Electric vehicle charger comparison

Choosing a charger is easier than it looks once you know what to look at. Here we compare the six units we install: Policharger NW, V2C Trydan, Wallbox Pulsar Plus, Orbis Viaris Uni Plus, Woltio Pro and Tesla Wall Connector. They all charge any electric car with a Type 2 connector, so the real differences are in the control, the load balancing, solar charging and the price.

Mind which price you are looking at

There are two prices and they do not mean the same thing. One is the list price of the unit on its own, as published by the manufacturer: the box and little else, with no cabling, no protective devices, no labour and no registration. The other is what it costs to leave the charging point working in your parking space.

We give both in each section. The list price is indicative, for the unit alone and as the manufacturer published it in 2024. Next to it is the installed price shown on its page today, with the unit, materials, protective devices, the work, commissioning and registration included.

Do not compare them against each other, because the order flips. The cheapest unit to buy is not the cheapest to install: the Tesla Wall Connector has the lowest list price of the six and the highest installed price, and with the Woltio Pro it is exactly the other way round. The fixed prices are all in the charger range.

Policharger NW

Deliberately simple: it is activated with a physical key, with no apps and no user accounts. It is robust, quick to fit and the only one in the range with a twin version, able to charge two cars from a single unit.

• Connector type: Tipo 2 (IEC 62196)
• Maximum power: 7.4 kW single-phase · 22 kW three-phase
• Maximum current: 32 A
• Dimensions: 435 x 253 x 150 mm
• Cable length: 5 m
• Built-in protective devices: Against DC leakage, overloads and short circuits
• Ingress protection: IP65 / IK10
• Connectivity: Modbus RTU
• Additional features: Dynamic charge regulation, use of solar surplus
• Indicative list price for the unit alone, without installation (manufacturer, 2024): €610
• Installed price, everything included: from €1,549, on the Policharger NW page

V2C Trydan

The most open of the six. It speaks OCPP 1.6, the industry standard protocol, so it can be integrated with third-party management platforms. It is the one we choose when the charger has to live alongside other systems.

• Connector type: Tipo 2 (IEC 62196)
• Maximum power: 7.4 kW single-phase · 22 kW three-phase
• Maximum current: 32 A
• Dimensions: 230 x 260 x 120 mm
• Cable length: 5 m or 10 m
• Built-in protective devices: Against overloads, short circuits, overvoltage and earth leakage
• Ingress protection: IP54 / IK10
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and OCPP 1.6 JSON
• Additional features: Dynamic charge management, use of solar surplus, Alexa integration
• Indicative list price for the unit alone, without installation (manufacturer, 2024): €646.60
• Installed price, everything included: from €1,599, on the V2C Trydan page

Wallbox Pulsar Plus

The smallest in the range and the one with the most polished app. We fit it with the cable built in, so there is no loose lead to pick up off the floor every morning. It works well in narrow spaces where there is no room to spare.

• Connector type: Tipo 1 (SAE J1772) o Tipo 2 (IEC 62196-2)
• Maximum power: 7.4 kW single-phase · 22 kW three-phase
• Maximum current: 32 A
• Dimensions: 166 x 163 x 82 mm
• Cable length: 5 m, with 7 m optional
• Built-in protective devices: Against DC leakage
• Ingress protection: IP54 / IK08
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• Additional features: Power Boost and remote control from the myWallbox app
• Indicative list price for the unit alone, without installation (manufacturer, 2024): €699
• Installed price, everything included: from €1,649, on the Wallbox Pulsar Plus page

Orbis Viaris Uni Plus

The most flexible on connectors and the one we ask for when consumption has to be measured and billed per user. It comes with an MID-certified energy meter and card activation, which is what solves splitting the cost in a shared car park.

• Connector type: Type 1 (SAE J1772), Type 2 (IEC 62196) and Schuko socket
• Maximum power: 7.4 kW single-phase · 22 kW three-phase
• Maximum current: 32 A
• Cable length: 5 m, with 10 m optional
• Built-in protective devices: Against overloads, short circuits, overvoltage and earth leakage
• Ingress protection: IP54 / IK10
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet and 4G modem
• Additional features: MID energy meter, integration with photovoltaic systems, RFID card activation
• Indicative list price for the unit alone, without installation (manufacturer, 2024): 1,€059.35
• Installed price, everything included: on request, depending on the installation, on the Orbis Viaris Uni Plus page

Woltio Pro

Steel enclosure, a 2.8-inch colour screen to see the charge at a glance, and automatic reset: if a protective device trips, it recovers on its own without you going down to the car park. It is the keenest on price once installed.

