Tips on choosing the best EV charger for your electric car
Brought to you by Easee chargers
2nd Nov 2021
Are you ready to choose a home charge point for your EV or plug-in hybrid, but have no idea where to start? This guide will offer some tips on how to choose the best home EV charger for installation.
Here at Smart Home Charge, we only sell and install electric car chargers that we ourselves would be happy having installed at our homes.
Even though we've carefully selected a handful of chargers to suit different budgets and needs, we understand it's not always easy to know which electric car charger is right for you. This guide will look at four areas for you to consider when deciding which electric car charge point to have installed at home, including:
- Your budget
- Whether to choose tethered or untethered
- Style and looks of the charger
- Killer features
1. Your budget
Budget will be key for most people. There is a wide range of price points to suit every budget.
Our chargers start from as little as £852 including installation, although the website prices are a guide only. The best way to get an accurate price for your installation is to click "Request a Quote" on your chosen charger.
EXAMPLE EV CHARGERS
Ohme Home - an excellent charger with a fantastic app. It may not be the best looking, but it's one of our best-sellers because it is just such good value for money.
Wallbox Pulsar Plus - for a little more money you can get a much more attractive charger in the Wallbox. The app has fewer features than the Ohme, but some may prefer this as it is more straightforward to use.
Easee One - a stylish, quality and feature-rich EV charger that offers both tethered and untethered functionality at an affordable price.
Ohme Home Pro - an excellent upgrade to the already excellent Ohme Home without the need for an earth rod.
Sync EV - the world's smallest EV charger for those looking for something simple and discreet.
Andersen A2 - this is our best-selling premium charger. It's available with a range of finishes including wood.
2. Should I get a tethered or untethered charger?
There are two main types of home EV charger - tethered and untethered - and there are pros and cons to each.
Tethered EV chargers
A tethered EV charger simply means the charging cable is permanently attached to the charging unit. Most customers find this more convenient as the cable is always at hand - you just need to uncoil it and plug it in to your vehicle. In this way, it is very similar to the petrol pump experience.
However, a tethered charger does mean you are limited to the cable lengths offered by the manufacturer. The standard length is usually five metres, but you can upgrade to a longer cable in some cases for an extra cost. This is one area where an untethered charger may come in handy if you want more flexibility when it comes to choosing cable length.
There are even some chargers that give you both options, like the Easee One, so you don't need to choose between tethered or untethered. This is a great option if you aren't sure which to choose.
Choosing a tethered charger can also restrict which "type" of vehicle you can charge. This is because EVs have different connections on them for charging at home - either Type 1 or Type 2 - so you have to make sure the tethered charger will "fit" your electric car in advance.
It's a bit like the different charging connections on an iPhone versus other smartphones. Or VHS and BetaMax if you're old enough to remember those - VHS tapes only work with a VHS player and vice versa with BetaMax.
Luckily, almost all modern electric cars are Type 2 so this issue does not affect most drivers. However, if you do happen to have a Type 1 electric vehicle (such as the older Nissan Leafs) then you will need to specify a Type 1 charger if you want a tethered unit. Keep in mind that if you have visitors with a Type 2 vehicle or you decide to change your EV in future to a Type 2 vehicle then your existing unit will not be compatible.
For drivers of Type 1 vehicles, an untethered unit may be best for future proofing.
Advantages of a tethered charger
- More convenient - simply uncoil the cable and plug in.
- More secure - the cable is part of the unit so it's not possible to remove it.
- Cable included - which may mean you do not need to purchase a charging cable separately.
Disadvantages of a tethered charger
- Lack of flexibility
- Restricted to charging Type 1 vehicles only or Type 2 vehicles only
- Limited choice of cable lengths
Untethered EV chargers
An untethered EV charger means it is just the socket, with no cable permanently attached to the unit itself. This is why they are sometimes called "socket-only" EV chargers. A good example is the Sync EV.
This means you will need to supply your own charging cable and you'll have to plug it into both the charging unit and vehicle when you want to charge. You will also need to find somewhere to store the cable, such as in your car boot or in the house.
Some vehicle manufacturers will give you a cable with the car, but beware as these cables are not always rated at 32-amps (the full rate of the charger), which may mean your car does not charge at the full power the charge point can provide.
You may be wondering why someone would choose an untethered electric car charge point. After all, it sounds a lot less convenient.
An untethered charge point offers more flexibility. It can charge any electric vehicle because the socket is universal and you are also not restricted by the charger manufacturer when it comes to cable length as you can simply buy your own.
Some customers also prefer them because there are not any cables on show when the charger isn't in use. Of course, this does come down to personal preference - would you rather bundle the cable into your boot and get it out each time you use the charger (but have an arguably neater look when not in use) or need to coil/uncoil the tethered cable on each use, but save time plugging in and not needing to place a potentially wet cable into your car?
As we mentioned earlier, some chargers like the Easee One do away with this choice by allowing you to have a tethered and untethered unit in one charge point.
Advantages of an untethered charger
- Flexibility because it is just a socket.
- Works with Type 1 and Type 2 cars.
- No Cables permanently on display.
- Option to change your charging cable length.
Disadvantages of an untethered charger
- Potentially less secure as the charging cable itself is easier to access
- You have to supply your own charging cable
- You need to store the cable somewhere after each use
- The cable may be wet or dirty before storing away
While untethered chargers do not come with a charging cable, we do always recommend purchasing an additional cable so you are able to use it with socket-only public chargers.
Ultimately it depends on which you think will benefit you most. If convenience is your main concern, then go for a tethered charger like the Ohme or Wallbox Pulsar Plus. But if you want something that is a bit more flexible, then an untethered device such as the Sync EV may be your best bet.
Or avoid the choice altogether with the Easee One and get the best of both worlds (though you will need to purchase an additional cable to enable this).
3. Style and looks of the charger
Although the charger is a functional device first, some people also want it to also look nice – it is attached to your home after all!
EV chargers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, ranging from the positively tiny and discreet Sync EV, the slick Scandinavian style of the Easee One to the custom designs of the Andersen A2 plus everything in between.
When choosing a charger to suit you and your home, consider:
- The style – which types of chargers do you just like the look of?
- The location – think about where you’d like your charger to be located. This might affect your choice – if it’s out of sight, then perhaps you won’t be so bothered by the looks, but if it’s on the front of your house for all to see then maybe you’ll want something a bit more stylish.
- Dimensions – some chargers are larger than others, so consider this alongside the charger location.
4. Killer Features
Are there are any specific features you must have, as this could supercede the previous three considerations?
For example, if you a charger that works automatically with a tariff like Octopus Agile then the Ohme Home is your best choice. Or perhaps you really despise the idea of having an earth rod installed, which some chargers require? If so, then you should consider the Wallbox Pulsar Plus or the Easee One which both have built-in earthing protection and avoid the need for an earth rod.
For most of us, it will be a combination of all the above factors that will help whittle your choice down to the ideal charger that best suits your needs.
Use our Charger Comparison Tool to see EV charger features side by side or use our Charger Selector Tool if you aren't sure which chargers have which features.
2nd Nov 2021
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