Andersen A3

£995

(Without Installation)

WWC OVERALL RATING

TRUST PILOT RATING

4.9/5

BEST FEATURES

  • 7kW or 22kW three-phase versions available
  • Lockable via app
  • Seven-year warranty
  • CE certified

Socket Type:

Type 2

Power:

7kW

Charger Type:

Tethered

Pros

  • Stylish with form and function
  • Solar integrated
  • Great customer service installation support

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Other chargers have better tariff integration functionality
Overview

It’s fair to say that the Andersen A3 charger is an evolution on its sibling, the A2. More compact, svelte even, the A3 is a trimmed-down version, and with it comes a host of technological advances. The front of the new A3 is 20% smaller than the A2 and, as with the A2, the cable of the A3 can be completely hidden away within the unit when not in use – a feature unique to Andersen EV products. There’s also another nifty feature worth shouting about and that’s the ‘convenience lighting’ – essentially a light that shines down when you are using the charger. The product is a complete package: no stone has been left unturned. There’s a wide range of new colour and finish options and new tech designed to simplify charging at home. For extra exclusivity Andersen has introduced a special-edition fascia produced by leading luxury automotive design house CALLUM Design, which is led by renowned British automotive designer and former Design Director at Jaguar Land Rover, Ian Callum CBE. Oh, and one more thing… it’s £200 cheaper than the A2.

We’ve probably gone to town on this particular aspect in the overview, but you can’t argue with the look: it is very much the leader in the field, by a long stretch. And it’s won a bunch of awards not only for design but also for quality and performance, so you can’t say fairer than that. Yes, you are looking at paying close to £1000 for the unit alone when there are some chargers, that do have similar functionality, where you’ll pay half that, but hey, it’s all about the style. The convenience lighting that illuminates the floor to guide your vehicle to unit at night, the ability to store the 5.5-metre cable away tidily and the fact that you can choose between 247 colour and finish combination for the fascia, makes this stand out amongst the crowd. As standard though, there are 13 colours included within the £995 price, but colours are unlimited if you use Andersen’s custom palette service. Lastly, we really do like the ‘theatre lighting’ that highlights the cable location and Andersen EV branding when you lift the lid of the unit.

The A3 uses an all-new Andersen app, which does move the dial from the previous version. With this functionality you can view the estimated miles added to your car following a charge session based on the average consumption of the make and model of your vehicle. Push notifications, email notifications or both, are available and these can give you a weekly charging report, device online status, error messages and the start and end of charge sessions. You can monitor energy usage and get real-time data of the energy you are using. You can also track your charging costs by going to a summary page that details what you have paid for your electricity in every session and schedule your charges to automatically start and stop at times when energy is cheapest. You can also see the amount of grid or solar energy used and there’s also an overview page where can see your charging status with clearly displayed information. The app also allows you to remotely lock your charge point for security and to charge outside of scheduled times.

Compared with A2, it is, but it’s still not cheap at £995 without installation. What you are buying here, however, is a statement – a statement about what you want stuck on the side of your house. Of course, cheaper, more plasticky units will do you a decent job, but they won’t cut the mustard when you are talking about pure style, and the A3 has it in spades. If you have a premium car, it’s somewhat incongruous to put a cheap-looking charger right next to it, and this is the primary USP of the Andersen: it just looks really good. Will it save you money in the long run? Yes. Andersen recently integrated with OVO’s Charge Anytime add-on that offers charging rates for 7p per/kWh, but only for 6 hours in a 24-hour day. There is also a cashback offer where customers can get £100 back on the purchase of their Andersen charge point if they then switch to Charge Anytime. However, in terms of outright on ongoing savings on electricity there are other units, such as the Ohme products with better more flexible tariff integration, but that’s not really the point here. The A3 is about the form as well as the functionality. Also, it is worth mentioning that the A3 does have full solar integration so if you have solar panels you can use the electricity generated by them when you need to.

You can connect to the charger using WiFi. It uses a Type 2 adapter and there’s choice of the 7kW single phase (which is standard for home use) unit or the more belt-and-braces 3-Phase, 22kW for faster charging (that’s mostly for commercial units). There’s inbuilt PEN protection and load balancing that will stop overloading and fuses blowing. There’s a reassuringly long seven-year warranty and if you don’t think the standard 5.5-metre cable will be sufficient you can opt for the 8.5-metre cable for the 7kW unit or 6.5 metres for the 22kW version – or customers can opt for the A2 model if they need a longer cable.

Lastly, you get great customer service and walk-through installation advice. The Andersen website details a dedicated support centre and you can book consultation on how you get your unit fitted where its representatives will talk you through all the stages of the installation. There’s also an upgrade service that offers free installation for customers with an existing charger on their property.

 

  • Type 2 connector
  • Dimensions – 430mm x 310 x 148
  • 7.4KW single-phase or 22kW three-phase
  • Seven-year warranty
  • Solar and wind integration
  • PEN/Surge protection
  • WiFi connectivity
  • Adaptive Fuse CT Clamp included as standard

VERDICT

You can connect to the charger using Wifi. It uses a Type 2 adapter and there’s choice of the 7kW single phase (which is standard for home use) unit or the more belt-and-braces 3-Phase, 22kW for faster charging (that’s mostly for commercial units). There’s inbuilt PEN protection and load balancing that will stop overloading and fuses blowing. There’s a reassuringly long seven-year warranty and if you don’t think the standard 5.5-metre cable will be sufficient you can opt for the 8.5-metre cable for the 7kW unit or 6.5 metres for the 22kW version – or customers can opt for the A2 model if they need a longer cable.

Lastly, you get great customer service and walk-through installation advice. The Andersen website details a dedicated support centre and you can book consultation on how you get your unit fitted where its representatives will talk you through all the stages of the installation. There’s also an upgrade service that offers free installation for customers with an existing charger on their property.

Similar Chargers

Key Features

  • 7kW or 22kW three-phase versions available
  • Lockable via app
  • Seven-year warranty
  • CE certified

Key Features

  • Untethered unit
  • Type 2 socket
  • OZEV grant approved

Key Features

  • Slick design that’ll stand the test of time
  • Lots of safety features, and connectivity

Key Features

  • Comes with a 7.3-metre cable as standard
  • Tesla installation service offered

Explore the best EV tariffs

Embark on a seamless electric voyage by leveraging our extensive EV tariff information.

Stay plugged in

Receive our latest EV charger reviews and videos to your inbox.