The Ohme ePod is the perfect smart charger for those looking for an unobtrusive, neat and discreet EV charger installation.
Packed full of features, including new smart buttons, 3G/4G mobile connectivity, and Ohme’s market-leading smart technology compatible with the Octopus Agile tariff, it’s an ideal choice for those who like to keep things simple.
The Ohme ePod has buttons which allow you to start, stop, and pause charging with just one touch, and if your electric vehicle is compatible, you can sync your energy tariff with the Ohme app and allow it to automatically start and stop charging when electricity is at its cheapest (a great feature that makes life easier).
But is the Ohme ePod the right charger for you? Let’s find out!
Pricing information: The Ohme ePod costs around £1,180 to install without the OZEV grant, which knocks £350 off the price for landlords only.
Ohme ePod review
Summary
The Ohme ePod is a great choice for EV drivers, offering an easy to use and reliable home charging solution. It comes with a 4G multinet sim card, free software updates, earthing arrangement, tariff integration and the ability to set price caps. All of this makes it the perfect choice for a safe, efficient and convenient charging experience. The only real downside is the lack of solar integration.
This review was produced in collaboration with 247 EV, OZEV Approved Installers of home chargers in Warrington and the surrounding area. We invite you to check out their work on Facebook and visit their web page for a quote.
Quick review
The new Ohme ePod delivers smart, convenient charging for electric vehicle owners. This compact wall-mounted unit packs in robust features while maintaining a slim, minimalist design.
Despite its small size, the ePod charger can deliver up to 7.4kW of power output, enough for a full overnight charge on most EVs. Its maximum 32A current keeps charging times fast. Safety is addressed by the built-in protective earth neutral fault device and overcurrent protection.
Installation is straightforward with the ePod. Its cable entry design allows for rear or underside wiring access. That, coupled with its modest dimensions, make the ePod easy to mount in garages and driveways. Once mounted, connectivity is handled through the integrated 4G SIM card, which links the ePod to Ohme’s servers.
The ePod enables full smart charging capabilities. Through the Ohme app, owners can schedule charging sessions, set a target battery percentage, and establish charging costs. This allows drivers to take advantage of time-of-use rates and charge when power is cheapest. The bright LED strip provides charging status at a glance.
With regulatory compliance, weatherproof construction, and over-the-air update capability, the Ohme ePod looks to provide a fuss-free, future-proof charging solution. Its compact profile and app integration give EV owners key controls and flexibility without cluttering up the charging space. For simple, smart home charging, the ePod checks the key boxes.
How easy is the Ohme ePod to install?
The Ohme ePod features a 6mm2 terminal block which is suitable for Live, Neutral, and Earth connections. The cable entry points at the rear and bottom of the device are supplied with 25mm glands and blanking grommets. The blanking grommet at the rear will need to be moved to the bottom when the cable is fed in from the rear.
The ePod is equipped with a Type A 30mA and DC 6mA RCD. For safe operation, you should use an upstream RCD of at least Type A. Type AC RCDs may not operate appropriately in the presence of smooth DC current below 6mA. In the case of RCD activation, the unit can be restarted by either power cycling or unplugging then re-plugging the vehicle.
The charger also contains a PEN fault detection system, complying with the Wiring Regulations 18th Edition (722.411.4.1 (iv)) to disconnect the vehicle wires if the voltage is higher than 253V or lower than 207V. This allows connection to single phase PME supplies with TN-C-S arrangement.
Important notes
- Overcurrent protection is not provided in the Ohme ePod and must be provided separately. Ohme recommends utilising a 40A Type B MCB.
- The Ohme ePod provides dynamic load balancing through a current sensor (CT) clamp, which is provided in the package. This measures the electrical demand of the property or sub-board.
- No additional cost is required for open PEN protection, making earth installation simple and eliminating the danger of hitting buried services.
Overall, the Ohme ePod has a typical smart home charger installation process. It takes 2-3 hours to install. The circuitry is of a high-quality and the terminal block has enough access to make fiddling around a mute issue.
Ohme ePod design
The Ohme ePod is an untethered electric vehicle charger that boasts a sleeker design than the Home Pro in spite of being similar in size.
The ePod looks great – it’s much sleeker and smaller than its competitors – without sacrificing on performance. Its interactive buttons make charging easier and the plastic case feels robust.
Note though that because this is an untethered charger, you will have to factor in the cost of buying an EV cable or using the one that came with your vehicle in order to get the most out of it. If you want a tethered charger, you want the Ohme Home Pro.
The ePod has an advantage over the Home Pro in regards to its interactive buttons, which make controlling charging easier with the unit itself. It doesn’t have a screen like the Home Pro, which has likely contributed to pushing its starting price lower than other EV chargers.
