Zappi EV Charger Review
About the Zappi EV Charger Review
This is a company that is passionate about renewable technology. They specialize in home energy monitors and charge points. The company has a great team of experts that can help you understand your energy usage and how to save money. They want everyone to have access to sustainable technology, whether it is a solar panel installation or a home battery storage system.
Myenergi has partnered with Nissan and manufactures the Zappi EV charger for them. This allows them to provide installers with complete kits including everything from the wiring and external box, to the EV charger itself.
This makes it an ideal option for installers who want to start selling electric car chargers whilst still having a quality product.
With a clear mission to promote green energy solutions, myenergi is a brand that you can rely on. Not only are they passionate about the work that they do, but also they have been awarded multiple times for their commitment to customer service and excellent products.
They were the Gold Award winner of the Consumer Super Brand Award in 2014, and they remain committed to providing energy-saving solutions at an affordable price.
Why Choose Zappi EV Charher?
Set timers
At certain hours 'time of use energy tariffs' are significantly cheaper. With zappi, you can use the 'boost timer' option to start charging at times with the lowest rates. It's a cost-saving charging alarm clock for your EV!
No earth rod
Zappi is the only EV charger with built-in PEN fault technology. It's the safest choice for an electric car charger, eliminating the need to install additional earth rods means no extra costs & an easy install.
PV charging
Zappi works in harmony with your Solar PV or wind generation, meaning you can charge your car using green energy for free. If you haven't got a renewable energy source at home, zappi works just like any other charger in 'fast mode'.
Remote access
The myenergi app allows you to access and control your devices from anywhere in the world! Visual graphs allow you to monitor your import/export information all in one place.
Pincode protected
A 5 digit pin code is a security feature integrated into this smart electric car charging point, should you wish to use it. It prevents people from changing your settings or using your solar EV charger without permission or tempering.
Zappi EV Charger Overview
The Zappi is listed as a CLAS/24 kW product and is compatible with the CHAdeMO protocol. However, this review will concentrate on the other main selling point of the Zappi charger: its ability to be used for grid balancing. It has 2 outputs: A 32A Type2 output and a 16A Type1 output. The 32A port is rated for up to 10kW and has a maximum current of 27.4A. This is the main grid balancing output that can be used with Zappi mode enabled by myenergi.
With an EV charger this size, it’s easy to see how it would be able to balance the grid. For example, it could be used in a low-income area where there are not many electric vehicles but lots of solar panels that do not yet feed into the grid.
This would help to reduce electricity costs for local households by using their excess energy generation during peak times to charge cars instead.
Electric Car Charger: Solar PV
Being the first-ever electric car charger to use grid balancing, the Zappi is a big step forward in green energy technology. It runs on solar PV or wind and as such, wind generation or power consumption will be essential. It will be interesting to see how it turns out and if other companies produce chargers with this mode enabled also. You will love the fact that the charger runs on solar or wind power.
The Zappi is a nice and compact unit that fits neatly outside most homes. Being small, it doesn’t stick out too much and can be installed in areas with limited space.
It is suitable for installation either indoors or outdoors depending on your preference, but myenergi recommends installing with at least 150mm of air clearance.
Peak Power Limiter
The Zappi has a built-in 50A MCB for overcurrent protection. There will be no cause for worry about too much-imported power. This should provide enough safety should something go wrong with the system. An RCD also comes as a standard for added safety. As such, you will enjoy maximum power without any worry.
The Zappi comes with a standard Type1 charge cable which can be plugged directly into your car. It is not compatible with the CHAdeMO connector, but this shouldn’t matter as it’s mainly designed to be used for grid balancing and should connect to your solar panels through an inverter or other system that has been installed by an installer.
The Zappi can connect to both OLEDB (Modbus) and CANBUS systems, making it suitable for most electronic cars. You will need to check on your specific car model first though as this charger is not compatible with every model on the market.
The charger is compatible with all plug cars and electric vehicles.
Smart Charging Technology
The Zappi is a smart EV charger which means it can be set to use energy tariffs for different times of the day to reduce your electricity usage. It is called Magic Charge and works by allowing you to program your car’s charging times so that you never have to worry about leaving it on charge overnight or forgetting to unplug it when you need to go out.
Magic Charge allows you to create up to three charging schedules for your car so that it knows when and how long to charge for depending on the time of day. This reduces electricity costs by letting you choose the cheapest tariffs but also removes stress by knowing that your car is always fully charged by the time that you need to leave.
This is made possible by the Zappi knowing how much electricity it needs to charge your car and then using its smart charging technology to work out how long it will take for you to get where you need to be.
Our Verdict
One thing that really stood out about this charger was the easy installation process. It was quick and easy to set up, unlike most solar-powered EV chargers which can cause difficulties for people without any knowledge of electrical items.
This is a good feature for those who are looking to install the charger themselves but it’s also important to have an experienced installer check over your system before you start using it. The charger works on eco mode and the other 2 modes that you can choose from.
Solar charging, fuse protection, and smart charging technology make this charger a stand-out choice for those who want to charge their car without spending too much money.
While the price tag is high, it’s very difficult to find a smart charging solution that also has solar and fuse protection built-in and at such an affordable price.
This is especially true as most other chargers require you to install additional equipment to keep the unit safe. With this charger, you won’t need any additional equipment other than a Type1 cable which is included as standard.
If you’re looking for a simple and affordable way to charge your electric car using smart charging technology, then this Zappi EV Charger is an excellent choice that will not let you down!
