The Myenergi Zappi home charger may have many features that make it appealing, but is it really worth the investment? One of its most appealing factors to us Brits is that it is manufactured right here in the UK. Above that, some of its key features are solar integration, an LCD control panel, and the ability to choose between tethered or untethered. Plus, no earth rod is required for use.
Zappi is one of the most popular smart home chargers in the UK. Homeowners and electricians alike love it for its reliability.
Being EV Charger Installers we've commisioned many of these devices. In this review, we'll take an objective look at the Zappi charger to help you determine if it's the right electric vehicle charger to suit your needs.
The Zappi surprised us. Function sometimes triumphs over appearance, as the Zappi demonstrates beautifully. It is strong in most areas and surpasses expectations.
You can set up your own charging schedules, which can be set to suit your own preferences. You also have the option to charge with 100 percent solar power or a mixture of grid and solar energy.
The app can be a little tricky to get used to and it’s important that the CT Clamps are set up correctly in order for it to work properly. Your Zappi will need an internet connection to its built in ‘Hub’ which can be a little tricky to set up and get connected but we’re on hand to help with this.
Not only is the build quality exceptional, but because of its design, you can wrap the charge cable around the outside of the Zappi to store it, making a neat solution to cables left draped across the floor after use.
The Zappi is quite a straightforward charge point to install. It normally needs a space about the size of an A3 piece of paper but due to the clever fixing points it can also be installed on something as narrow as a fence post if needed. It’s important that the Zappi is connected to at least one CT Clamp (set to ‘Grid’) which will be either hard-wired into the Zappi or set up wirelessly using a Harvi.
The electrical installation is relatively simple as the Zappi has most of the required electrical protection built into it including internal protection against the loss of the protective neutral and earth (PEN) conductor and a built-in 30mA Type A RCD and 6mA DC RCD protector.
Installation of this product is easy and only requires 3-4 hours, including time for drilling holes, testing and cleaning up.
The Zappi charger is a classic British designed and manufactured electronic device produced by Myenergi and is something of a national treasure in the EV world.
The functional design is robust and long-lasting rather than flashy or attracting attention. It's available in white with a light grey body, or black with a light grey body.
Both colour palettes appear nice and are pleasant and inoffensive to the eye. The form is really quite unique. Its smart design allows for simple stowage of the cable, which has been a challenge for other charging points.
The Zappi measures 439 x 282 x 122mm which is quite a size for a home charger.
The Zappi’s large form factor means it doesn’t blend in with its surroundings, but truth be told most people won’t care because the Zappi is a breeze to use.
The front panel hosts an LCD display (backlight activated by tapping on the charger) and four control buttons, which let you control charging and view charger information at the charger. The Ohme Home Pro does this as well, and we wish more chargers did.
The display is easy to read in direct sunlight and dims itself when not in use. The only sign the charger is on, ready to charge, or charging is an RGB LED indicator on the front of the charger. It's simple but effective.
The case is made from acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), which is fully recyclable, so I have no concerns about the unit being repurposed in the future. The enclosure is IP65 rated, so it is considered weatherproof and suitable for almost all installations.
The Zappi is available tethered or untethered. There are reasons you may choose one over the other.
I've opted for a tethered solution and can have my EV charging in less than 90 seconds.
The tethered Zappi is less obtrusive than the untethered, but the latter has a cleaner design. The tethered's smart cable tidy hides the charging end by wrapping it around the unit and plugging it into the body - locking it in place.
The Zappi can be charged using either single-phase or three-phase power, with charge speeds of up to 7kW single-phase and 22kW three-phase.
The 7kwZappi will add 25 miles of range per hour, most electric cars with batteries under 60 kWh can be fully charged in as little as 9 hours while larger battery packs may take up to 12 hours to completely recharge. My little Honda E takes just over 4 hours to charge from zero to 100%.
The Zappi is known for harvesting solar power to charge up your EV, and it does not disappoint. With 100% solar power generated from roof-top solar panels (or a combination of solar and mains), you can easily go greener than ever before.
The Zappi has two ECO charging modes to automatically adjust the charging current in response to on-site generation and household power consumption, making sure that you are always using the most efficient method possible.
With 100% solar, the Zappi will charge your car with whenever your solar panels produce excess solar power that your home can't use. For example, after running the house and heating the hot water, My Zappi tops up my EV which varies but is often 2 to 5KW (depending on the weather).
The Zappi charger is a cinch to use. You can set up charge schedules to make power available when you need it and lock the charger from the unit or the App.The lock feature requires a PIN number to be entered before the unit can be operated).
The charger has three charge modes (ECO, ECO+, and FAST) with the ability to utilize fast charging for the ECO and ECO+ modes. You can either control the charger with your smartphone through the Zappi app or do it all directly from the charger itself. The LCD display readout on the charger has a clear menu system that you can toggle between using four buttons.
The charger features three charge modes (ECO, ECO+, and FAST), allowing you to use fast charging for both the ECO and ECO+ modes. You can manage the charger with your smartphone via the Zappi app or do it all from the charger itself. The LCD readout on the charger has a straightforward menu system that four buttons lets you toggle between easily.
The Myenergi app is hit-or-miss. It's pretty simple to understand, fast and easy to use, but it doesn't contain all of the settings available on the charger display panel.
For example, you can't lock and unlock the charger from the app, and there are no profile options.
Another challenge is that you can't go lower into minutes or hours on charging graphs; as a result, face value information is all you get.
However, it does provide a glance at charging data, set timers, utilise boost functions, and prioritise your myenergi devices. The app is attractive to the eye; we just wish it had all of the information and features that we require.
Myenergi's customer support is amazing, quickly resolving complaints and responding to queries often on the same day. You can request a return or report faults online, as well as submit warranty claims. They also have a published phone number (0333 300 1303) that you can call for help.
The Zappi is a fantastic smart home charger. It's British made, has a long lifespan, is solar, wind, and micro-hydro integrated, and is available tethered or untethered. It fulfills all of my requirements for an EV charger.
