Zappi Charger Review
The Zappi Charger, we’ve heard a lot of great things about it.
But is it all hype or has it got some substance behind that casing?
In this Zappi charger review, we dig down into what makes this charger unique, how it compares to other models and whether its a good buy.
Let’s get started…
Quick Review
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Tethered or Untethered
- Solid build with great durability
- Solar EV charging
- Different charge modes are available
- It has dynamic load balancing
Cons
- Large and bulky
What Is The Zappi Charger?
The myenergi zappi is a fantastic charger and one of the leading brands in the EV charging industry. It may not be the most appealing to look at due to its size and shape, but it more than makes up for that with its setup and great features.
Unlike other models where they may be excellent in one department and average in another, the Zappi is very good throughout. You can home charge using solar generation or you can combine solar and the grid, either way, you’ll be saving money.
The myenergi app is good but probably the weakest aspect of Zappi. Unfortunately, the app only works in conjunction with the Myenergi Hub which is a separate device from the charger. The zappi hub and app work together to monitor and control your devices, whether you need scheduled charging or to do a software update, the pair work together to provide the information.
Hopefully, in the next model, the hub will be integrated into the Zappi itself so you would no longer need a separate hub. The quality of myenergi products is always excellent and the Zappi is no different with its durability and sturdiness, flimsiness is not a word we associate with this EV charger.
Zappi Model Design
Myenergi design and build the Zappi in the UK, and you can tell it’s been designed to last without being too fussed about its visual appearance. It’s quite a large charger, much bigger than its competitors but this extra weight and size has allowed for excellent robustness ensuring your charger doesn’t go anywhere.
Due to its size, the myenergi zappi is difficult to blend into most surroundings and is certainly not one of the most discreet chargers. However, people accept this because it’s so reliable and is just one of the better-charging stations on the market. It comes in two colour schemes, white and grey or black and grey, so you would have to decide which Zappi charger display panel would match your house more.
The front of the Zappi has four buttons which allow you to view your charging information and control the charger. The LCD control panel display makes it easy to view the information and there is even a light you can activate by tapping the charger. If it’s sunny outside the screen will dim itself to make it easier to read.
If you want to know whether the charge point is on, ready to charge or currently charging, an RGB LED indicator will come on at the front of the Zappi to let you know it’s working.
The casing of the charger is brilliant because it’s considered waterproof due to it being IP65 rated but also its not made of polycarbonate like some of the others you see in our guides. The Zappi is constructed from acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) which is widely used in the automotive industry and its fully recyclable which is always a bonus.
Installation
This charger has built-in protection against the loss of a PEN conductor, therefore it doesn’t require an earth rod like some chargers. Built within the Zappi, there is a Type A RCD and DC RCD protection.
If you are using a single-phase supply, the EV charger will require a 230v/240v nominal AC supply from a 32A circuit breaker. This usually means minimal electrical work involved as most homes satisfy this configuration so any reputable electrician should be able to undertake the job installing Zappi’s.
If it is just the single phase you want to use, there are only three cables in order for the unit to provide power. These cables are earth, neutral and live and are very straightforward.
Another superb feature is the ability to sense the availability of economy tariffs and when you are in an ECO mode, it will also boost the charge. This is possible through the eSense input and there’s also a current transformer terminal for CT installations.
Overall, the Zappis is a reasonably straightforward installation that shouldn’t take any longer than a few hours and that includes cleaning up afterwards. Your electrician will have the installation complete in no time and you’ll be a happy customer with your new charging port fully installed.
Charging Speed
Unlike other brands, Zappi’s the ability to charge 7kW on a single phase and if you were to use a three-phase, you’d be able to charge at 22kW. You are also able to use 3.6kW single phase and 11kW three-phase although most people just opt for 7kW and leave the electric car to charge overnight.
If you were to use the 7kW you can expect your electric car to charge in about 9-12 hours if the battery storage is 60kWh or under. At this power rate, you can expect about 25 miles per range each hour but you should only charge to about 80% of the battery storage capacity, this ensures longevity.
Charging Schedules & Experience
One of the easiest and most enjoyable charging experiences comes through the use of the Zappi. You can plan your charging schedules and there is a lock you can activate through the Myenergi Hub or on the unit itself. This ensures the safety of the charge point and the lock feature requires a pin number you set in order to use the unit each time.
The Zappi has three different charging capabilities, these are the ECO, ECO+ and the FAST. You can also set your unit so that the ECO and ECO+ benefit from boosts which involves fast charging at certain intervals.
To control the charger itself, it’s either through the unit which has an LCD screen display and four buttons to navigate around the charger with. Or you can use the myenergi app and control everything through that.
If you purchase the tethered version of this model, the charging socket fits nicely into a holster whilst the cable wraps around the unit to stop it from dragging along the floor. The untethered version has a lock built into it, so regardless if the cable is plugged into your car or not, the cable is locked in place.
Charging Modes
ECO – The Zappi will try to match the power used to charge the vehicle to any spare local generation that is left over. In order to keep it as close to zero as possible, it will tell the vehicle how much it can export and import. Due to EV regulations, if the minimum power is less than 1.4kW, it has to be taken from the grid.
ECO+ – If the home charger is using too much electricity power from the grid, the charging station will pause. If the surplus power dips below 1.4kW, then the charger will stop itself.
FAST – Chargers at 7kW using maximum power from renewable energy and the grid, whatever it needs to charge your EV, that’s what it will use.
