The GivEnergy EV Charger is like a good holding midfielder in a football team. Has plenty of energy, isn’t particularly flashy but it does a vital job, and you won’t have to pay an arm and a leg for it. It’s more Nicky Butt than David Beckham, and although it’s got a fairly basic look, this tethered unit is worth considering because it has a lot going for it. There’s certifications and protections right up the to the hilt, and if you want something that’ll survive a direct hit from a Challenger tank, then the GivEnergy charger should be near the top of your list.
This isn’t a particularly heavy charger at 4.5kg, but we reckon you could hit it with a mallet and the mallet will come off worse. Then, when you look at all the protections and certification on the tech spec below, it’s clear that this is a thing that will have no problem dealing with the British weather. And that’s where the problem lies – it looks like it’s built to deal with the British weather. The design – a sort of combi-boiler/blood pressure monitor mash-up – is ok but there are nicer looking units. If outright style is your priority, quite frankly, this is not for you.
Sometimes overcomplicated apps with all manner of functionality can be distracting and confusing, but the GivEnergy app is admirably simple to use. It has a kind of honesty about it that makes it endearing, if nothing else. First up, it has integrated WiFi so you can control your charging through the app but apart from that there’s no fancy bits: simply, you can control your EV charger from the GivEnergy app, tell your EV when to start and stop charging, and which energy source to use. Also, it’ll easily integrate into your smart home systems and give detailed information on your energy consumption and costs on its web portal. It also uses an RFID card for alternative connectivity.
Sure it is. In order to find out exactly what you’ll pay for the unit you’ll have to start booking an installer on the website. The GivEnergy website details its approved local and national installers and you can start the process from there. If you want to just buy off-the-shelf, so speak, you’ll easily find units selling at between £495 and £550. Installation cost usually starts at around £400 if your electrical layout is up-to-date and easy to navigate, but you could pay twice that if your home has complications. Long-term, the absence of dynamic tariff integration (there are smart tariffs, but others have full dynamic tariff integration) on the GivEnergy EV Charger means that you can’t maximise savings on your electricity bill, but the solar capability means that you can make money selling surplus energy back to the grid (based on your tariff) – and that is a real plus point.
The GivEnergy website says this unit is ‘compatible with most plug-in electric cars’, so it is worth checking whether the model you have, or are about to buy/lease, will work with this unit. This is a tethered, Type 2 unit that can be installed on its own, alongside a solar system, or with a GivEnergy battery system. It allows you to charge from excess generation from the grid and from your battery storage system. We would suggest that the GivEnergy EV Charger is something you are more than likely to buy as a package with other GivEnergy products that enable you to greater energy independence. GivEnergy is a company that focuses on batteries and battery inverters, so it’ll probably be part of a much larger investment. This unit is pretty adept at all this: you can charge your EV for free using excess solar, wind, or hydro generation and if you have a GivEnergy battery you can manipulate the flow of energy from your storage battery to your EV charger. As it says on its website, the GivEnergy EV Charger is just one part of a smart technology range that also includes inverters, battery storage systems, energy management software and other supporting accessories that enable you to break free from the shackles of the national grid. GivEnergy claims you get an end-to-end ecosystem’ to control your energy while saving money and cutting carbon emissions’ and we have no reason to doubt that.
Connector Type – Type 2
AC Input Rating – 230V, 1-phase, 32A
AC Power Output Rading – 7kW/60Hz
Dimensions – 288H x 260W x 112D (mm)
Weight – 4.5kg
Charging Cable Length – 5m
Enclosure Material – PC + ASA
Warranty – 3 years
Charger Protocol – OCPP 1.6J
Connectivity – LAN (RJ-45), WiFi and 4G (optional)
Display – LED Charging Control Plug and Play, RFID Card, or App
Operating Temperature – -30 to 55°C ambient
Operating Humidity – Up to 95% non-condensing
Altitude – ≤ 2000m
Cooling Method – Natural Cooling
Storage Temperature – -40 to 75°C ambient
Integrated PEN Fault Detection – Yes
Protection Class – IP65
Over Voltage Protection – Yes
Overload Protection – Yes
Earth Leakage Protection – Yes
Over Temp Protection – Yes
Type B RCD Built-in – Yes
Under Voltage Protection – Yes
Short Circuit Protection – Yes
Ground Protection – Yes
Surge Protection – Yes
As we have always said home chargers are not ‘one size fits all’ and some will suit your priorities and budget and others won’t. We think that the GivEnergy EV Charger (not the most imaginative name) is more likely to be bought as a package with other products that’ll set you on the road to drastically your reducing energy bills and carbon emissions. It’s not a charger for you if you are obsessed with the look, but it is affordable, durable, and ridiculously easy to use. We think this is a good, solid charger, but if it is on your consideration list, please check whether it’s compatible with your vehicle before you purchase.
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