The convenience of charging your electric vehicle from your home is a powerful prospect to any electric car owner. However, when you're faced with the choice of 1-phase or 3-phase chargers, tethered or untethered options and a myriad of different makes and models on the market, finding the perfect EV charger can feel like a destination you're simply never going to arrive at.
But choosing the right EV charger is a whole lot simpler than you think...
When you're looking to purchase your first electric vehicle charger, there are in fact only a few simple but vital things to think about. So, while you may have certain personal preferences to match your EV charger to your lifestyle, you just need to be looking out for the right charging speeds, connector types and smart features for you. We'll also give you some advice on where to install your EV charger to ensure the fitting process and the location is best for you, your lifestyle and the performance of the charger itself.
How Do I Choose The Right EV Charger?
Charging Speeds
The first thing you should pay attention to is the charging speed. This is easy to identify at Eco Wizard, as we clearly outline the charging speed in kilowatts (kW) on the product page of each of our EV chargers. Typically you'll want to choose between either a 1-phase 7kW charger (the best choice for most electric cars and charging overnight) or a 3-phase 22kW charger (the fastest charging speed available and ideal for homes or businesses with more than one electric car or larger families with more demanding charging needs).
Connector Types
Tethered EV chargers are designed with a charging cable integrated into the charging unit that cannot be removed. This is ideal if you're just starting out on your journey into the world of electric vehicles, you don't own a charging cable already or you want the convenience and security of having a built-in charging cable that's already tethered to the EV charger.
Untethered EV chargers require you to already have a charging cable at home but are ideal for those looking for a more versatile and adaptable EV charger setup. They give you the option to remove your charging cable, switch between different lengths and types of cable or replace them easily as needed.
Smart Features
Many EV chargers come with additional features that allow you to charge your electric vehicle in a cheaper and more eco-friendly way. The Ohme Home Pro range uses "beyond smart" EV charging tech guided by real-time live data to charge affordably and save energy at the same time. Perfect for integrating with Intelligent Octopus Go, OVO Charge Anytime and all other energy tariffs, the live data is used to start and stop charging, allowing you to power up your electric vehicle during off-peak times when energy prices will be lower, while still meeting all of your charging requirements.
The Ohme Home Pro is also solar-charging compatible, so you'll be able to use it to charge up using excess solar-generated power. This will make you power grid-independent while also ensuring your electric vehicle is charged and ready to go.
You'll also discover that many of our EV chargers can be operated in multiple different ways too. Many of our EV chargers give you the option to operate it manually using the screen or buttons located on the charger housing or via a corresponding smartphone app. Depending on what you go for, the smartphone app will give you the ability to stop and start charges, schedule charges, monitor energy usage, check your charging status and more.
Does Charging Location Matter?
EV chargers are designed to live outdoors, so you can install your charger anywhere you like. However, we do advise that you consider the dimensions of the charger to ensure that it fits your intended point of installation:
