The Zaptec Go is approximately 80% smaller and lighter than similar 7.4kW EV chargers on the market, making it a perfect fit for under-the-radar installations.
It features an integrated type 2 socket and a LED status indicator around the socket for easy viewing of the charger’s status, and the charger can be customised with 6 interchangeable fascias in various colours.
The charger is always online with WiFi or 4G LTE-M, allowing for automatic updates and connection to the Zaptec App for monitoring charging sessions and speeds. Installation is also easy due to the charger’s fewer, built-in parts, and it is certified to the highest safety standards.
Is it the right EV home charger for you? This review reveals all.
Pricing information: You can expect to pay around £1,149 for installation without the OZEV grant. This is within 10% of most home chargers on the market.
Zaptec Go review
Summary
The Zaptec Go is a stylish and well-made smart charger packed with useful features like RFID. With reliable WiFi or 4G LTE-M connectivity, the charger is always online and up-to-date with the latest functions and updates. It’s the perfect solution for those looking for a no-fuss smart charger.
Quick review
The Zaptec Go is a carefully-crafted charger, built with minimal parts and optimised RFID chip and socket positioning for long-term reliability. You get a whopping five-year hardware warranty, which is three to five times longer than a typical charger.
It stays connected to the internet via WiFi or 4G LTE-M, guaranteeing that you will always be up-to-date with the newest functions and updates, and it is compatible with all electric cars, with smart scheduling proving very reliable.
The Zaptec Go charger is incredibly discreet and small, taking up 80% less space than other chargers of its type. Its clever design also lets you add up to three chargers in the same space, so you can expand your charging capabilities as needed.
You can specify multiple fascia colours (my favourite is Cloud White for Stormtrooper wibes) and the small design means it fits in anywhere.
With the app, you can keep an eye on your charging session, speed, and history. Additionally, you can lock the cable to the charger and manage access for family and friends.
Overall, the Zaptec Go is a simple, stylish, well-made smart charger that gets the job done with a substantial warranty. What’s not to love?
Zaptec Go installation
The Zaptec Go is a relatively easy install for a professional electrician, taking 2-3 hours providing your existing RCD and power supply is suitable.
Installation begins by punching out a hole between one of the three entry options (top, bottom, and back). You then gently pull the terminal cover downwards until it comes off – do not pull it towards you.
To make the cover easier to remove, you press on the retaining tab (which is located by the configuration switch) while simultaneously pulling down.
You need an upstream circuit breaker and dual pole 30mA RCD Type A in order to successfully use the Zaptec Go. The charger is fitted with an integrated RDC-DD 6mA in accordance with IEC62955. For full earth fault protection, a 30mA Type A RCD is needed.
The last hardware step is to connect the charger to the house supply, attach the wires firmly, and press down all levers as shown. Once the wires are securely connected, put the terminal cover back on and switch on the circuit breaker.
The unit includes all necessary seals and gaskets to ensure the IP integrity of the device. It is not necessary to seal the mounting screws to guarantee the IP seal of the device, as this is provided by the internal device.
When the Zaptec Go charger is powered on and ready to be set up, the status indicator will emit an orange hue. This means it is ready to connect to the Zaptec app, which provides walkthrough instructions and takes around 2 minutes to set up.
Zaptec Go design
The Zaptec Go is a contemporary charger perfect for any home, garage or parking space, allowing you to charge your electric vehicle without drawing attention.
It is tiny by charger standards, measuring 24.2 x 18 x 7.5 cm (H, W, D). That makes it one of the smallest home EV chargers on the market.
It’s similar in size to an iPad Mini and comes in six colours: Asphalt Black, Cloud White, Rock Grey, Midnight Blue, Moss Green, and Wood Brown. I like the white and black models, but the blue and green also look fantastic.
Importantly, the front covers are interchangeable, so should you damage or scratch the fascia (or fancy a change in style), it’s no problem.
The front of the charger houses an LED status ring, which gives you at-a-glance status readouts to do with charging, scheduling, and power status.
