As the popularity of electric vehicles continues to rise, it’s no surprise that more and more people are considering installing their own electric vehicle (EV) chargers at home.
However, with so many different options available on the market, it can be difficult to decide which charger to choose.
Two popular options in the UK are Ohme and Pod Point, both of which offer a range of home charging solutions for EV drivers.
In this article, we will compare the features, benefits, and drawbacks of Ohme Home Pro and Pod Point Solo 3 chargers to help you make an informed decision on which one is right for you.
Ohme: at a Glance
Ohme is a British company that designs and manufactures intelligent electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions. The company was founded in 2016 with a mission to make EV charging as simple and affordable as possible.
Ohme’s smart charging technology optimizes charging based on the user’s energy tariff, ensuring that charging is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
The company’s products include a smart charging cable and a wall-mounted charging unit, both of which are designed to be easy to use and compatible with a wide range of EVs.
Ohme’s charging solutions can also be controlled remotely through a mobile app, allowing users to monitor their charging status and track their energy usage.
Pod Point: at a Glance
Pod Point is a UK-based company that specializes in the design, development, and installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
It was founded in 2009 and has since grown to become one of the leading providers of EV charging solutions in the UK.
Pod Point offers a range of EV charging products and services for both home and public charging, including smart charging, network management, and driver apps.
In 2019, Pod Point was acquired by energy company EDF, further expanding its reach and capabilities in the EV charging market.
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Ease of Installation
Ohme Home Pro
The Ohme Home Pro is a game-changer when it comes to easy installation of electric vehicle chargers. With its integrated O-PEN fault device, there’s no need for an earth rod or any other earthing electrode.
Plus, its internal RCD Type A with 6 mA DC means you won’t need any upstream RCD either. This translates to a quick installation time of just three hours.
The Ohme Home Pro also boasts an IP55 ingress protection, making it suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. It comes with a 5m Type 2 cable and CT Clamp, wago connectors, and lightning junction box, meaning minimal additional hardware is required by your electrician.
What’s more, the Ohme Home Pro comes with its own SIM card, eliminating the need for Wi-Fi connection during setup. Simply connect your smartphone to the charger and you’re good to go.
The Ohme Home Pro feels robust and sturdy, unlike cheaper chargers that tend to creak under pressure. The installation process was straightforward, with the circuit board and power module already built-in.
All that was needed was wiring up the RCD, feeding the cable to the install location, and connecting the Ohme Home Pro.
Overall, we highly recommend the Ohme Home Pro for its ease of installation and quality build.
Also read: EV Battery in Hot Temperature: 5 Things to Know
Pod Point Solo 3
The Pod Point Solo 3 is a charging unit that offers exceptional ease of installation. It features an in-built earthing system, eliminating the need for an earth rod.
The unit also comes with a Protective Multiple Earth (PME) system, which isolates the vehicle from supply and earth if a fault is detected. This PME system ensures that the charge cycle is denied, making the Solo 3 a double-insulated device.
The charger only requires Type A RCD/RCBOs at the source, and has 6mA DC vehicle fault protection.
The Solo 3 unit has a spacious case, providing plenty of room for electricians to wire things up easily.
With the option for cable entry on the left, right, bottom, or rear, installation can be customized to the user’s preference. The charger’s large body also allows for a seamless rear installation.
Installing the Solo 3 follows the same process as other chargers: install the back plate, run the cable, create a circuit, wire it up, install the front casing, connect, and test the unit.
However, electricians have more work to do in-between, including assuring safety and testing, so it’s always best to hire a qualified electrician for installation.
From an installation perspective, the Solo 3’s build quality is impressive and inspiring. The unit’s large case provides electricians with ample space to work, while the DIP switches make it easy to set the maximum supply limit.
Overall, the Pod Point Solo 3 is an excellent choice for those looking for an easy-to-install EV charger with great build quality
Design
Ohme Home Pro
The Ohme Home Pro is a sleek and stylish smart home charger that is one of the slimmest on the market, measuring just 170mm x 200mm x 100mm.
Its elegant black box design, made from high-quality ABS material, is both beautiful and functional, with a polycarbonate front cover that provides extra durability.