The Zappi can automatically adjust the charging rate depending on household power consumption and on-site generation, so you are always using the most efficient option available.
Boost Options
Manual Boost – You can use this boost during ECO and ECO+, its when your battery charges at full capacity until it reaches a certain percentage which you have chosen. That might be 80% in which case the Zappi will slow the charging down and revert back to ECO or ECO+.
Smart Boost – The charging point switches between slow and fast EV charging to ensure your Zappi achieves the target time you set for the energy to be completed by. The energy is transferred efficiently between fast and slow charging.
Scheduled – You set when you want your charger to charge across four time periods and it will then charge your vehicle on FAST power.
Cable Length
The Zappi has a type 2 tethered cable which is 6.5m in length so plenty of room for you to park the car on the drive and still reach.
Can Solar Panels Be Used With The Zappi Model
One of the big draws for this EV home charger is its solar compatibility which makes charging your EV with surplus solar extremely easy. Thanks to its solar integration you can charge an electric vehicle to full capacity just through solar panels. If you don’t want to use solar panels, you also have the ability to combine both the solar panels and grid to charge your car, rather than using solely solar power.
Whatever your solar panels are producing in terms of solar power is the rate your car will charge. So if that’s 3.5kW then your car will charge every hour at about 16-19 miles of range. Obviously the higher the kW from solar charging, the more range of miles you will get each hour.
Wind Turbine & Micro-Hydro
Not only does the Zappi offer solar PV support, you can also power it through your micro-hydro system or wind turbine. There are no certain settings you have to follow to use these, you connect it to the same terminal the solar panels would. It’s another great option rather than using electricity from the grid.
Dimensions & Specifications
- Brand – Zappi
- Sockets – 1
- Colour – Black & Grey /White
- Wifi – Yes
- Wattage – 7kW – 22kW
- Voltage – 230v – 400v
- Dimensions – 439 x 282 x 122mm
- Weight – 3kg / 5kg / 3.3kg / 7.2kg
Zappi App
We have to be honest, the reviews for the myenergi Zappi V2 are good and bad. What we’ve found with this app is that it lacks a lot of in-depth charging data about energy usage and energy prices. Although it’s simple and easy to use, it doesn’t display all the options the unit does.
So you can actually find out more information by using the unit directly, rather than the app which isn’t great. You should get both the same data and information regardless of whether it’s the app or unit.
You also can’t get data regarding minutes or hours when looking at the graphs on the app, you just get a general overview. You also can’t lock or unlock the charging unit from the app which would have been convenient.
You can still do plenty such as setting timers for EV charging, using the boost functions and having a glance at the charging overview. In terms of look, the app is aesthetically pleasing and does the basics well, we would just like some more detailed information and a few new features added.
The Hub
Unlike nearly all the other brands where you can use the app and electric vehicle charger together, one major downside of the Zappi V2 is that you need the HUB in order to use the myenergi app and you have to purchase this separately. It costs around £85 and we think its quite poor that you have to buy an additional product just to use the myenergi app.
The Hub itself is a gateway device that connects your home charger with your Myenergi account and the Myenergi servers. It calculates how much energy your vehicle is using and saving, and then relays that information back to you through the app. Without the Hub, there are no firmware updates, Zappi app or remote control.
Once you have bought the Hub, it’s easy to set up.
1. Use an ethernet cable and plug the Hub into your WiFi router.
2. Press the pair button on the Hub to enter pairing mode
3. Then on the Zappi, enter pairing mode
4. You’ll get shown some devices, pick the Hub from the list provided.
You should then be connected and you can leave your Hub to work like you would your router, there’s no need to touch it, just place it somewhere safe out of the way.
As you can see its not difficult to set up, we just think you shouldn’t have to pay around £85 for a separate device after buying the charger.
Benefits & Drawbacks
Pros
Robust and durable – Due to the materials used, this fantastic smart home charger offers extra durability and sturdiness.
Excellent support team – Every Zappi review we have seen regarding customer service has been excellent.
Solar compatibility – You can Zappi charge your EV through solar generation allowing for free energy.
Different ECO charging modes are available – ECO, ECO+ and FAST are all available.
Cons
Slightly more expensive than other models – With the additional cost of the Hub, this can be more expensive than other reviews.
App isn’t the most detailed – Could do with more detailed data rather than just an overview.
FAQs
What KW is a Zappi?
The Zappi V2 is 7kW – 22kW depending on what power you decide to use.
Is Zappi a smart charger?
Yes, Zappi is a smart charger and offers smart charging but it also has the ability to charge your EV through solar integration which many EV chargers can’t do.
How fast is a Zappi?
The Zappi can charge a car in a few hours if you use 22kW but it all depends on the size of the battery in the electric car and what type of kW you decide to use.
Last Word
We hope this Zappi charger review has helped answer some of the questions you had about this brand. As a whole, we give this EV home charger an 8.5/10 due to its reliability, durability and its ease at which it charges, which is its main priority.
Yes, the app could be a bit better but as a general consensus, this Zappi model ticks a lot of boxes as it’s good on the eye and its quality shines through more than other chargers.
We would certainly recommend it as it’s functional, good looking, user friendly and you can really make the most of any green energy with this model. There was a time ago when it was all about results, these days though, people want their house and EV charger to look great together and this certainly does both ahead of other EV chargers.
For a complete list of reviews for chargers, then head back to our main page and see all the brands we have covered.
