Andersen EV Charger Review
Without question, the most stylish charge point out there in our opinion.
But what else does it boast and do its other features live up to the same standard as the design?
In this Andersen EV charger review, we look at its key features and why it’s such a popular charging point.
Let’s take a look…
Quick Review
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Solar compatible
- Variety of colours
- Built-in earthing
- Beautiful design
Cons
- App can be improved
This stunning charger is an excellent design but be warned it comes at a price and is not cheap. It’s on average between £400-£500 more than other EV chargers that do the same job. There are other features to the Andersen A2 but a lot of that extra cost is because it is stylish.
The charger itself is a tethered unit but you won’t see the tethered cable as it’s hidden in a compartment built into the Andersen. This ensures a clean-cut EV point, that to be honest, doesn’t even look like much of a charger.
On the exterior, you can pick between a wooden and metal fascia that comes in eight different colours, as well as picking from the casing colour options. The Andersen A2 is not small, but it has been designed this way so that there is space in the unit with its bespoke components and inbuilt earthing.
It may not be a great app (Konnect+) and it is the weakest point of the whole product. Like so many other chargers, a lot less time seems to be spent on the software and yet again many customers according to the Apple Store have had issues with it disabling itself and it loses the scheduler which means planned charges don’t go ahead, not great if you were hoping to come back to a fully charged EV.
Charger Design
By far one if not the sleekest charger on the market, the Andersen A2 has no cable on show and there are no flashing lights. If you opt for the wooden fascia, it looks extremely clean and tidy whether you decide to place it.
Not only has it been designed well, but the build itself is first class providing durability and quality, proving it’s not just a pretty face. It benefits from an aluminium frame and polycarbonate parts, something which a lot of other smart chargers do not.
With any A2 EV charger you purchase, you will always get the aluminium front panel as standard, this and the side panels both come in a variety of 8 colours. For the wood front panel, its an extra £120 and comes in 4 colours, but we have to admit, it makes the charging point very professional and appealing.
Next to the logo on the front exterior, there are 3 small LED lights that tell you the status of the charging point. There are 3 colours, red, green and yellow but they can flash together, so you will need to learn the combinations.
Installation
Due to its built-in PME, there’s no need for earth rods which makes the whole installation a bit easier. Firstly, you have to fix the A2 to the wall and prepare the entry for the supply cable.
For the entry hole, you can either go through the rear or the bottom, it depends if you want the integrated cable visible. After that, you have to terminate the following, the supply power cable, sensor cables, car side charging cable and then fit the weather project covers. Lastly, you fix the side panels and case to the unit.
A 40A overcurrent protection needs to be installed, as well as Type A RCD protection. Most of the electrical work on the outside is very little due to the already in-built protection it has through a Type B electronic RCD 30mA AC/6mA DC.
As a whole, the charging unit is easy to install for any experienced registered electrician. They will have the installation setup complete in a matter of hours and you can get using your charge point.
Built-In Cable Tidy
Unlike a lot of other EV points where you have to purchase a separate wall hook, the Andersen EV enjoys cable storage that has already been built into the case and is the only charge point to let you fully hide it. You can wound clockwise or anticlockwise and the cable is never on show which is a nice touch.
The reason you are able to wrap it around the unit is that the cable is extra flexible, whereas most EV charging cables are stiff. This feature is extremely useful and by the reviews we’ve read, EV owners love it just as much as we do!
Charging Speed & Experience
Most homes have a single phase which is fine as the Andersen charges at 3.6kW on 16A and 7kW on 32A. You can get 22kW but this requires a 3-phase model and supply, something that is usually only seen in commercial buildings.
A lot of homeowners are happy with 7kW as this gives you on average between 20-30 miles of range per hour depending on different factors. One of the major influences is the weather and if your battery is cold, try pre-heating your electric car battery next time before you start charging and you will see an improved charging speed time.
Companies like Octopus Energy will offer you charging tariffs during the night for a set number of hours as will allow you to benefit from lower rates.
