Project EV Charger Review
The Project EV Pro Earth is a well-built and affordable electric vehicle charger.
But how does it fare when compared to other brands such as the Optimus and Zappi for example?
In this Project EV charger review, we take an in-depth look at all its features whilst giving an honest assessment of the charging unit itself.
Let’s dive straight in…
Quick Review
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Built-in earthing
- It is solar compatible
- Sturdy construction
- Smart to look at
Cons
- A large charger
- App is poor
What Is The Project EV Pro Earth?
The Project EV charger is a reliable electric vehicle charging unit that has been well-built and is aesthetically pleasing. It’s quite a large station but not to the point where it stands out and is a distraction.
Some of its great features include solar integration meaning you can go fully green if you have solar panels installed on your home and it has built-in earthing meaning no earth rod is required which is useful.
It has some unique aspects as well such as the red button on the side of the charging point which can be used for an emergency stop. For convenience, you can also turn it from an untethered version to a tethered version through the cable lock system.
There are all the good aspects but the biggest downside by far is the app, but we will get into this in more detail later.
Different Versions
There are currently five different versions of the 7.3kW charger available, see them below:
- EVA-07S-S
- EVA-07S-SE
- EVA-07S-SE-RFID
- EVA-07S-SE-RFID-4G
- EVA-07S-PE-RFID
Project EV Charger Design
Depending on what you like, some say the vehicle charger is nice to look at whilst others think it’s a bit too out there. One thing we can all agree on though is its size, it’s a very thick charger and is quite tall, meaning it’s certainly not one to fade into the background on the side of your house.
In terms of quality, you can’t fault it. It’s durable and its red emergency button on the side is only available due to the large casing. The Pro Earth comes in silver and black or all-black. We prefer the all-black as it looks smarter and more professional.
One of the great design features is the lockable cable socket which allows you to turn the vehicle charging unit into a tethered version. This is quite unusual and certainly something that other charging stations don’t offer.
It has a large LED status light that is easy to see and when charging it will stay green and when it’s no longer charging it will go off.
Installation
Installation is easy for the Project EV and would be no issue for your local electrician. The body is sturdy whilst the internal hardwiring is high quality, the only issue is the casing which can make it a bit difficult to manoeuvre due to its size.
The Pro Earth already has built-in earthing (no earth rod needed) and a Type A +6mA DC fault current protection. The built-in earthing is very useful as it protects you and the charging station from short-circuiting, over voltage and lightning damage.
Unlike some of the other charging models, when you lift the casing up, there is actually quite a bit of room to do the wiring. The circuit board is larger than most and has more going on but this is partially down to the emergency stop button on the side.
All of the internals are pre-configured and the unit comes with a wall mounting bracket. Your local electrician will just have to connect the terminals. The charge points themselves have a max power output of 7.3kW, this is due to the 32A single-phase.
Charging Speed & Experience
As with nearly all charging points, you have the plug-and-play option and the Project EV is no different. It’s easy and simple to use, all you have to do is plug the cable into your electric vehicle and the LED light will go green to tell you it’s charging.
You can also use the app to schedule charges which can make life a lot easier if you have a busy lifestyle. When charging, it has an output of 7.3kW and you can expect your electric vehicle to charge in 6-8 hours.
Charging Schedules
You can schedule charges using the app, however, it’s not the easiest to use and the information provided isn’t the most straightforward. If you can work out how to set it up, then the electric vehicle will start charging when you have set the date and time.
When completing a scheduled charge, you can prioritise when you want it to start charging, which may be late in the evening, you can edit the charging rates and create records so you can jeep track of all your charging data.
Charger Cable Length
The charging cable is a standard 5m which is what you can expect when you compare chargers from other brands as well.
Connecting
You can connect the Project EV either through standard WiFi or using an ethernet cable. You can also add 4G connectivity if you want but this is optional. In order to do this you need to purchase the 4G unit and a sim card with data, this is because there is no integrated eSIM.
Dimensions & Specifications
- Brand – Project
- Sockets – 1
- Colour – Black
- Wifi – Yes
- Wattage – 7.3kW
- Voltage – 230v AC
- Dimensions – 240/380/145mm
- Weight – Under 5kg
Project EV App
The Project EV has all the potential to be one of the best chargers out there, but this segment is where it falls short. Having tested the app, you can tell the team has put a lot of thought and planning into the chargers themselves and they have been designed brilliantly, but the same thing cant be said about the software and this ruins the whole experience.
The app is easy to read and the interface is straightforward, but it’s slow, has constant problems with connection dropping in and out, plus the data takes an age to sync so you never have real-time stats.
Once you navigate your way around the app you will find it ok, it just takes some getting used to. The issue comes with the actual performance of the product. There are a number of reviews online complaining about the issues.
When we tested it ourselves, we found the biggest problem to be the connection dropping in and out constantly due to poor WiFi connectivity. We also discovered that some of the scheduled charges we had planned weren’t activated which means the electric vehicle didn’t get charged when we wanted it to.
Stats & Data
You can access the stats and data of your electric vehicle charging on the home interface. It will show you costs, energy usage (kWh) and duration of the charge. It isn’t as glamorous as other chargers which have bar charts but it does provide the data in black and white for your electric vehicles.
Benefits & Drawbacks Of These EV Chargers
Advantages
- Affordable – The Project EV is certainly in the low to mid-range in terms of price and will save you some money compared to more expensive chargers.
- Built-in Earthing – This may not mean a lot to you, but no earth rod required is certainly hand for your installer
- Solid Construction – The Project EV is durable and made of high-quality materials ensuring robustness.
Disadvantages
- App – Slow, clunky and connecting issues, that’s all we have to say about it
- Size – Its one of the bigger chargers on the market and takes up a fair bit of room
Warranty
The home charging station comes with a three-year warranty. If you ever need to complete a warranty claim, you can contact Project EV themselves or go through your approved installer.
FAQs
Does a Project EV need an earth rod?
No, a Project EV does not need an earth rod as it already has built-in earthing.
Are Project EV Chargers tethered?
The Project EV is untethered but it has a lockable cable socket which can turn it into a tethered unit.
Last Word
The Project EV is a great choice for families or couples if the app is deciding to work. We found too many issues with the software which is why it only gets a 7/10 from us. If they decided to really upgrade the software and make it usable, this model would certainly be up there as one to look out for.
The device itself is decent enough and has been well built with a professional look, but you use the app so much to see figures and scheduled chargers, that without it, it sort of ruins the whole charging experience.
We hope you enjoyed this review and we have lot’s more charging units that we review on this page or you can compare all of the home EV chargers in the UK over on this page.