The charger comes with a wall-mount and integrated cable hold that makes for an effective cable tidy solution.
The LCD screen is a standout feature that allows for easy control and adjustment of charging settings, and it dims itself after a few seconds to avoid being too distracting at night.
What sets the Ohme Home Pro apart from other chargers is its ability to control charging and adjust settings directly from the charger’s 3″ LCD screen.
he screen displays all the necessary information, including the vehicle’s charge level, target charge, time to target, and charging mode. Additionally, the charger features two LED status bars that provide useful feedback on its current status and any errors.
Overall, the Ohme Home Pro is a well-made and functional charger that is perfect for those who want to charge their EV in style. Its elegant design and smart features make it a clear favorite for anyone who wants a top-of-the-line charging experience
Pod Point Solo 3
The Solo 3 by Pod Point is a solid EV charger with an upgraded polycarbonate case that’s more durable and impact-resistant than its predecessor’s ABS case. The unit is sturdy and well-built, with no creaking or movement in the case.
The new oval shape is sleeker than the Solo’s rounded shape, making it look smaller. In fact, the Solo 3 is 17.6% smaller than the Solo, taking up less space on the wall, although it does protrude slightly more.
The untethered model is slightly larger than the tethered model to accommodate the socket. The tethered model, which doesn’t have a built-in charge port, is significantly thinner at only 112mm.
The Solo 3 retains the silver and black colour scheme of the Solo, making it look modern and appealing. The cable loops around the unit, eliminating the need for a wall hook, and the tethered model comes with a charger holster.
The front of the charger has a single LED bulb that displays the charger’s status. Overall, the Pod Solo 3 is a well-made and good-looking unit, with the tethered version being the preferred option due to its slimness.
Charging
Ohme Home Pro
The Ohme Home Pro is an impressive and versatile home charger that is compatible with all Mode 3 equipped vehicles that use Type 1 or Type 2 connectors.
One of the standout features of this charger is its Max Charge mode, which allows you to charge your car at max power until it’s 100% full, regardless of any scheduled charge times. It’s an incredibly handy feature to have when you need to top up quickly.
Setting up charge schedules is easy, whether from the charger or the Ohme app, and there’s an added bonus of a price cap feature that ensures you’re always charging at the cheapest available rate on your energy tariff.
While there isn’t a dedicated lock mode, you can set the charge schedule to 0% for a timeframe if you want to make it unusable, or turn off the charger at the isolator switch.
The Ohme Home Pro also offers kWh price caps, allowing you to set charging rates for different tariffs manually. It’s an excellent feature that lets you collect data about the cost to charge and estimated prices for charge percentage.
Although there’s no solar integration, load balancing is standard, which is essential if you have more than one charger. The maximum current available is 7.4kWh, providing around 30 miles of range per hour.
The charger also connects to your vehicle’s API to collect and log accurate charging information, unlocking smart features like the ability to set your car to charge to 80%.
Overall, the Ohme Home Pro is an impressive and well-rounded home charger that’s easy to use and offers many useful features.
The lack of solar integration may be a downside for some, but the charger’s versatility and smart features make it a strong contender in the market
Pod Point Solo 3
This device charges at 7kW on a 32A single-phase supply, 3.6kW on a 16A supply, and 22kW on a 3-phase supply. What does that mean for you? You can get up to 60 miles of range per hour with the 22kW charging option.
Most homeowners opt for the 7kW speed, which is fast enough for overnight charging. The Solo 3 even comes with a CT clamp to monitor energy usage.
The Solo 3 also boasts smart connectivity features. You can connect it to your home Wi-Fi for remote access via the Pod Point app. With this app, you can schedule charging sessions that fit your lifestyle and take advantage of cheap rates on an EV tariff.
You can set as many schedules as you want, and they’ll cover every day of the week across all hours of the day. However, there’s no boost/power mode to override schedules, which is a notable missing feature.
The tethered Solo 3 comes with a 4.8m Type 1 or 7.5m Type 2 cable that loops around the charger for a clean look.
The device itself is rock-solid and has no play when using the cable. The only downside is that the small LED status light is quite basic and could benefit from an LCD display.
Setting up the Solo 3 is easy, although some users have reported connectivity issues. To avoid these, make sure to enable 2.4Ghz on your Wi-Fi router and restart the charger and router if necessary.