The socket-only design of the ePod allows for a lot more flexibility in comparison to its tethered chargers, which come with a cable attached. This means you can select from a wider range of EV charging cables, that you can buy and take with you if you need to use it at a public charger.
You can also install the Ohme ePod on a post like so:
Ohme ePod and Octopus Energy
Ohme has become synonymous with Octopus Energy as the two brands link up to offer two of their most innovative tariffs to EV customers.
The new Ohme ePod integrates with Agile and Intelligent Octopus’ tariffs – Agile changes prices every 30 minutes based on the wholesale cost, and Intelligent Octopus offers a peak price during the day and an Off Peak price between 11.30pm and 4.30am at 10p/kWh, cheaper than the average tariff of 34p/kWh.
However, you don’t need an Octopus smart tariff to use Ohme’s smart integration – you can integrate a smart tariff from any energy supplier.
Ohme app and software
Ohme sets itself apart from other products with its smart technology which is always being refined and updated. New security features have been added and the menus have been rejigged, allowing drivers to set their EV up to reach 80% by a certain time.
This feature is available to API compatible cars which means the Ohme knows the current battery status and only charges it with the percentage needed.
Those with non-API compatible cars will still have access to smart charging but have to go about setting up charging plans manually. It would be more convenient if Ohme allowed owners of API incompatible cars to set up a start and stop schedule, but we understand why the functionality is not present without the API.
The app itself (also available on Google Play) is a dream to use and probably the best around in terms of speed, real-time information, reliability, and updates. We can’t complain with the smartphone experience, which is no more confusing than pressing the charger’s physical buttons.
App features
- Tariff integration – Connect to your electricity tariff to charge at the cheapest rates.
- Charge scheduling – Use scheduling tools to make sure your car is ready to go when you are.
- Green charging – Charge your EV when carbon intensity on the Grid is at its lowest.
- Price caps – Save money on charging by setting a maximum price cap.
- Max charging – Use our ‘max charge’ feature to give your car a quick boost.
- EV integration – Connect your car app for all your EV info in one place.
Ohme ePod Connectivity
Ohme relies on its built-in SIM card to provide mobile data connectivity, hereby avoiding the problems that come with using WiFi for the charging features.
With this method, unless you are in a mobile blackspot, there’s no need to worry about varying signal strength, frequency of your Wi-Fi router, overloading your internet speed, or any of the other factors that can contribute to instability.
Having said all that, Wi-Fi would be a welcome addition to the charger because not everyone can get a solid mobile connection.
Ohme ePod solar integration
The Ohme ePod does not have solar integration at the time of writing. However, with the CT clamp, the hardware exists for Ohme to make it happen. Our installer (247 EV) says solar is on Ohme’s road map for the future.
Ohme ePod charging speeds
The Ohme ePod supports charging speeds on single phase up to 7kW, adding up to 24-miles of range per hour in optimal conditions.
7kW is not the fastest speed charging you can get on single phase – you can get 7.4kW chargers that are faster. However, there is only a 4-mile per hour difference between them.
Security, updates and support
Ohme EV chargers meet security requirements consistent with the existing cyber security standard ETSI EN 303 645. These security features are pre-set at the factory, and cannot be altered. For each device, a Security Log is kept by Ohme, without any personal data being stored on the device itself.
Updates are provided over-the-air automatically through the Ohme network, so there is nothing you need to do to stay up to date.
Ohme’s support is considered one of the best in the industry. They have a technical support page and respond to questions within 48-hours on weekdays.
Ohme ePod verdict
The Ohme ePod is an ideal choice for those looking for an unobtrusive, neat, and discreet EV charger installation. The market-leading smart technology allows you to sync your energy tariff with the Ohme app, and the smart buttons make it easy to start, stop, and pause charging.
The Ohme ePod also features an impressive design, with its slimline body and interactive buttons.
The Ohme app is one of the best in the business, and its smart technology allows you to take advantage of cheaper electricity prices. It also offers dynamic load balancing and open PEN protection.
Ohme ePod alternatives
A fantastic alternative is the Hypervolt Home 3 Pro with solar integration, 7.4kW charge speeds, and a decent app.
Ohme ePod vs Ohme Home Pro
The biggest difference between the ePod and Home Pro is that the Home Pro has a display with physical button controls and the ability to control charger settings. The ePod lacks a display, instead providing a simplified button setup that lets you start, stop, and pause charging.
The other big difference is that the Ohme ePod is untethered while the Home Pro is tethered, and the ePod is also smaller, taking up less wall space.
Both chargers charge at the same speeds and use the same app, so in most scenarios, they provide a similar charging experience. Which is best for you depends on whether you want a tethered (Home Pro) or untethered (ePod) charger.
Ohme ePod documentation
A special thanks to 247 EV for collaborating with us on this review.
