Wallbox Pulsar Plus Review - the best all-round EV charge point?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- Is the Wallbox Pulsar Plus the best all-round EV charge point?
The Wallbox Pulsar Plus is one of our best-selling home charge points for electric cars. It's stylish, it's competitively priced and it's easy to use. What's not to like?
Our editor Danny reviews the Wallbox Pulsar Plus, providing an overview of the build quality, app features, ease of use and much more to find out if it's one of the best all-rounders in this price bracket.
To give you peace of mind, we want you to know that our reviews are based on product feedback from hundreds of our own customers. So, as well as doing our own testing, you can be sure these are not just our opinions but the opinions of our customers.
#WallboxPulsarPlusReview #EVChargerReview #EVcharging
Timeline:
00:00 - Intro
01:29 - Design
02:50 - Hardware Features
05:15 - App Overview
07:39 - Customer Service
09:02 - Should you choose the Wallbox Pulsar Plus?
10:11 - Overall Score
11:54 - Conclusion
TETHERED or UNTETHERED VIDEO
• How To Choose An Elect...
22kW FAST HOME EV CHARING VIDEO
• 22kW fast home EV char...
WALLBOX PULSAR PLUS CHARGE SCHEDULE TUTORIAL
• Wallbox Pulsar Plus ba...
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COMPARE HOME CHARGERS FOR YOUR EV AND GET A QUOTE:
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I have one installed since August of 2020 it is so easy to use you can just use it as plug and go or you can lock the box using the app and they update the software every now and then to fix bug I had one issue with the app at one stage sent them an email they replied quickly and resolved the issue like giving me instructions on how to reset the application and the box since then it never occurred again.
You should always mention whether a charger can use solar energy and be able to switch between solar and grid.
my condo's parking does not have wifi, can I use the wallbox's bluetooth connection to do everything as with the wifi connection? Even update firmware? Thanks
Yes, I have an important question, is the 22kw wallbox also suitable for plug-in cars, not just full power?
Once I purchase the wallbox (the box) Do I need to pay any subscription monthly or at every charge? If yes, why do I need to pay? If I already paid for the box itself
Love the charger and product, however customer service and support is horrendous leading to escalations required. Lovely people to deal with once you do finally get hold of someone. Perfect summary of the product in general.
Thanks for this comment - I thought it was just me who they were ignoring! I got sent a charger around Christmas time, ordered directly through their UK website for delivery to a UK address. My property has a TN-C-S supply so needs a PEN fault protection device which the Pulsar Plus says it has. However, there was an anomaly in the installation instructions so I made an enquiry through their support email and commented on their website in the comments section and got nothing for about 3 weeks. They then replied to say that my particular unit does not have PEN fault protection! I replied immediately to ask them to confirm this because even my invoice confirms the model number is the one shown on their website with PEN fault protection but I’m still waiting on a reply. I’m pretty confident that the person who replied to me just doesn’t know what they are talking about but obviously I need to confirm that otherwise my charger is potentially dangerous. I think I’ll try phoning them tomorrow now that you’ve reminded me.
In reality, the chances of a PEN fault on our supply is pretty low since we live in the country and have our own 11kV overhead line and dedicated transformer with concentric supply cable going directly to our meter. But still, this needs to be resolved.
Besides the customer service issues, the unit itself has been great. We run ours on the Octopus Go tariff which costs just 5p/kWh between 00:30 and 04:30hrs and that’s plenty of time to fully charge the car, or more precisely to replenish the charge used each day. It has been completely reliable so far and probably my only minor gripe is that it seems to take a bit longer to release the car when you unlock and want to drive away compared to our original Rolec unit.
Thanks Iain, glad you liked the review and that I was able to sum up it.
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
Just an update since my previous post. Literally the day after I posted this feedback (coincidence???), I received an email from Wallbox's logistics dept with DHL docs to return my Pulsar Plus. While this is certainly a step forward, I can't seem to get anyone at Wallbox to tell me what is actually happening. The logistics person did reply to me when I asked but only to say that she would ask a colleague from customer service to contact me. I chased this up a few days later and have made two telephone attempts, a twitter post to @wallboxchargers and a support request via the Wallbox web application but still no response. DHL have just picked up my charger which I have had to have removed and we are now without a charger for our car and currently have no idea when we might have a charger again. So after the initial relief at hearing from logistics I am back to being disappointed at the general lack of customer service.
A bit further on the telephone support line - I called the UK number and got the usual, "this call will be recorded..." message before getting a minute or so of music before being told they can't take my call right now and that I should try contacting them via other means. It then just cuts off the call! Great!
