWhr between 00:00 and 07:00. Eon Next also fix the rate in 12 month increments, which octopus doesn't do.
E.on Next sent me a £1,800 bill for 2 days of gas. Their billing system is utterly useless. 😊
Love the fortnum and mason style charger, even though it looks like a hand sanitiser, but I can't picture a tethered version.
That'd be the fanciest hand sanitiser ever, but yes, now I can't un-see that!
Love the info Mr Andrew ❤👍
You make a very good point, most tethered chargers only come with a short cable, not long enough to reach a second car.
The info on the zappi screen is useful, instead of starting up an app each time.
Got an ohme epod. Very happy. Just works. We have a gen 1 leaf so charger is controlled by octopus rather than ghe car. Worked brilliantly. Assume itll do the same when we get a second EV too.
Had a Zappi 5 yrs and never had a problem
have the 8m Ohme Pro tethered, its great and so much easier to use than untethered. I bought a backpack cover in white the same as our house colour and it just fits over the whole thing including cable. Keeps it out of the weather and blends in with the house better.
Works well with octopus agile, although thinking of moving to Go as rates are rubbish lately.
Cheers Andrew.
We have a Zappi. Our last house we had a tethered Zappi installed for my first BEV. Two years ago we moved to a new build that already had a charger 3.8 kW. You could only switch it on or off, changed it for a Zappi, with out hesitation. I've had experienced, in the early days of ownership, MyEnergie (Zappi owners) very helpful and responsive when I wanted to set up some of the parameters.
As for Solar changing. This is the second UA-cam video that argues against Solar charging in preference for overnight and exporting. We have tried this. With one electric car I would fully agree that is the best way to charge. If you have more than one electric car, not so. We found we had to juggle which car to charge, leaving one on a low state of charge.Then you end up charging during the day at a higher rate. We have gone back to Solar charging whenever we can and charge the car that needs it during the night. Another reason to buy a charger that charges on Solar, you are in control. Any changes in export and use tariffs would not affect you so much as if you bought on of the others.
A big "in theory" for the Ohme talking to Octopus via Kia Connect, in my experience. Never yet managed to get properly intelligent charging going on my e-Niro, sadly. Lots of notifications from apps saying the car finished charging unexpectedly and some anxious nights before heading off on big trips...
I've got an Ohme Pro and use Kia Connect to my Soul. Particularly of late I have problems with the Ohme not reading the current charge of my car and hence it charging beyond the set limit. I have contacted Ohme support who told me to uninstall the Kia app then reinstall. That worked once next time if failed again.
Don’t know if it’s a Hyundai/Kia thing but lots of people have issues smart charging with ohme on intelligent octopus(don’t think being with octopus is relevant). They keep saying a solution is coming soon but there is an api issue which Hyundai are now saying that they have a solution coming soon. At the moment I charge my ioniq5 without being able to link the car so it charges by charging your battery to a percentage based on the battery size and I have to limit the charge through the cars settings. Was previously using hypervolt who have great customer service but octopus only had ohme as a recognised charger at the time
Good video. I’ve had Hypervolt for nearly 3 years and very happy with it. No solar now as it’s 15p to export it.
I just got an Easee charger (Norwegian) as it’s sold with different covers, and they had a cover that matches the garage wall, making it almost invisible (apart from the 7 meter cable…). Having learned my lesson I got a Tesla Wall Connector at the summerhouse. Half price of the Easee and tethered, and works every bit as well.
I took loads of notes. thanks.
I have been watching your channel for a while now, I have a tethered Zappi, it's easy to use I just type in my code and it is ready to use, the unit is set up to use Octopus intelligence, it monitors my batteries and the solar panels on the roof, I am very happy with the whole system, in the summer when the solar have topped up my batteries to full it charges my EV battery I also get the FIT.
What more could you want.
I can recommend the Easee One. Had it since November 22 and no problems whatsoever. Also looks good as it's untethered. EON Next Drive tariff is good too.