Overall, the Zaptec Go is a stylish yet understated charger with great build quality and smart internals. It inspires confidence inside and out.
Status lights
The Zaptec Go has eight status light combinations:
- No light – power off or check power.
- White – standby mode.
- Blue – charging in progress.
- Green – charging complete or waiting for schedule while plugged in.
- Yellow – authentication required.
- Orange – waiting for installer configuration.
- Red – error.
- Purple – Firmware update in progress.
Charging speeds
The Zaptec Go charges at a maximum rate of 7.4kW and it is compatible with single-phase power supplies only – which is no problem since 99% of houses are single-phase.
In ideal conditions, you can expect it to add up to 28-miles of range per hour, while a 50kW battery would take 6.4 hours to charge from 10-100%.
How to charge
To start charging your vehicle, connect the charging cable to the car, then plug the cable into the charger. When the status light begins pulsing blue, the car is charging. If the indicator is green instead, it means the charging is paused according to a schedule.
To pause or stop charging via the app, or to remove the cable from the Zaptec Go, you must wait until charging has completed or been stopped from the vehicle.
For safety reasons, it is impossible to remove the charging cable for the Zaptec Go until charging is completed or interrupted by the car.
App and user experience
In according with UK Smart Charging legislation, the Zaptec Go is preconfigured with a schedule designed to prevent charging between 8am and 11am and 4pm and 10pm on weekdays.
The idea behind this is to help protect the environment by avoiding electricity use at peak times, as well as taking advantage of lower tariffs.
You can, of course, override the schedule and charge when you like.
From the Advanced settings page in the Zaptec App, it is possible to easily disable scheduling and set the charging schedule to the preferred time.
Furthermore, this charger comes equipped with free 4G LTE-M connectivity to ensure users are connected at all times with access to software updates.
Users are able to give permission for multiple people to access their Zaptec Go charger via the App. This is helpful for those who wish to have a private charger and not have uninvited guests using it without their permission. This setting can be turned on and off as needed.
Once someone has access, they can create their own account in the app and use the app as an authenticator. Additionally, those with access can start charging using any RFID enabled device, such as a Zaptec Key, which can be easily added to an account using the Zaptec App.
The Zaptec app (iOS, Android) is easy to use and foregoes complex graphs and hidden menus in favour of simple navigation. You can basically:
- Schedule charging sessions.
- Stop and start charging.
- See your charging history.
- Create accounts for users.
- See the charger status in real-time, including charging speed.
- Lock and unlock the cable to the charger.
Personally, I love the simplicity, although there is one missing feature that you might want in your smart charger: kWh price integration.
The inability to integrate your kWh price into the app means that you can’t track charging session costs in addition to energy consumption in the Zaptec app. You can work this out yourself, but it is nicer for the app to do it for you.
Security and updates
Secure charging is ensured with every Zaptec charger. To restrict access to specific features, each charger is assigned a secure PIN code that should be kept confidential.
In order to ensure ongoing security, Zaptec will be issuing software upgrades for up to five years after your purchase date. To apply these updates, you can use the Zaptec app or the Zaptec portal.
Once authentication is enabled, charging stations within the charging system will not begin charging until a user unlocks them with a registered RFID card or the app. The installation owner can assign authentication and access control either to the entire system or to each individual station.
The Zaptec Go is exactly the charger you need if you want something small, discreet, reliable, and designed with plenty of sustainability in mind.
Zaptec Go verdict
The Zaptec Go is our favourite small EV charger of 2023 so far with a stylish design and a simple but effective app and user experience.
It’s lacking in terms of energy monitoring and tariff integration, but it does what it does — that is, to charge your electric car swiftly, and safely, very, very well.
If you are looking for an attractive, intelligent, and secure EV home charger with RFID support for tap to charge, look no further than the Zaptec Go.
Zaptec Go alternatives
I recommend checking out the Ohme Home Pro. The Ohme has an LCD display, 4G, and a smart, relatively compact design ideal for most homes.
