EVSE Charger: What It Means and Which EV Home Charger You Actually Need
EVSE is the technical name for the box on your wall. Knowing what it does, and what it does not do, saves you buying the wrong one.
The Lincoln Quote That Said EVSE, Not Charger
A lecturer from Lincoln rang us, puzzled by a quote from another company. It listed an EVSE, 7.4kW, tethered, and nothing called a charger, and she wanted to know whether something was missing. Nothing was. EVSE was simply the technical name for the charger she had asked for.
EVSE stands for electric vehicle supply equipment. It is the industry name for what most people call a charger, a wallbox or a charging station. The interesting part is that it is not really the charger at all. The actual charger is inside your car.
EVSE Terms, Translated
| Term | What it means | Why you care |
|---|---|---|
| EVSE | The wall unit and its cable | It supplies power safely and tells the car how much it may draw |
| Onboard charger | The part inside the car that turns AC into DC for the battery | It sets your top AC charging speed, often 7kW or 11kW |
| Mode 2 | A portable cable with a control box, plugged into a socket | Slow, and not meant to run at full current every night |
| Mode 3 | A hardwired wall unit on its own circuit | The standard home setup, and what we install |
| Type 1 and Type 2 | The two plug shapes on cars in New Zealand | Type 2 is on most new cars; Type 1 is on many Japanese imports |
| Mode 4 | DC fast charging at public stations | Not something that goes in a garage |
Charging speed is set by the lowest of three limits: the EVSE, the car's onboard charger and your supply.
What to Check Before You Buy an EVSE
- It is certified for use in New Zealand
- The plug matches your car, Type 2 or Type 1
- It can manage load if your board is already busy
- Warranty and support are handled locally
EVSE Buys We See Go Wrong
- Choosing a socket unit when you would rather not carry a cable
- Paying for 22kW when the car's onboard charger tops out at 7kW
- Buying a Mode 2 cable and expecting wall-charger speed
The EVSE Units We Supply and Fit
We supply and install 16 EVSE units from Evnex, EV Power, Tesla, Wallbox, Zappi and others, from $1,422 installed. If you already own a unit that is certified for New Zealand, installation is $873.
Compare them all, with kW, cable length and solar support, in the charger comparison.
Get a Price on an EVSE Charger
Four photos are all we need: your switchboard with the door open, the spot where the charger will go, the path between them and your meter board. One written number comes back, usually the same day.