Inevitably, the Hypervolt Home 3 Pro needs a USP in what is now becoming a very crowded market in this price range. So, what distinguishes the 3 Pro from the rest? Well, there’s a ‘party’ mode for its LED lights, and there’s solar compatibility. The app allows you to adjust the LED light ring and check charging status, speed and schedule. All this stuff is very nice, but we think this unit really stands out because it will stand the test of time: it meets the highest standards, and a five-year warranty is available such is the manufacturer’s confidence in the build quality. It’s also made in Britain, which is not often the case for home chargers.
The design of the unit enables you to wrap the cable around the unit tidily and if don’t want the socket dangling about, you can buy an additional wall-holster to keep it neat. It has built-in PEN fault detection function so there’s no need for an earth rod, and it also includes dynamic load balancing to prevent tripping. It features WiFi connectivity and includes a Bluetooth connection for the initial set-up. It meets the latest standard in EV charger cyber security regulations and it has anti-tamper detection as well as over-the-air updates. It’s worth mentioning that the Hypervolt 3 Pro looks like a bullet-proof unit that has hit extremely high benchmarks in terms of protection against water ingress and impact protection. Lastly, a £25 discount is offered to NHS, social care, emergency workers, police, armed forces, teachers, university and blue badge holders.
Is it easy to use?
It’s all standard stuff and the app contains all the useful functionality you should expect from a respectable charging unit. Like most units it has smart charging so you can charge at the cheapest rates your electricity provider offers but if you are in a rush you can revert to the ‘plug and charge’ option if for some reason you don’t want to schedule your charging sessions. There’s dynamic tariff integration in that there is access to a number of smart tariffs, but on the proviso that the customer has a compatible EV. It’s a technical point but it doesn’t have full dynamic tariff integration within the unit, however.
The app features charging history, your usage, costs and all that you need make your charging as efficient as possible. We would say that is right up there in terms of usability: you get extensive charging analytics and the neat and well-designed screen pages on the app are second to none.
Added to that, the solar compatibility does make the Hypervolt Home 3 Pro an attractive option for those who are looking to greater energy independence. There are three modes to choose from including Super Eco Mode that only uses solar energy to charge your EV, then Eco Mode that prioritises solar energy but if the sun goes in or energy production from your solar panels drops below 1.4kW, the HyperVolt Home 3 Pro will revert back to a 1.4kW trickle charge from the grid & solar or just the grid and then Boost Mode, which will charge using any available power source. There’s also a remote lock to deny miscreants and you can add Hypervolt’s MID meter, which is particularly useful when you want to differentiate personal and company energy usage if you have a company car.
The last little trick up its sleeve is that you the LED changes colour according to the charge status, but if you are feeling particularly saucy you can set it to “Party Mode” or even “Union Jack” which changes the colour of the LED lightning bolt on the front and light ring appropriately. It’s fun, but is it enough to make the Hypervolt 3 Pro a slam dunk? Maybe not.
What else do you need to know?
The Hypervolt Home 3 Pro is a Type 2 single phase, 7kW charger with Type 1 connection available. It’s a tethered device (fixed cable) with a 5-metre cable, but you can upgrade to 7.5 or 10 metres at additional cost (£42 for the 7.5-metre and £90 for the 10-metre). There’s three fascia colours available: Ultra White, Space Grey and Ultra Black but there’s no premium added to whichever one you choose.
Buy straight from Hypervolt and you are talking around £630 including VAT, but that’s without installation which would take it nearer to £1000 all in. A walk-through installation service is available from Hypervolt and that cost will vary according to the layout of your electrical supply: fusebox location, chosen location of wallcharger, cabling etc. Again, because of the build quality and reliable reputation of Hypervolt demonstrated in the Trustpilot ratings, this 7kW-only (no 22kW available) charger does represent good value.
This is a neat and tidy charger with some nice features, and an entirely usable app. It does everything very well and the ‘party mode’ (or Union Jack, if you choose) LED lighting on the front of the unit is a bit of fun. Most attractive are the three modes of charging that can alternate between solar, a mixture and whatever energy source is available at the time. It’s also got an excellent Trustpilot rating of 4.9/5 which pretty much trumps other chargers in this price range.
Embark on a seamless electric voyage by leveraging our extensive EV tariff information.
Receive our latest EV charger reviews and videos to your inbox.