Does it have usable access control, I'm looking for a solution for a workplace charger that need to be secure, discreet and untethered? The online info on their website is barely comprehensible, we just need it set up with an app that can give 3 or 4 people access without faff. Ta.
@peteglass3496 yes it does.
I have a commando adaptor for the charging cable from Tesla (£42.00), a commando wall socket (waterproof & lockable) only £22 from Amazon and a 32amp breaker for my consumer unit (£12), 3m of 6mm cable to the outside commando socket fitted by an electrician (£80). Total £156.00 to enable Octopus off peak charging (23:30-05:30) which gives 30miles per hour (180 miles per night) for £2.80p. Why spend near £1000 for a fitted charge point as that represents 3 years worth of electricity (currently although that may change). I say “hay Siri” open Tesla bonnet, the frunk pops open, I plug in the lead at both ends (30 seconds) and my app has the schedule added…. THATS IT, simple & cost effective.
would that work for any car? I thought the "charger" had to hand-shake with the car? Or is only the charger fussy about that and the car just accepts the electrons?
@ from my limited understanding the handshakes is initiated by octopus when you inform them you have an EV eg you plug it in and they then have what they need. And as you put it, the car accepts the electrons so basically if you can charge from a granny socket you can charge from a commando socket (the primary difference is the throughput eg 2-3kw (13amp) vs 7kw (32amp).
@@Hyfly13 isn't that the difference between Go and Intelligent Go. Set up described above would work for Go, but not Intelligent Go. Cost effectiveness will be complicated to calculate as it will surely depend on how many extra day time hours you get when house is running on 7p rate and how much load shifting you can do to these times.
Totally agree I have the same a dumb charge point 32a commando - 7kw. Cheap reliable and easy to replace if it does break. Im on IGO which is controlled direct to the car by octopus and I can do anything I need via the car app like charge limits , off peak etc. I also have a wifi contactor (breaker) on the supply so I can control the power on and off remotely by timer or manually. I have solar with a battery which makes things more complicated to ensure the battery charges and discharges when I want and not to the car. Intelligent charger really is only of benefit to those with vehicles that cant be controlled by IGO but the economics are iffy vs GO.
That would not work for detached garages that are far away if you cannot park in the front of your house
Hi Andrew, I went with Hypervolt, purely because they were one of the few to come with a 10 mts tethered lead.
…as does the Ohme Pro, but as an optional extra.
Our Alfa Romeo Tonale Hybrid came with £1000 credit to install a home charger. We chose an Ohme tethered and so far it been perfect. It's a very neat install on the outside side wall of an integrated garage, almost next to the electricity meter cupboard . . .
I've had an Easee One charger (untethered) for just over two years - don't need to charge every day, so untethered looks neater (and it is a small box on the side of the porch 😂). Integrates with Octopus perfectly (for Cupra Born EV).
Did have to call support once, apparently the supply voltage can actually vary quite a bit, and it was going out of "setup" range. They sorted the issue really quickly (remotely) 😁.
I also used a specialist EV charger installer, rather than a general electrician, the guy was really good - so that was definitely worthwhile 😁.
Really like our Andersen charger. Looks great and very easy to use app.
Had a Wallbox Pulsar Plus for the last 3 year on Intelligent Octopus. Never let me down once.
Hypervolt 3. It's been great.
I have solar and a battery and so went for a Zappi. Very happy with it. I don’t charge from solar as I can sell for 15p and buy for 6p. However, tariffs can change so I wanted the flexibility in case I needed to do so.
Remember for those still on FIT payments who get paid for solar production not output we want the charger to work with solar and only charge the EV when export is detected.
Unless you switched to deemed export ;)
Have charged our Niro almost exclusively with the included granny charger since 2021. Recently bought a Grizzle-e (Canadian made) level 2 charger, and it’s been flawless. Our next car will also be electric so we’ll have options for charging both cars. The chargers are in the garage and cords run under the garage door so I’m not concerned about the aesthetics. Good luck with your choice!