• Connector type: Tipo 2 (IEC 62196)
• Maximum power: 7.4 kW single-phase · 22 kW three-phase
• Maximum current: 32 A
• Dimensions: 298 x 248 x 170 mm
• Cable length: 5 m, with 10 m optional
• Built-in protective devices: Against overloads, short circuits, overvoltage and earth leakage
• Ingress protection: IP54 / IK10
• Connectivity: Bluetooth
• Additional features: Photovoltaic integration, automatic reset, Woltio mobile app
• Indicative list price for the unit alone, without installation (manufacturer, 2024): €899
• Installed price, everything included: from €1,479, on the Woltio Pro page

Tesla Wall Connector

Tempered glass front and the longest cable in the range. It updates itself over the internet. It charges any electric car with a Type 2 connector; it does not have to be a Tesla.

• Connector type: Tipo 2 (IEC 62196)
• Maximum power: 7.4 kW single-phase · 22 kW three-phase
• Maximum current: 32 A
• Dimensions: 345 x 155 x 110 mm
• Cable length: 7.3 m or 2.6 m
• Built-in protective devices: Against overloads, short circuits and earth leakage
• Ingress protection: IP55
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi and local network
• Additional features: Tesla app, automatic firmware updates, access control
• Indicative list price for the unit alone, without installation (manufacturer, 2024): €535
• Installed price, everything included: from €1,749, on the Tesla Wall Connector page

The comparison at a glance

All six, side by side. The data is in this order: power, connectors, control, dynamic load balancing, solar charging and installed price. Power decides nothing, because all six take 7.4 kW single phase and 22 kW three phase. What decides is everything else.

• Woltio Pro — 7.4 / 22 kW · Type 2 connector · Bluetooth app and 2.8-inch colour screen · dynamic load balancing with the measuring sensor included · charging from photovoltaic surplus · from €1,479 installed, on the Woltio Pro page
• Policharger NW — 7.4 / 22 kW · Type 2 connector · no app, activated with a physical key · dynamic load balancing · optional solar charging · from €1,549 installed, on the Policharger NW page
• V2C Trydan — 7.4 / 22 kW · Type 2 connector · V2C app and OCPP 1.6 · dynamic load balancing · charging from photovoltaic surplus · from €1,599 installed, on the V2C Trydan page
• Wallbox Pulsar Plus — 7.4 / 22 kW · Type 1 or Type 2 connector · myWallbox app over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth · optional load balancing · smart charging, without its own solar surplus · from €1,649 installed, on the Wallbox Pulsar Plus page
• Tesla Wall Connector — 7.4 / 22 kW · Type 2 connector · Tesla app over Wi-Fi and the local network · load balancing with the optional Neurio kit · no charging from solar surplus · from €1,749 installed, on the Tesla Wall Connector page
• Orbis Viaris Uni Plus — 7.4 / 22 kW · Type 2 and Type 1 connectors and a Schuko socket · Wi-Fi, Ethernet and 4G modem, with RFID card · integration with photovoltaic systems · installed price on request, on the Orbis Viaris Uni Plus page

Which one to choose

If price is what matters, the Woltio Pro is the cheapest installed and gives nothing up: dynamic load balancing with the sensor included, solar charging and its own screen. If you have solar panels and want to charge with the surplus, the V2C Trydan and the Woltio Pro are the most direct, and the Orbis integrates well with photovoltaic systems.

If you would rather not depend on your phone, the Policharger NW opens with a key and that is that, and it is the only one with a twin version for two cars in one space. If the space is tight and you value a well-made app, the Wallbox Pulsar Plus. And if you want the best finish and the longest cable, the Tesla Wall Connector, although installed it is the most expensive of the six.

For a shared car park the conversation is a different one: there what counts is being able to measure each user's consumption and split the cost, which is why we usually go for the Orbis Viaris Uni Plus or the V2C Trydan. We cover it in more detail in installations in residents' associations.

Before deciding, have a look as well at the grants currently available for installing a charging point ES, because the income tax deduction is worked out on the amount of the installation and changes the final cost. And if you want to run the numbers, in our calculators you can compare the running cost of an electric car against a combustion one and estimate the charging time for your model.