Best Home EV Chargers NZ

This guide explains how to compare chargers on the points that matter, what WorkSafe requires for the circuit, and what to expect from the brands commonly sold in NZ. When you are ready, our EV charger installation team can check your switchboard and give you a fixed price.

Home EV Chargers Sold in New Zealand

Start with power: single-phase or three-phase

Most NZ homes have a single-phase supply, which limits a home charger to around 7 kW. Three-phase homes can run chargers rated up to 22 kW, but your car also has a limit on how fast it accepts AC charging, so a 22 kW charger only helps if the car can use it. Check your car's onboard charger rating before paying for more power.

For most people, a 7 kW charger refills a typical daily commute overnight with plenty to spare. A higher-rated charger also needs a heavier cable and more spare capacity on the switchboard, which adds to the installation cost.

• Single-phase supply: around 7 kW is the practical maximum
• Three-phase supply: chargers up to 22 kW, if your car accepts it
• Check your car's maximum AC charging rate first
• Higher power means a bigger cable and more switchboard capacity

Smart charging is worth having

A smart charger connects to an app or your home network so you can schedule charging for off-peak hours, track how much you use and, on some models, balance the load with the rest of the house so the main fuse is not overloaded. EECA keeps a list of recommended smart chargers for home and commercial use.

If you have or plan to add solar panels, look for a charger that can divert surplus solar into the car. Several brands sold in NZ offer this, and it pairs well with solar installation.

• Scheduling for cheaper off-peak power
• Load management so the house and car do not overload the supply
• Solar diversion if you have or plan to add panels
• Usage tracking and app control

Tethered or socket

A tethered charger has the cable permanently attached, so you just plug in the car. A socket, or untethered, charger has a Type 2 outlet and you use your own cable. Neither is better in every case; it is mostly about convenience and future-proofing.

Tethered suits most single-car households because there is nothing to fetch from the boot. A socket charger is tidier on the wall, lets you replace a damaged cable without replacing the charger and can suit cars with different connectors, but if you leave the cable somewhere else you cannot charge at home.

• Tethered: grab and plug in, cable stays at home
• Socket: tidier, replaceable cable, needs your own lead
• Check the tethered cable is long enough to reach your car's charge port from where you park

What the circuit needs

WorkSafe's EV charging guidance requires each charging point to have its own dedicated final subcircuit. For a home charger, that circuit must be protected by a Type B RCD, or a Type A RCD combined with an RDC-DD, and must start from a switchboard on a MEN system. A Type B RCD built into the charger does not replace that protection on the circuit.

WorkSafe also says the Type A RCDs common in houses do not protect against every fault an EV can produce. Ask the supplier for a Supplier Declaration of Conformity for the charger. Installing a fixed charger is prescribed electrical work, so you should get a Certificate of Compliance when it is done.

• Dedicated circuit for each charging point
• Type B RCD, or Type A RCD plus RDC-DD
• Starts from a MEN switchboard
• Supplier Declaration of Conformity for the charger
• Certificate of Compliance for the installation

Check your switchboard first

The charger is only part of the cost. If your switchboard has no spare space, no capacity for a new circuit or no suitable RCD protection, it may need work before a charger can go in. Wise Move notes that you may need to upgrade your switchboard before installing a smart charger, and AMP notes the installation price usually rises the further the charger is from the switchboard.

That is why we look at the board and the cable route before you buy a charger. The price depends on the cable distance, the charger and whether the board needs work.

Warranty, support and location

Warranty terms vary by brand and are set by the manufacturer, not the installer, so check the length and what it covers before you buy. Local support matters too: a charger that needs firmware updates or a replacement part is easier to deal with when the brand has a NZ presence.

Think about where the charger goes. It should sit close to where you park, out of the way of car doors and foot traffic, and outdoors it needs a weather rating that suits the site. In coastal suburbs, a sheltered spot helps protect it from salt air.

Best EV Chargers FAQs