I have a PodPoint Solo, it was fitted in 2018. Still going strong. You can get them in tethered or untethered, 3 phase or single phase. Also, with a choice of tethered cable length.
I have a Zappi, as I fitted a long time ago and wanted the solar to be able to charge my EV with the excess. As Nick said, this became senseless as the 7p overnight rate was setwith a 15p export. So now my Powerwall also fills up even in the summer, to allow more solar to be exported.
I agree with tethered unless it was almost on the street where it may be too much temptation for someone to mess with.
Certainly some nicer designs of wall chargers are now available to suit your eye and one that works with Octopus in the UK is certainly an easier way to ensure compatability.
A great review of features by Nick.
How do you get around Octopus Intelligent draining your powerwall when it starts earlier than the cheap rate?
Thx
@@gzhm610 HOME ASSISTANT! but many wire the EV charger on a serpate CU so powerwall never chargers the car or see's it
Interesting and timely, as we have just bought our first EV and now need a charger. I think we are going with the Ohme based on a few factors. We want something Octopus Intelligent Go compatible, the Ohme is the smallest and in untethered form the cheapest (though Nick has made me think about the tethered), finally we have no solar and given orientation of our house and number of trees around us think it is unlikely we will ever get it.
What was it about the point on not using solar to recharge the car that made you seem resistent? The fact exporting solar and using grid power to charge the EV being both cheaper and greener seemed pretty compelling to me.
In the US we only have 120V vs 220V on normal house outlets, so we get even slower charging w/ L1 chargers. I've read in multiple places that, at least for the 2015 Leaf, there's a significant efficiency difference b/t L1 and L2 charging--L2 wasting less electricity. Most likely due to the EV's AC to DC conversion and thus EV-dependent.
Personally I'd always go for the untethered option. It looks neater when not in use and you never know what will happen in the future (look how the Tesla standard is being adopted in the US). Unlikely I know, but always a consideration. Also the length of cable can be altered and also the cable colour doesn't have to be black which could be handy in the dark. Depends on where the unit is sited I guess, but you could have a double drive or tandem spaces that might need a longer reach one day as there is no standard location on the car for the charge port. Again, fairly minor point but you never know.
Hiya, if you want to solar charge your car (I did awaiting export tariff) use the granny cable. You’re less likely to exceed your actual solar production, temp cloud cover can be battery balanced. Does require more manual monitoring through good solar day, but can work well. But as said with Octopus export tariff no need when established.
I charge our e-Niro with a Wallbox Pulsar Plus @ 11kW and it works great! 👌🏻
Hilarious comments from Nick R about the looks of the Leaf! But otherwise it’s great to hear from someone so knowledgable - as a person who has never had home-charging (is there a trendy name for us “Nomads”?) all this was going to be Double-Dutch to me…but he does make it really accessible to my little brain! 👏
Don't diss the Leaf! 😃
@ Indeed - just leaf it out…..
Hehe bit of zoe vs leaf banter always fun
I have a Zappi and the units fine. I bought it 3 years ago to integrate with Solar and the Boiler. As your man says though, ALL solar is exported at 15p as I can charge the car and house batteries at 7p. So the Eddi (Solar diverter for boiler) and the Zappi are no longer used for solar. Of course rates may change. The only issue I've has is that the fused connection to the Zappi (in the meter box) burned out after 3 years. The Electrician put that down to a poor quality breaker and upgraded the breaker to 40A as the draw is 32A typically. Definitely get tethered, its easier, tidier and coiling up a thick lose cable that can be dirty, wet and heavy isn't any fun. The Zappi has been unchanged for may years now and I would agree that others like the Ohme and Hypervolt are smaller and neater.
