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Which EV charger offers best future proofing

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2023 1:20 pm
by Moxi
If you were going to the expense of cutting up the road to lay a duct for an off street charger placed on the drive opposite your house. Which charger offers the most favourable option that won’t be out of date in under 12 months?

EV6 would be the car on charge and potentially l could consider giving in and getting a smart meter fitted to take advantage of any ToU tariffs etc in the future.

Moxi

Re: Which EV charger offers best future proofing

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2023 1:32 pm
by dan_b
I'm gonna say the Zappi.

Re: Which EV charger offers best future proofing

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2023 2:27 pm
by Moxi
Is that based on personal experience Dan or judgement? I’ve been having a read up and they all seem to do the same or similar so on this occasion I’m looking for the charger that most people have for the feint hope that a large client base will equal a reasonable support period for software, spares etc

Moxi

Re: Which EV charger offers best future proofing

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2023 2:37 pm
by dan_b
Multiple factors I guess.

I have 3x friends/family who have them and they've found them reliable and easy to use, with various levels of user experience/interest in the smart charging features/ integration with Octopus etc. And my solar installer recommends them particularly when you have a house with renewables/ battery/ other smart tech that you can then monitor/configure with the Myenergi app.

They're a UK company and they actually build the things here and seem to support their products.

And finally, although we no longer work with them, my company did their 3D product animations for the Zappi and Eddi !

Re: Which EV charger offers best future proofing

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2023 2:41 pm
by Andy
dan_b wrote: Tue Dec 19, 2023 2:37 pm
They're a UK company and they actually build the things here and seem to support their products.
I can vouch for that. I had problems with both zappie and Eddie. Both replaced very quickly and working fine for a few years now. Like many they are cloud based so if the company ever goes belly up then you are left with a machine you have to go out to and press buttons, like an animal, to set anything.

.. and I believe they support the Octopus smart charging slots now though I am waiting for my smart meter to start working again before I can play with that.

Re: Which EV charger offers best future proofing

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2023 2:52 pm
by Moxi
Yes I just rechecked IO as last week it said no but today the puss says yes ??? I have taken a screen shot lest that changes again in future.

I will wait and see what the quotes come back with, that’s if anyone quotes, digging up the road seemed to put a few off straight away.

Moxi

Re: Which EV charger offers best future proofing

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2023 2:54 pm
by Moxi
Cheers Dan,

I like the made local bit but not a fan of cloud based systems but then I guess that’s all that folk provide for smart chargers.

Moxi

Re: Which EV charger offers best future proofing

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2023 2:57 pm
by dan_b
Zappi will work as a dumb charger as well. But anything that sits on the Internet of Things will have a cloud-based app/server/database/functionality running behind it these days.

Re: Which EV charger offers best future proofing

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2023 3:14 pm
by Moxi
Just sorting out second element of ev charger / home improvements, which is getting my existing house incoming mains cabling/ solar cabling, diverter etc all rationalised on to a large back board and a new cupboard built around it so that there’s space for a smart meter and some form of common energy monitoring system etc

Moxi

Re: Which EV charger offers best future proofing

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2023 3:36 pm
by Andy
dan_b wrote: Tue Dec 19, 2023 2:57 pm Zappi will work as a dumb charger as well. But anything that sits on the Internet of Things will have a cloud-based app/server/database/functionality running behind it these days.
But no way for an app to communicate directly on your home network which I think is an essential requirement. I've got to a point in life where I don't buy stuff because I know it's probably only got a 5 year useful life due to the server being shut down. Its happened to me so often with these smart gadgets.