Looking for a smart charger that’s affordable and easy to use? The Rolec WallPod might just be the perfect charger for you.
It isn’t the smallest charger, nor the fanciest, but the WallPod offers a good charging experience with the ev.energy app.
It’s available tethered or untethered, and the latest version has built-in TruePEN PME fault detection, so there is no need for an earth rod.
Should you go ahead and buy it? Our review reveals all.
Price when reviewed: From £949 with installation (no OZEV).
Rolec WallPod Review
Summary
The Rolec WallPod is relatively compact, easy to install with built-in earthing and the app is decent with tariff integration to accurately track charging costs. The hardware is rock solid, although the materials feel a bit cheap. The tethered version also looks a bit untidy. Overall, it’s a good charger that gets the job done.
Pros
- Rock solid
- Dumb and smart versions
- Tethered and untethered
- Solar version available
- Good app
- Smart charging with tariff integration
- No earth rod required in 2022 models thanks to TruePEN technology
Cons
- Tethered version has a primitive cable tidy (a wall hook is a better option)
- App is provided by a third-party which Rolec has no control over
Rolec WallPod Quick review
It’s not the prettiest charger, but the Rolec WallPod gets the job done, with rock-solid hardware and reliable smart charging via the third-party ev.energy app.
It’s available tethered or untethered, and supports 3.6kW (16A) and 7.2kW (32A) charge speeds, adding up to 28-miles of range per hour.

You can get the WallPod with an optional RFID reader for RFID cards/fobs, letting you scan to charge. A solar version is also offered.
Overall, the WallPod:EV charger is a solid effort from Rolec. It’s dependable, easy to use and should be towards the top of your shopping list.
WallPod charger versions
There are two main versions of the WallPod:EV charger:
- Rolec WallPod:EV (dumb)
- Rolec WallPod:EV HomeSmart (smart)
The Rolec Wallpod:EV is a dumb charger that functions as a powerful socket, giving you 3.6kW or 7.2kW charging speeds on a 16A or 32A circuit.
Unlike the WallPod:EV HomeSmart, which has a connected app and smart features, the Wallpod:EV is a plug and play device.
Who is it for? It’s for people who aren’t bothered about scheduled charging and seeing detailed session information.
In other words, it’s for people who want simplicity. Also, the Rolec Wallpod:EV + installation cost is cheaper than a smart charger.
The Rolec WallPod HomeSmart is the smart, connected version of the same charger, and this is the charger model we have for review today.
How easy is the Rolec WallPod to install?
The Rolec WallPod is easy to install with built-in TruePEN PME fault detection (no earth rod needed) and conformity to wiring regulations BS 7671:2018.

Overload and fault current protection includes an external 40A, 30mA Type A RCBO and a built-in 6mA DC Sensitive Device.

Inside, the Rolec WallPod is quite snug, with little space between the wiring, circuit board, terminal bracket and connectors. However, everything is preconfigured; the electrician only needs to connect the wiring to the terminals.
“While older versions of the WallPod required an earthing device, the latest version has integrated earthing to make installation easier. The internals are robust, although the layout means there isn’t much space to wire things up. We haven’t been called back to any hardware problems and Rolec support is good overall.”
Ben Bouchere, EVC Electrical Installations

The charger makes connecting to your smartphone easy, with a built-in modem and GPRS signal antenna and a built-in roaming SIM card that connects directly to the strongest signal; there is no Wi-Fi connectivity, so it can be installed anywhere.
The charger doesn’t come with a mounting bracket; instead, it fixes directly to the wall, so you need to make sure the wall holes are perfectly lined up.
No earth rod required
The 2022 Rolec WallPod does not need an earth rod because it has built-in TruePEN PME fault detection. This automatically monitors the voltage on both 230V and 240V supplies. Neutral and Earth are isolated within 5 seconds in the event of an under-voltage of less than 207V or an over-voltage of more than 253V.
Overall, the Rolec WallPod is easy to install. It takes around 2-hours minus the paperwork, and the built-in fault detection simplifies installation.
Design
The Rolec WallPod has an inoffensive and simple design, with a polycarbonate case measuring (H)367 mm x (W)179 mm x (D)142 mm.

The untethered version is the cleaner of the two, with the tethered model struggling to keep the cable tidy with its top plastic flap. You are better off with a wall hook so you can loop the cable around more cleanly.
The tethered version comes as standard with a 5m cable, but you can upgrade this to a 10m cable through your electrician.

The charger is available in multiple colours, including all black (my preference), black and green, red and black, white and red, white and green, and silver and grey.
A built-in LED charging status indicator displays blue, green or red, in solid and flashing states to indicate charger status (more on this below).

The charger has a built-in boost button, which instantly gives you access to charging at the fastest possible speed. It’s a handy feature that all chargers should have.
The polycarbonate case feels rock-solid, and the overall build quality is excellent, although the materials aren’t particularly high-end. The design is anonymous, but bright coloured versions offer a bit of eye candy.