I'm a fan of wallbox max. Never let me down once. Really smart and compact design without a breakout box needed. Does solar excess if that becomes a thing in the future. Works really well with Octopus intelligent. Connects via Bluetooth or WiFi, no sim needed! Highly recommended. Coming up to 2yrs ownership 👍
I fully realize that this channel is focused on the UK, but here in California, you get almost nothing for your solar export, regardless of time of day, and public chargers cost on the order of $0.56/kWh. I have a level 2 charger that does know when my solar would otherwise be exported and uses it to charge my car, and I use this feature all the time. Maybe the UK will never get to the point that power is basically free in the middle of the day when solar is so prevalent, but if it does, the economy of things will probably look more like what I'm experiencing now.
The problem here is that the price of UK electric is tied to the cost of the most expensive means of electric production, which is natural gas. So although we have lots of renewables, we don’t really benefit in terms of pricing. My daytime rate is 25p (31 cents) p/kWh and the overnight EV rate is 7.5p (9 cents) p/kWh. Public charging can be ridiculously expensive, with 79p (98 cents) p/kWh not being uncommon. The UK Government are currently undertaking a consultation (called ‘REMA’) concerning how electric is priced, hopefully with a view to delinking the renewables from fossil fuel electric production.
The Zappi is a great charger. Good choice.
I have an eo mini untethered from octopus. Had it for 4 years because the location is quite tight, right at the front of the house and I wanted a charger that people could walk past the house and not notice.
And in that it has been a great success.
I had a leaf so I also went through untethered because of the type one cable but now have a type two car but did not need to change anything.
If I needed to I would absolutely go with that ohme unit for exactly the same reasons.
I have Andersens (2x 3 phase) and they have worked well so far (about 3 or 4 years so far) and have been more reliable than the previous single phase rolec unit that was always burning out. Still supported and can still get spares and app updates. Bit pricey to buy though, but discreet when fitting to a listed building. Was lucky that the property had a legacy 3 phase supply as it used to be a school and then a village hall with night storage heating. Nice if you've got it, probably not worth 15k to install though, and there is a disappointing lack of other alliances that can take advantage of it such as water heaters etc.
I’m literally about to have an Andersen fitted. It now has a 7 year warranty. It’s more aesthetically pleasing and comes in many colour combinations, and the cable and plug is hidden inside the unit behind brushes, so keeps the cable cleaner. I’ll let you know how I get on.
It's a beautiful looking charger!
I very nearly went with an Anderson as the looks and the warranty were very appealing. But the lack of octopus intelligent integration was a deal breaker for me in the end.
I’ve got a BP chargemaster untethered and seems reliable. Once your car is charged, you’ve either got to roll the lead round the charger or put it in the boot so I can’t see the point of a tethered one as it won’t look as compact with a permanent lead.
I've a wallbox pulsar plus the was 4 years now no issue.
Cheap easy to use, has all the safety features built in does solar and power sharing with multiple chargers and depending on you're taste comes with or with out cable
Here in Spain ... we moved at the end of last year and had a home charger installed by Octopus in December ... just went with what they recommended ... V2C Trydan. The other option was Ohme Home Pro but they said we should take the Trydan ... so, okay.
- Communal garage with our own spot (i.e., everyone can see the charging unit hanging on the wall).
- Tethered - good, reaches all corners of the garage spot, should we change EV.
- Intelligent - yes, but we are on Octopus Go, so no real need for it.
- Load balancing - amazing, must-have.
- It looks nice, the logo is illuminated (LED - not sure if it indicates charging or not) and there's a tiny screen showing power use in the home.
- App - meh, never use it other than checking the total charged at the end of the month to calculate the cost of EV charging.
- Can add solar ... but seeing as we live in a duplex apartment that's not going to happen any time soon.
- Can add battery ... maybe in a future home update.
What I miss:
- Integration with a home network/Matter/Thread (in our case Google) ... but would probably never use the functionality. :)
The previous home had a Wallbox Pulsar Plus ... but to be honest, the V2C is better ... although the Wallbox was excellent too.
Agree with EV Nick on all points.
