DIY Load Control Is Tempting. Please Don’t Do It.

An enthusiastic reader recently contacted SolarQuotes with some information on how a small modification could control a myenergi zappi EV charger via wifi to take advantage of low-tariff electricity. While I commend him on his ingenuity, I question whether the benefits are worth the risks. After reading this story, you can make up your own mind. [Read more…]

It’s early days for most Australian electricians when it comes to deciding which EV chargers they will offer going forward.

Several strong contenders emerge based on discussions with fellow electricians, but surprisingly, despite its reasonable price and quality construction, Tesla’s wall charger isn’t at the forefront. Lacking smart features, the Tesla charger misses the opportunity to be an obvious choice in the market. [Read more…]

If you’re living in a household of multiple EV owners or looking to the future where this may be the case, some planning will go a long way to ensure no one runs out of juice. [Read more…]

Every year we ask more than 500 installers in the SolarQuotes network which solar products they would trust in their own homes. This year, as well as asking about solar panels, inverters and batteries, we added a rapidly growing sector: electric vehicle (EV) chargers. [Read more…]

Tricks and traps when charging from a standard powerpoint. 

Spent all your spare cash on an electric car and don’t want to incur the expense of a hard-wired home EV charger? Then this is the post for you.

For five years, my two EVs have only ever been plugged into a powerpoint. [Read more…]

Exclusive! An in-depth look at a pioneering bi-directional EV charger installation in South Australia. V2G is exciting stuff, but some surprising limitations are revealed. [Read more…]

As electric vehicle ownership accelerates in Australia, new EV owners face the challenge of charging their cars as cheaply and conveniently as possible. [Read more…]

The Fronius Wattpilot finally launches in Australia

I have good news if you want to charge an electric vehicle with Austrian technology. Fronius Australia launched their Wattpilot EV charger last week.  Last week we were told it would be available here “in a couple of weeks”.  A surprisingly imprecise period of time, given they are Austrian. [Read more…]

How fast can I charge my electric car at home? 

The answer depends on what you plug it into.  It can also depend on which EV you have. [Read more…]

A Chargefox electric vehicle charging station in Adelaide.

If you’re running a still-growing network of 500 EV charging stations across a continent as vast as Australia, you want to avoid low-value maintenance/repair visits to your locations wherever possible. [Read more…]