Home EV chargersPick the charger after the electrician's look, not before.

Cable or wall charger?

The portable cable plugs into an ordinary power point and charges slowly. WorkSafe's guidance warns that some homes can't reliably supply a sustained 32 A load, which is one reason a 32 A portable cable isn't in line with its guidelines.

A wall charger needs a registered electrician, its own sub-circuit and a Type B RCD (or a charger with one built in). EV charger installation explains the job.

How big a charger?

WorkSafe allows a 32 A (7.5 kW) charger in a home once your maximum demand has been assessed, and recommends load management. Its addendum says that with advanced load management, a charger that size can likely cover a typical day's driving without raising a typical home's peak use.

A three-phase charger only helps if the house has three-phase power and the car can use it. PowerNet, one of the lines companies, notes that not all EVs support three-phase charging. Three-phase power explained covers the supply side.

Smart or simple?

Smart chargers can run in off-peak hours, which Gen Less says can lower costs. If your car already schedules its own charging, a simpler charger may do the job.

The brands we cover, and the rest

We have pages on the Tesla Wall Connector and Wallbox. If you're looking at another brand, such as EO, myenergi's Zappi or a charger from your car's maker, the same checks apply: a Supplier Declaration of Conformity, the right RCD arrangement, and an electrician's look at your board and supply before you buy.