Overall, the Rolec WallPod is solid but uninspiring, although it’s a good option if you don’t want a black box like the Sync EV or EO Mini Pro 2.
LED status lights
- Flashing blue – Ready to charge
- Fixed blue – Cable plugged in but not charging
- Fixed green – Charging in progress
- Flashing red – Fault – try resetting the charge by switching it off for 20 seconds to clear the fault. If this doesn’t solve your problem, contact your installer.
Charging speeds
The Rolec WallPod charges at 3.6kW on a 16A circuit and up to 7.2kW on 32A. At 7.2kW, it adds around 27-miles of range per hour.
Solar support
The standard WallPod:EV models no not support solar. If you want solar integration, then you need the WallPod:EV SolarCHARGE. This model monitors and tracks solar generation via the current transformer (CT) and data cable.
ev.energy app
Rolec doesn’t have its own app for the WallPod HomeSmart, instead relying on the ev.energy app (a third party product).
Thankfully, the ev.energy app offers a good user experience, and we have no complaints.
The app syncs with the Rolec WallPod HomeSmart over GPRS and Ethernet, enabling smart scheduling and compiling useful data about energy usage.
Smart charging is enabled via the app; you set time zone schedules so your EV only charges between certain times. The idea is that you can access cheap energy rates on an EV tariff or another type of dual-rate energy tariff (e.g., Economy 7).
Smart features
- Charging status
- Stop/start charging
- Smart schedule and boost charging
- Charging notifications
- Tariff optimisation, letting you integrate kWh prices
- Session data, including CO2 savings, total energy used, energy cost
- Charging history, including total energy used and total cost of energy
When active, scheduled charging in the app displays your vehicle battery capacity, your ready by time, your next charging session time and the max charge limit set (the app lets you set a max charge limit such as 80%).
The app also has a Boost mode, which overrides all schedules and gives you immediate access to the fastest charging rate. Pressing the Boost button lets you charge your EV right away, which is handy for spontaneous top ups.
Top tip – the Boost button only shows when the charger is scheduled or active. The button is hidden when unplugged or smart charging is disabled.
The data offered up by the Rolec WallPod HomeSmart and ev.energy app is excellent, with a typical charging session displaying:
- Energy consumption rate
- Carbon intensity in CO2 g/kWh
- Total electricity used
- Total energy cost (pounds and pence)
You can also view historical statistics for 24-hours, 30 days and 1-year. The bar charge readout provides a breakdown of smart, boost and other types of charging, with the total cost of electricity provided over the period.
Overall, the ev.energy app is solid and one of the best out there. It has a pretty design, a logical user interface and plenty of information about charging sessions.
Customer support
Rolec has a published phone number and an address you can find here.
They also have a downloads page and an FAQ page. For dedicated support, you can call Rolec or contact your installer.
Rolec WallPod verdict
Overall, the Rolec WallPod is a good choice for your next home charger. The design is basic but solid, it’s available tethered and untethered, and the app is decent, although Rolec has no control over it because it’s provided by a third party.

I like the boost button and tariff integration, which lets you define your energy tariff’s kWh rates so the app calculates total costs.
It is also the only charger we can find available as both a smart charger (WallPod:EV HomeSmart) and a dumb charger (WallPod:EV). You can also get a version that supports solar (WallPod:EV SolarCHARGE).
Overall, the Rolec WallPod is a steady Eddie. It achieves a score of 4.0/5.
Rolec WallPod alternatives
The Sync EV charger (read our Sync EV review) is one of the best small chargers we’ve tested with RFID as standard. We rated it 4.2/5.
Another option is the ICS W7C (read our ICS charger review). It’s a good charger with RFID and an in-built display. We rated it 4.1/5.
The Pod Point Solo 3 is another good charger. It’s stylish and easy to use, with a simple but intuitive app that lets you set charging schedules and add tariff details (kWh prices) to track costs. Read our Pod Point Solo 3 review.
This review was produced in collaboration with EVC Electrical Installations, OZEV Approved Installers of home chargers in London, Kent and the surrounding area. We extend our thanks to EVC’s Ben Bouchere for the photos used in this review. Be sure to visit them if you like what you see!
Rolec WallPod documentation
- Overview sheetTruePEN overview
- WallPod:EV socketed (dumb) datasheet
- WallPod:EV tethered (dumb) datasheet
- WallPod:EV HomeSmart socketed (smart) datasheet
- WallPod:EV HomeSmart tethered (smart) datasheet
Hopefully, this review helps you out. Do you have the Rolec WallPod? Help out the Top Charger community by sharing your own review below!
I have a Rolec wall pod, the home smart version.
The charger itself is great, but I wish you could change the App. The user cannot tell the charger when to start and stop themselves, like a timeswitch, the App determines everything. Therefore, I get 4 hours of cheap electricity at night, but the App will then switch the charger off at the end if the four hours, you can’t tell it to keep charging until the battery is full.
Sometimes it does not charge at all!
I could have told a timeswitch myself when my 4 cheap hours were, why did I need a fancy App?
What do you think of the charger overall Rob? We liked it. Do you use the scheduling feature to tell the charger when to charge?
I’ve had one of these for two years now and I’m surprised by your review. At the physical level I’ve had the socket burn out and have to be replaced, I wasn’t impressed by Rolec customer support when this happened either.
Having to use the EV.energy app is frustrating – if you want to integrate the charger with a home energy management system (solar/batteries etc) you just can’t. There’s no way to control the charging current which is essential if you’re using solar. Overall I wouldn’t recommend this charger and I only bought it because I didn’t know any better at the time.
Sorry to hear it Richard, will you be replacing it with another model?
I bought a Rolec with a solar 6amp switch. Perfect. Tells the car to only draw 6amps via a square wave of a set frequency on the standard signal cable. Don’t think they make it any more.
Rick
WHY only 1/ONE year Warranty? Most alternatives have 3/THREE year Warranty!