I have a Zappi, but wouldn't worry about solar. When i tried with my set up couldn't provide enough surplus a lot of the time, there is a minimum before it will charge.
If you tightly coil the cable, I don't like the tight angle the cable is at as it enters the unit, it looks like it is under a lot of strain. I tend to leave it quite loose, which can look untidy.
If i was buying today, I think I would go for the Ohme, I like the idea it can send the state of charge to Octopus rather than faffing about working out how much percentage i need to add.
We have a Leaf and an Ioniq 5. We have a Zappi with a tethered type 1 cable, we also have a type 1 to type 2 adapter. No problem with charging and no pulling out cables from the boot in the rain.....
The Zappi (tethered) size is not an issue - you have a nice place to wrap the cable round. The display allows you to display/change all of the configuration from the unit if you need (I have needed to totally reset it once, assisted by Zappi support on the phone!). I have solar but don't charge the car with it now as its better to feed to the excess to the grid during the day.
The export rate for solar may reduce as the solar output in the UK increases.
I have the Ohme e pod, it’s been flawless in use, plus after use I put the cable safely away, no cable on display to be stolen, a problem soon to be prevalent I suspect.
I got my first EV in 2017 and took advantage of the government grant to get a 7kw charger. It lasted 4 years. So I paid £600 for a Wallbox which lasted 1 month. It was replaced free of charge but only lasted one day. Since then I have used the granny charger with a waterproof timer socket that charges on Octopus Go. I don't plan to waste my money on a "charger" anytime soon.
Octopus intelligent go has cheaper off peak rate and longer off peak hours than standard octopus go.
Surprised to see that the Wallbox was missing from the selection as this was the one you gave as a prize and raved about it.
Yes, it’s a good charger but I don’t think Nick had it in his collection (just an old one).
For me the only option was the Zappi - needed IOG support, but also it's the only one that also supports a hard-wired ethernet connection so you're not faffing about with wifi and dropouts.
I’ve been charging my leaf off a 3-pin for 6 years now and found the 5 hours of cheap energy on Go is plenty.
We’re going to get a long range next year and planning to stick with 3-pin. If we ever find ourselves doing more than 40 miles a day average then I’ll go to a rapid charger. Might cost a few quid but it’s a lot cheaper than these.
I have a Hypervolt Pro 3 tethered, untethered is just a faff to add on to the charging process.
Great app and charger and compatibility with Octopus.
Worth checking if you have looped electric supply (you and neighbour) was thinking of getting charger for easier off-peak charging, but realised I supply another property (two cables at service head). So, competent installer would stop and ask DNO for permission / rerouting (worst case digging up yours or neighbour's drive). Interestingly across the road they have an installed charger through Octopus without any additional work. Think I'm sticking to granny charger as I'm low mileage/work from home.
Regarding cable length, if you get the lengths he was saying, surely you have to unwind it every time you use it? Or unlike a cable reel, can you leave the non-required cable coiled up? Love the way he is trying to put you off the Zappi while telling you how it is the best option 😂Are people still using Octopus? We saved lots moving to Tomato Energy
Me too, been waiting for a month for my Zappi to be fixed correctly, 2kW charging is a pain in the ass, but doable, just.
I use a Zappi on IOG. I've stopped using the solar charging because it's turning off and on again every time a cloud passes by and I'm concerned about the extra wear on the contactors. Other than that I'm happy with it
Nick loves the Mk 1 Leaf 😅😅
...and im with you Andrew , i love to see solar coming off the roof into the EV on the zappi screen it must be an age thing ! Nicks a ' young un ' 😂😂
I agree! Now where’s me pipe ‘n’ slippers?!…
I love you and Andrew, but the leaf 💩...
@NicolasRaimo haha , us 'oldies' love the 'old' leaf and dont miss / disagree with Flaviana !
I have a tethered Zappi and its fine. Support has been good (via email) and the only thing I would do differently is choose a slightly longer cable. It has a bright light in addition to the display that indicates charging status.