Overall, the Solo 3 is a great choice for homeowners looking for a reliable and efficient EV charger with smart features. If you’re in need of a boost/power mode, you may want to consider the Indra Smart PRO or Zappi v2 instead
App and Support
Ohme Home Pro
The Ohme app offers a seamless charging experience with a variety of features such as scheduling, smart charging, CO2 tracking, and more.
The interface is modern and provides a full summary at a glance. Plus, the app is supported by Ohme and regularly updated, which is reflected in its positive reviews on both the App Store and Google Play.
However, some users may encounter limited smart charging features if the app is unable to connect to their electric car’s manufacturer’s API/telematics services.
Ohme currently supports marques such as BMW, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Nissan, Renault, Tesla, and Volkswagen (excluding ID.3 and ID.4). Without API, the Ohme Home Pro may have limited access to vehicle data, which could be an issue for some users.
One standout feature of the Ohme Home Pro is its over-the-air firmware and software upgrades. The charger can update itself automatically, eliminating the need for an engineer to visit for updates.
Additionally, Ohme regularly releases new firmware and welcomes user feature requests.
In terms of customer support, Ohme is responsive and has a published phone number. Emails are typically answered within 72-hours, and issues with chargers are resolved by Ohme Approved Installers.
Plus, the company is willing to replace faulty units, ensuring customers have a hassle-free experience. Overall, the Ohme app and Home Pro provide a convenient and reliable charging solution for electric vehicle owners.
Pod Point Solo 3
The Pod Point app receives mixed reviews on the App Store and Google Play Store, with many negative comments from the public charging customers. However, my experience with the app was satisfactory when used with Solo 3, and it is relatively easy to set schedules.
Although it is not the best app out there, it is by no means the worst either. The app’s interaction is minimal after setting schedules, unless you want to track costs and consumption in the app.
The Pod Point app has a Stats menu that provides information about charging sessions, tracking both home (Solo 3) and public charging sessions with Pod Point chargers.
You can add your tariff’s kWh price for different times to track charging costs on schedules.
The app lacks a kWh price cap feature like Ohme Home Pro and does not integrate dynamic tariffs like Octopus Agile. However, the app allows you to set kWh prices for different times, enabling you to track costs on a dual-rate energy tariff.
The app displays the locations of Pod Point public charging stations. Clicking on any of the circles zooms in, and you can select a charger and get directions.
Overall, the Pod Point app does the job, but there is still room for improvement. If Pod Point addresses the areas mentioned above, the app could become much better.
Pricing
When it comes to the pricing of the Ohme Home Pro and Pod Point Solo 3, both chargers come with a similar upfront cost of £999, which includes the cost of the charger and installation. However, the total price of the installation will depend on the complexity of the installation.
For instance, if the installation requires additional electrical work or upgrades, the cost may increase. Similarly, if the installation requires a longer cable run or additional equipment, the cost may also go up.
In general, the installation costs for both chargers are comparable, with prices typically ranging from £500 to £1,500 depending on the complexity of the installation.
However, it is worth noting that the installation costs for the Ohme Home Pro may be slightly higher, as it requires a dedicated 32-amp circuit, whereas the Pod Point Solo 3 can be installed on a 16-amp circuit.
Verdict
Both Ohme and Pod Point offer excellent EV charging solutions for homes. While Ohme’s chargers come with a unique charging algorithm that optimizes the charging process to suit users’ energy tariffs, Pod Point’s products boast easy-to-install features.
However, if ease of installation is a top priority, the Ohme Home Pro is the clear winner. The device’s integrated fault device and RCD Type A means that installation can be completed in just three hours, and no additional hardware is required.
Additionally, the device comes with its own SIM card, eliminating the need for a Wi-Fi connection during setup.
On the other hand, if design is a top priority, the Pod Point Solo 3’s spacious case provides electricians with ample space to work, while the DIP switches make it easy to set the maximum supply limit.
Ultimately, the decision between the two devices comes down to what you value most. If you prioritize easy installation, the Ohme Home Pro is the way to go. However, if you’re looking for a stylish device with ample space to work with, the Pod Point Solo 3 is the better choice.