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rocko5000
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Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2021 9:28 pm

Post by rocko5000 »

Hey what would you guys say is a good charger for the E as currently looking to get it before i get car since the grant ends in march currently looking at pod point, zappi charger and easee charger which a neighbour has
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turntoport
Posts: 127
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:54 am

Post by turntoport »

maybe ( I don't have mine installed yet so can't vouch for any aspect of usability or reliability) consider the Honda S+ - Honda are offering a reasonable discounted deal for the first 60 taker-uppers; perhaps worth a look?
rocko5000
Posts: 35
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2021 9:28 pm

Post by rocko5000 »

unfortunately from what i can read u need to switch electricity provide which i can't do as have economy 10
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Joolsdc
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Location: Worcestershire

Post by Joolsdc »

Do you have solar PV or do you plan to get in the future? If so myenergi Zappi would be my recommendation. It’s what we use.
Else the Ohme which is good for smart meter /agile tariff
rocko5000
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Post by rocko5000 »

i do have solar but its from ashadegreener so i don't own the panels
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Joolsdc
Posts: 550
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Location: Worcestershire

Post by Joolsdc »

I don’t think that matters. It’s about using the solar generated electric as much as possible. So I’d recommend the Zappi
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schodoodles
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Post by schodoodles »

Make sure you're also aware of the safety specs; the Zappi is a good example of one that includes PEN fault detection built-in so in certain circumstances it could be possible to get a shock just by touching your car. Not many of the 'older' units include this from what I've seen (including the Tesla ones!) and would require the need for a dedicated earth rod to be installed as part of the setup which might not work for you.
Link: https://myenergi.com/pen-protection/

I've also seen some units have a current detection included so it can read the total usage before your main fuse and can ensure that total usage never goes above during a charge and this preventing you blowing the main fuse and needing the network supplier out to replace it that seems handy.
The Hypervolt looks a fairly nice unit (British designed and made + works with solar etc ~ £679 not incl OLEV grant) and the Andersson A2 looks great but costs a small fortune (£1k+ including the grant!) and last I saw had a long lead time due to demand.

Hypervolt: https://hypervolt.co.uk/home-charging
Andersen A2: https://andersen-ev.com/products/andersen-a2/
turntoport
Posts: 127
Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:54 am

Post by turntoport »

Schodoodles rightly points-out the O-PEN fault detection stuff: This (O-PEN) approach applies to all (i think, i'm not a qualified fairy) TN-C-S (i.e. two-wire supply, live and combined neutral&earth) power supply arrangements. Some wall charge units have this capability built-in, but some (e.g. Afren, i believe, there are probably quite a few others) need a separate box fixed somewhere internally and close-ish to the meter tails) for this bit of kit.
The 'earthing' thing is a more - very much more - complicated issue than just bashing an earth spike in: there are distance, impedance and consideration of other earth electrode proximity issues to be considered; you might not be able to fit one (without shock risk) even if you have suitable terrain to do it. A suitability knowledgeable electrician (good luck finding one who's availability is this century) is required, really - or trust/hope your charger installer is one of them. Imo the ev charging technology space has been (is) abysmally managed by government; deregulation and free-market capitalism doesn't work too well in early-stage techology takeup, even if it does sort a 'winner' eventually. Oops, sorry, that's political not technical.

By way of example: I have a recently-DNO-fitted main 'fuse' marked 100A connected via similarly new 'tails' to a new-ish smart-meter, all in a bespoke small neat cupboard immediately adjacent the desired charger mount point. The supply is TN-C-S (two-wire). As our e arrives imminently, we've just had an installation assessment by XX. XX asked the DNO if our supply was 'up to it' (as the engineer doing the installation 'suitability' check suspects the DNO has actually fitted an 80A fuse in a 100A marked holder); the DNO replied stating that they would investigate; however, said 'investigation' carries a bill of between £1200 and £2000, whether corrective work is perfomed - or declined. I recommend doing some homework on this Caveat emptor!
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schodoodles
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Post by schodoodles »

I think you have bigger issues if the DNO is fitting main fuses that are different to what is clearly marked! I'd get another opinion from a sparky with EV install experience if that were me (if you can find one with a free slot as you say!)

Forgot to mention; have a look on YouTube for 'Artisan Electric' as they do lots of install videos etc as well as charge point reviews. It's obviously used as a different method of advertising for them but it is genuinely helpful at the same time and gives a better view of a charge point compared to the website marketing images.
turntoport
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Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:54 am

Post by turntoport »

Apparently, Schodoodles, - as i've recently discovered (to my utter horror - it's commonplace for 60A or 80A fuses to be fitted in 100A holders. Subsequent to the previous post i had discussion with the DNO, who say that the pricing structure they sent in their link doesn't apply to installations < 270kVA, i.e. almost all domestic properties. So the DNO is going to do a load survey (like what the prospective installer has already done, but presumably with consideration of the supply cabling, local transformer balance etc). No charge for this, but charged if my bit of the system needs upgrading and i accept their quote to do it. So a bit different to what they put in the initial response. But yes, there's obviously a major issue when installers (DNO's) fit fuses marked as 100A but they are actually only 60A..........
atb - ttp
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