Home EV Chargers

7kW vs 22kW — Which Do You Need?

The honest answer for most Australian EV owners is 7kW. Here’s why.

A 7kW (32A single-phase) charger adds approximately 40–45km of range per hour. Plug in at 10pm with 150km of range remaining, and by 6am you have a full battery — on any EV currently sold in Australia. For someone driving the average 35–40km per day, even a partial overnight charge is sufficient.

The bottleneck with 22kW chargers isn’t the charger itself — it’s the car’s onboard charger (OBC). Every EV has an OBC that converts AC power from the charger to DC for the battery. Most Australian EVs have an OBC rated at 7.4kW AC maximum:

• Tesla Model 3/Y: 11kW (benefits from 11kW charger, not full 22kW)
• BYD Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal: 7.4kW (7kW charger is the ceiling)
• Hyundai Ioniq 5/6, Kia EV6: 10.5–11kW (same as Tesla)
• MG4, ZS EV: 7.4kW
• Renault Megane E-Tech: 22kW (genuinely benefits from a 22kW charger)
• Some Mercedes EQ models: 11–22kW depending on variant

A 22kW charger also requires three-phase power at your property. Approximately 30% of Australian homes have three-phase supply; the rest are single-phase only. Upgrading to three-phase costs $2,000–$5,000 with your network operator, which rarely makes sense just for a home charger.

The futureproofing argument for 22kW has some merit — future EVs may ship with higher OBC ratings — but given that 7kW comfortably handles overnight charging for any current vehicle, spending extra on a 22kW unit today is only worthwhile if you have three-phase power already, a compatible EV now, and a specific need for faster home charging (e.g., multiple EVs on one charger rotation).

Solar Divert and Smart Charging

A standard charger does one thing: deliver power at its rated output whenever plugged in. A smart charger does more — and for homes with solar, that difference is worth paying for.

Solar divert works by monitoring the home’s net energy flow at the meter. When solar generation exceeds household consumption, the surplus would normally flow to the grid at the feed-in tariff rate (3–10c/kWh). A solar-divert charger intercepts that surplus and routes it to the car instead, dynamically adjusting its charge rate from as low as 1.4kW up to its rated maximum as surplus fluctuates.

Chargers with genuine solar divert capability in the Australian market include:

• Myenergi Zappi: The most widely adopted solar-divert charger in Australia. Supports Eco and Eco+ modes that actively track and match surplus solar. Requires a Myenergi CT clamp installed at the switchboard.
• Wallbox Pulsar Plus: Supports eco-smart charging via the Wallbox app with current transformer monitoring. Solid hardware, competitive pricing.
• Smappee EV Wall: Integrated home energy monitoring plus solar divert. Strong if you want whole-home energy visibility alongside EV charging.
• Delta DC Wallbox: Primarily a 7.4kW unit with OCPP support; solar integration available through third-party platforms.

OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) is the open standard that enables a charger to communicate with any compatible energy management platform rather than being locked to the manufacturer’s app. If you’re integrating your charger with a home battery system (e.g., SolarEdge, Sungrow, or GoodWe hybrid inverter ecosystems), OCPP support is worth prioritising. It also future-proofs against app discontinuation.

For TOU tariff users without solar, smart scheduling is the core feature. Set the charger to start at 11pm, stop at 6am, and only draw at off-peak rates — this is available on virtually all app-connected chargers including the Tesla Wall Connector, Ocular IQ, and Wallbox range.

Installation Costs and Rebates

Hardware is one cost; installation is another, and the variation in installation cost is larger than most buyers expect.

Typical hardware costs:

• Entry-level 7kW charger (e.g., Ocular IQ, Jet Charge JET-C): $800–$1,100
• Mid-range 7kW with solar divert and OCPP (Zappi, Wallbox Pulsar Plus): $1,100–$1,500
• Premium 7.4–11kW (Tesla Wall Connector, Smappee EV Wall): $1,200–$2,000

Installation costs:

• Short cable run, no switchboard work: $400–$600
• Standard install with dedicated circuit added: $600–$900
• Long cable run or outdoor conduit work: $900–$1,500
• Switchboard upgrade required: add $800–$1,500

Most single-storey homes with a garage close to the switchboard fall in the $400–$700 installation range. Double-storey homes, units with basement parking, or any property requiring a switchboard upgrade can push total installed cost to $2,500–$3,500.

Rebates that may apply:

NSW’s Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS) provides tradeable certificates for approved demand-reduction measures, including smart EV chargers with load management capability. The rebate is applied at point of sale by the installer and typically reduces the hardware cost by $200–$400 for eligible chargers.

The ACT Sustainable Household Scheme offers 0% interest loans up to $15,000 for energy upgrades including EV charger installation. Eligible ACT residents can finance the full hardware and installation cost interest-free.

To ensure compliant installation, your charger must be installed by a licensed electrician who holds the relevant accreditation for EV charging equipment. The Clean Energy Council maintains an accredited installer list. Some charger brands (Zappi, Wallbox) also maintain their own approved installer networks, which can simplify finding a qualified tradesperson.