Charging Schedules
It’s easy to plan your smart charging sessions with the app, you can plan them at any time of the day at any date and as long as the cable is in, the electric car will start charging at that desired time.
Cable Length
The Andersen A2 comes with a standard 5.5m cable but you can upgrade this to an 8.5m cable with the 7kW version.
Connecting
The EV charging point connects to your home’s WiFi and supports 2.4 GHz up to 150Mbps. Unfortunately, if your WiFi isn’t great you may have an issue as there is not an ethernet available to improve the signal.
The A2 does have Bluetooth though, so if your WiFi was to go down, you could still control the unit with your smartphone.
Dimensions & Specifications
- Brand – Andersen
- Sockets – 1
- Body Colour – Black, Steel, Blue, Ruby, Grey, Green, Sand, Stone
- Wifi – Yes
- Wattage – 3kW / 7.kW / 22kW
- Voltage – 230v – 400v
- Dimensions (without cable) – 494 x 348 x 148mm (metal)
- Weight – 9kg-13kg
App
The Konnect+ app will allow you to schedule your charging sessions and track costs. You get a visual breakdown of the cost, time and power consumed in each charging session.
Most people say the scheduler doesn’t work properly for the charge points as it’s temperamental and forgets when planned chargers have been imputed, but this is down to the individual there have been a lot of people who have had no issues at all.
The smart charger will be on standby until a scheduled charging session is activated but there is also an override feature on the app that lets you start charging immediately regardless of any schedules planned. If you are on holiday, you can lock the unit through the app.
One big plus of the app is its interface, it’s extremely clean and uses bar charts to highlight important data such as cost, time and kWh.
As a whole, the app is basic and does the job it’s needed to do. We have seen a lot of complaints about bug issues and it doesn’t look like the same level of thought and research went into the software as the hardware, which is the case for most EV charging units, not just the Andersen.
It’s the only real downside we found for the whole product, so it’s worth thinking about whether you could manage with an app that doesn’t always work to 100% of its capacity.
Status Lights
There are only 5 lights that you will see regularly with this charger:
- Solid green – Ready to charge
- Solid green and solid red – Charger is locked
- Green is solid and Amber is flashing – EV is connected
- Green is solid and Amber is also solid – Your EV is charging
- Green flashing light – A scheduled charge is planned
Is It Solar Compatible?
Yes, the charger is solar compatible making it hugely beneficial to those who have solar panels on their roof. This could save you a fortune in the long run and you can help power your EV solely off solar without having to use any power from the grid.
For anyone who has solar panels already installed, we would always recommend getting a charger for an EV that is solar compatible, it’s a no-brainer!
Andersen Benefits & Drawbacks
Benefits
Stunning Design – It’s by far the most aesthetically pleasing charger without any reservations.
Cable Tidy – Wrap it around the Andersen A2 so it doesn’t hang outside your home.
Solar Integration – If you have solar panels on your roof, the Andersen is definitely worth considering.
Built-in earthing – This means no rod is required, making the charge points easier to install.
Drawbacks
App – Can have issues viewing session view details and it sometimes loses scheduling
FAQs
How do you lock the Andersen A2?
To lock it, you go to the home tab on the app, then slide the disable slider to the right until it goes red, to unlock it slide it left.
Does the Andersen A2 need an earth rod?
No, it does not need a rod as it already has inbuilt earthing.
Last Word
We hope you liked our our review of the Andersen A2. It’s the most stylish we’ve reviewed and we would have to give it a 9.3/10 based on appearance, quality and because of its additional features such as solar compatibility and a cable tidy.
The main drawback was the app, but if you can get past that then this is a superb charge point for all electric vehicles and it has been built to last. For us in our experience, it’s without doubt one of the most sought after EV chargers on the market which is why it gets such a high score.
To see our full selection of charger reviews, head back to our main page where we cover a variety of brands and take a deep dive into each one individually.
