Zappi EV Charger Review

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Zappi EV Charger Review: Is This The New Trend?

The Zappi EV charger has become a popular choice when it comes to solar EV charging. But is it really worth the hype? I am going to give you a full Zappi EV Charger Review. 

It is a go-to charger for those with EV cars who have access to solar energy. Why not take advantage of the excess solar energy to charge your vehicle from the comfort of your own home? It makes for clean driving and saves you money as you use a renewable resource to charge your environmentally friendly car. 

EV cars are becoming increasingly popular, and you can pretty much find electric charging points at most places in Australia these days. But finding a charger that allows you to use solar energy from your own home is a no-brainer. 

The unique selling point of a Zappi EV charger is that it is the only EV charger on the market that allows you to charge EVs with solar energy alone. That is a selling point in itself! You can also pull energy from the grid as well allowing a multi functional and intelligent smart EV charger. 

Now, if you are interested in home EV chargers please feel free to look at what we have here

If you’re still researching EV’s you can learn what an EV charger is here. Don’t forget, there are some things to consider such as the types of EV chargers you can buy. The more you learn the more you will understand why EV chargers like Zappi may just be a future proof solution for your home. 

So, before I go on any longer, let’s get into this Zappi EV charger review.

Table Of Contents

zappi ev charger

What Is The Zappi V2 EV Charger?

Starting with one of the most popular smart home chargers, the Zappi V2 EV charger. Users say it is reliable and a good piece of kit, considering it is the smallest charger on the market. 

Being the smallest comes with its benefits. This means it’s great for the space available for your EV charger design to run well with cables, solar integration and grid connection. 

Zappi V2 chargers are pretty much the same as V1 chargers, just with a bit of a facelift. It now has a 1 and 3-phase option. This essentially means a high charging range, with the significant difference being the availability of 22kw. 

The Zappi EV Charger is designed to prioritise the power generated by you over the energy provided by the grid. The great advantage, and what I believe is the selling point, is that you can use 100% of your own solar power. Or, you can take it entirely from the grid, which no other at-home EV charger provides. 

Think about it, the return on investment from this EV charger if you fill your car with free energy generated by your solar system? It’s going to be huge over the course of 5-10 years plus you will have a considerable amount of free cash each week from not paying to power your car.

zappi v2 ev charger

Zappi v2 EV Charger

What I Like About It...

The ability to change charging modes is definitely one of the biggest selling points for me, as you can adjust it depending on your solar supply. Not only is it the only solar-powered EV charger on the market, but the Zappi 2 has also advanced, so you can optimise to your needs. 

Leading on to everyone’s favourite feature. The Solar charging ability. I won’t go into this too much, as I have mentioned it plenty throughout the blog. But, the Zappi EV charger allows you to charge your vehicle solely through solar panels. Need I say more? Saving money and saving energy.

As much as I do love the Zappi EV Charger, one thing to mention is the need for a MyEnergi Hub to be able to use the mobile app. So even though the app is free, you need to buy a MyEnergi Hub to be able to use it.

Specifications:

7kw Single
3-Phase 22kw
3 charging modes: ECO, ECO+ and FAST
Programmable timer function
Optimises microgeneration self-consumption
Charge and event logging
Remote control and monitoring add-on option
Energi App
Works with solar PV, wind turbine or micro-hydro systems.
Pin-code lock function

Can The Zappi Charge Any EV Vehicle?

The Zappi EV Charger can charge most electric vehicles as long as they take type 1 or 2 charging sockets. There are not many EVs that have reported it does not work. A few popular EVs consist of: 

  • Teslas 
  • Jaguar I-PACE
  • Hyundai Kona & Iconic 
  • BMW- I range
  • Mini Electric
  • Smart Car

Most hybrid cars have regular combustion energy and an electric motor, so they do not need to be charged. 

However, some manufacturers are now making plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), so they can be recharged. Therefore, Land Rover PHEV and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV are also compatible with the Zappi EV Charger. 

Overall, I’d say as long as your EV vehicle accepts Type 2 connection then the Zappi ev charger will be able to give it some juice. Of course this is important for car owners to ensure, but we are yet to find a vehicle that this charger wont charge.

How Easy Is The Zappi EV Charger Installation?

The fantastic thing about the Zappi EV Charger is that it does not need an earth rod or any earthing device to be installed. This is a lifesaver. It already has built-in protection, which helps with the loss of the protective neutral and earth conductor. 

It has a 30mA type A RCD and a 6mA DC RCD built in for protection. So it is easy to hook up to solar or wind renewable sources and even has a smart setting for these. 

A single-phase supply requires a 230v/240v nominal AC supply from a 32A circuit breaker, which most homes will be able to do. This requires minimal electrical work and makes it a straightforward installation for electricians. 

It can go on the wall near your garage or carport, and a power cable runs between the Zappi EV Charger and your switchboard. Then, a separate cable runs from the Zappi back to the switchboard for a CT clamp, which helps to measure your home’s electricity. 

