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Can anyone comment on "Project EV chargers"

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2022 9:58 pm
by Mr Gus
Screwfix postal brochure 3rd - 30th oct, page 17

£386.10 solar compatible. ..looks like non pen fault version!? ..would be good to get some input, as only other real prospect for solar ev charger is the very ugly & expensive zappi at close to £1000.

affordable potential just not the neatest of fixes (cables glands underneath if i recall correctly)
standby sub 8 watts ..meh.
,........

From what read eleswhere this is a copy of a chinese unit ? but is it any good & all the usual questions about being tied to an app, support & software risks blah blah..

Re: Can anyone comment on "Project EV chargers"

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2022 10:23 pm
by nowty
This was the first smart phone controlled one I ever saw on Ebay several years ago.

No idea how good they are though.

The word Solar Compatible means nothing, its like saying a TV or a Toaster is solar compatible. It just means it will work if you have solar panels like everything else.

Re: Can anyone comment on "Project EV chargers"

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2022 10:41 pm
by AGT
I think my charger was about £230 from Amazon 2 years ago.

Nice compact 7kW unit dumb as a box of rocks.
External switch on the side for setting current charge, think it went down to 5 amps..

I can switch the charge off from the car app, so no need for it to be any more complicated than that for me.

Re: Can anyone comment on "Project EV chargers"

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2022 10:47 pm
by Mr Gus
yeah, true indeed nowty, ..i tried to catch "technical" at 5.21pm today & spoke to a guy insisting he was the technical dept, however he could not answer a single question & said the engineers had gone home, ...hardly technical if he has no idea of the basics.

im expecting a callback in the next 48 hrs, will hopefully get some detail, IF I can remember what i was wanting to know.
(as ever, after 10 minutes i was asked to email, at which point i questioned the point of a phone number & alleged knowledge base, he was trying to gather my data, so i had to be very specific as to limitations of use, ..he could have been anywhere in the world tbh, which would explain why he was completely inept.

Re: Can anyone comment on "Project EV chargers"

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2022 11:11 pm
by Mr Gus
AGT wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 10:41 pm I think my charger was about £230 from Amazon 2 years ago.

Nice compact 7kW unit dumb as a box of rocks

I can switch the charge off from the car app, so no need for it to be any more complicated than that for me.
I
im not one for ***more*** apps, car ones already have timers, i dont want data-rape, nor redundant product down the line, but the majority of umans seem enamoured by phone related guff.

i am interested in solar electrons powering the car cheaply for many months of the year as priority, cheaper to do from than buy a stack of pylontech if it works well.

Re: Can anyone comment on "Project EV chargers"

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2022 1:38 am
by Swwils
I have one, let me know any specific questions.

I've used it 3 times.

I would describe it as cheap.

Re: Can anyone comment on "Project EV chargers"

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2022 10:13 am
by Mr Gus
Thanks Swwils.
I'm wondering how accessible any phone sim that may be needed is for removal if you want to revert it to dumb (ie avoid any govt national grid paring back of charging ...just in case)

How often it sends data packets out.

When shut down how.long to reboot (avoiding standby for maybe 17 hrs per day which if i take it to be 8 watt hrs = just shy of 50kWh per year, assuming the remainder per day is spent charging)

Any customer service you required thus far, if so how was it?I

What model you have & what drew you to it?
How was fitting (much cursing) ?I

App software, privacy / data where does it go/ end up? out of gdpr range?

What looks cheap?
Gut instinct on having this unit, recommend y/ n

Re: Can anyone comment on "Project EV chargers"

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2022 10:24 am
by Oldgreybeard
As I understand it all new chargers sold now must be under government control. The law changed earlier this year and it now bans the sale of charge points that don't connect to the internet. They will all gather data on patterns of use, as that is a defined reason for making all charge points connected, to gather data for infrastructure planning. Also, like smart meters, there is a requirement that all chargers can be remotely turned on and off, so they can be used for dynamic load shedding if generation capacity gets low and so that they can all be scheduled to not turn on and off at the same time (they need some timing jitter to stop big demand changes).

I'm on the fence about this law, TBH. My gut feeling is that I prefer the simplicity of my dumb charger. It does all we need and I don't like the idea of someone's software having a bug that means that the car doesn't charge when expected. This is bound to happen, as the system is being specced by government, and we all know how good they are with IT projects . . .

Re: Can anyone comment on "Project EV chargers"

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2022 10:24 am
by AGT
Tell a lie it was £229.99

It’s a Qubev model, no frills with selective charging of 10,16,20,25&32 amps.

It’s a rectangular unit, nice and compact, no issue with 2 years of use.

Re: Can anyone comment on "Project EV chargers"

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2022 10:30 am
by Fintray
Mr Gus wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 9:58 pm only other real prospect for solar ev charger is the very ugly & expensive zappi at close to £1000.
Why not try one of these https://shop.openenergymonitor.com/emon ... on-type-2/