If you have 3-phase power, you will need a Harvi. It is a little wireless sensor that helps take measurements from your CT clamp and sends them to your Zappi wirelessly. 

I suppose what’s important about this is the fact that it doesn’t take long for homeowners to be powering their car at home. Our installers come in and out within a day so it’s quite stress free and you’re on your way to powering your car with solar.

You Can Get 3 Different Charging Modes: Eco, Eco+ and Fast

As mentioned above in the spec, the Zappier EV charger has 3 charging modes. So let’s look into exactly what that means.

Eco Mode

For Eco, the charge power is adjusted depending on the changes in generation or power consumption throughout the house. If there is no surplus, charging will stop and only continue when power becomes available again.

Eco+ Mode

Like standard Eco, the charge power is adjusted depending on the changes in generation or power consumption throughout the house. However, Eco+ will continue to charge the EV until it’s fully charged, even though it has to draw power from the grid. The amount of energy used from the grid can be amended in Eco +.

Fast Mode

This is just like a standard Mode 3 charging point. The EV will be charged to maximum power.

For me, this is one of the coolest features. You really have the ability to control the Zappi EV charger and this allows you more control over your energy as a result. The freedom this allows results in homeowners living a much more convenient lifestyle. Need the car charged for a drive later? Stick it in Fast mode. 

Want to go eco and maximise the energy based on your home usage to spend the least on energy? Stick it in eco mode. For me, this control is a huge factor as to why the Zappi EV charger is one of the best in the industry right now.

Zappi ev charger modes. Eco, Eco+ and fast.

You Can Connect Zappi EV Charger To Your Solar System

One of the best things about this charger has to be Zappi’s ability to charge your car purely from solar energy.

For some context, usually, the solar you have generated from your solar system will be used mainly in your home and water systems. Then, any surplus will be diverted back to the grid to be used there. Which is great, but what if you want to use that surplus to charge your car?

What Zappi did, which is so clever, is find a way to utilise that excess solar energy to charge EV vehicles. Zappi’s technology allows you to monitor your solar generation simultaneously while monitoring energy coming from the grid. Therefore, it will start charging your EV when it detects a surplus in solar energy. 

Pretty clever, right? 

You can then essentially charge your EV for free with the Zappi EV Charger without even having to think about it. It gives you more control if you want it and charges your EV like you would at any standard charging point. 

One common question is what happens when it is not sunny, and you need your car charged for the next day. No stress. That is where the FAST mode comes in. It will just use the power from the grid combined with whatever solar charge you have to charge the EV as quickly as possible. 

Simple but absolutely fantastic technology. 

You Can Control Your EV Energy Through The MyEnergi App

Another selling point in this Zappi EV Charger Review is the MyEnergi App which makes your life even easier. 

The Energi app allows you to remotely control your Zappi EV charger and allows you to monitor it. It calculates everything from how much energy you are using and saving to providing detailed information about the EV charger’s performance. 

You can set up charging schedules that suit your lifestyle, which helps you take advantage of off-peak energy tariffs. It also gives real-time monitoring of your energy usage, allowing you to see when energy is coming from the grid and when it is coming from your solar system. 

It is a very functional app that can be as complicated or as simple as you like. By that, I mean you can use simple settings or get an in-depth understanding of your Zappi EV Charger. 

I think for me, it’s very important to have full control over your energy. As we move into a smarter world technology should allow us to better our control over the things that matter. Zappi definitely gives you back the wheel on your energy here.

zappi uses the myenergi app to help you control your energy

Smart Consumption Allows For Better Energy Usage

At the end of the day, smart consumption does allow for better energy usage. 

In the current world where energy prices are increasing, fuel prices are rocketing, and we are all trying to save money where we can. Not only that, we are all trying our best to make steps towards a more sustainable future. 

The Zappi EV Charger has done its best to provide a piece of technology that helps to tackle both problems. Using an EV vehicle combined with solar energy to charge it is a win-win situation. 

Suppose you are in a fortunate position to have a solar system installed in your house and an EV vehicle. In that case, you’d be silly to not have a Zappi Charger. It makes your driving cleaner than ever before, as well as saves you some money. We can’t see what there is not to love!

Conclusion

Well, look I know this is a very bold statement to make but I honestly think the Zappi V2 EV charger is one of the best (if not THE BEST) in the industry right now. They do have some strong competition with the Wallbox charger however it’s nothing their innovative minds can’t handle. 

The biggest point is Zappi’s features to give you back control and maximise the savings you can generate by combining EV and solar power. Your savings could be huge by simply powering your car with solar which is free from your home. 

Zappi really allows you to set and forget as well with the technology and smart AI which will optimise your energy and charging times for you. This convenience and ROI is like no other really setting Zappi apart from the crowd here. 

But there you have it. My full Zappi EV charger review. I really hope you got what you need from this and if you still have any questions please feel free to put them in the comments below 😁.

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Written By:

Luke Cove
Managing Director
Lightning Solar & Electrical

ev charger

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