At this point I wish I had just paid a little bit extra and got a Zappi. The Pulsar Plus is a great little charger and much nicer looking than the Zappi IMO but unless Wallbox really make a concerted effort to sort out their customer service issues, I can't in good conscience recommend them.
@@craigchamberlain Sorry to hear about this, Craig. Can your installer help? They can sometimes help put you in touch with someone more senior. Hope it gets sorted soon.
Danny Morgan - editor at Smart Home Charge
@@SmartHomeCharge Hi Danny - I appreciate the suggestion but I bought the charger directly from Wallbox and not through an installer as I was having difficulty at the time finding a reputable installer in my area who was able to commit to an installation date within a reasonable timeframe. So having selected and bought it myself I sort of feel the burden of responsibility to sort this out. I'm still a bit stunned that they (apparently) shipped a charger to a UK customer without PEN fault detection even though the website doesn't seem to offer a version without this feature.
For the benefit of any other Pulsar Plus owners out there who may think they have PEN fault protection but perhaps don't, the part number of my unit is/was: PLP1-0-2-2-3-002-C as per the label on the unit itself and as per the last contact I had with Wallbox support, quote: "The charger SN 73353 is not the earthing PEN charger for the UK market. The product code is PLP1-0-2-2-3-002-C which means that it is a Pulsar Plus with a 5 meter cable, 7.4kW charger in Black and revision C. "
My invoice shows: "SKU: UK-PLP1-0-2-2-3-A-PLP1-0-2-2-3-002-C-WBSERV-WR-UK-PLSR" which you'll note has "UK" in it in two places and this was ordered through the UK Wallbox website and delivered to a UK address.
In fairness, since I can't seem to contact Wallbox, I can't provide their side of the story so this may have been a simple, isolated shipping error. I'll be happy to provide an update on their behalf or ideally I'd encourage them to do so themselves. I just want this issue fixed asap but will keep you updated on progress. Thanks again for your suggestion.
Does anyone know what the dimensions of this unit are with the cable and plug wrapped around it? I am keen on it but I worry about it being on show outside the house all lit up and how it will cope with UK weather conditions.
We don't have those to hand. It's a good point though and something to consider with tethered units. If you're worried about the size or how obvious it is, you might be better off with a smaller untethered unit like the Sync EV: www.smarthomecharge.co.uk/chargers/sync-ev/sync-ev/
It does have an LED light on it, but an update is incoming that should allow you to dim this.
Either way, most charge point units are IP54 rated for water ingress, so you should be fine with the UK weather!
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
It's one of the smaller ones on the market. You could always turn it off at the consumer unit / fuse board if you don't want the attention. But you may prefer one with no lights on if being discrete is what you want.
If you have solar can you set it to just use excess generated power?
Hello Roger, unfortunately not. Obviously if you are generating excess solar, the charge point "could" be using some of that energy just like any other appliance in your home, but you cannot set the Wallbox up to only use excess solar.
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
Apparently it not allow to set a max charge percentage. If I'm not wrong the OHME wallbox has this very interesting feature even if I'm not sure if it can work even with Renault Twingo. Do anyone has experience about that?
You're correct. The Ohme is the only product that sets up a charge schedule this way. So, instead of setting a definitive start and end time, you tell the Ohme how many miles (or percentage charge) you want, and it does the rest.
We've made a video about setting up an Ohme schedule here: th-cam.com/video/HDBh-3qXpm8/w-d-xo.html
@@SmartHomeCharge does zappi have such a feature.
I just set the max limit on my car for this purpose. The wallbox sets the time to fit octopus go and I tell the car to stop at 80%. So in reality you don't need the charger to be able to do this (at least I think most cars if not all can do this)
How waterproof is the charging gun wall mount. It doesn't look like it would keep the contacts dry in a British winter.
Hi Lee, that's a great question. I haven't conducted a long-term test of this myself, but the top of the mount if sloped downwards so I would think any water would run downwards and away from the gun itself. We have installed a lot of these units now and I'm unaware of any issues like this. Don't quote me on it, but I would think this would have reared its head by now were it a big problem.
Hope that helps.
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
They have a well fitting rubber cap too though so it's not a worry I have.
what happens if you need the tethered cable longer than 5M eg 8M or 10 M. Can this be done ?
You can get a version with a 7m cable, but this is only available on the 22kW version which is more expensive and most people can't make us of the 22kW output. Most will go for the standard 7.4kW unit which only has a 5m cable.
Hope that helps.
Danny - Editor at Smart Home Charge
@@SmartHomeCharge thanks for responding , so it really means if you need a tethered charger with more than 5 M go elsewhere ( as its not worth buying the 22 kW one just to get 7 M). Shame as I liked the look of this one and it had proper smart features on its app ( i.e scheduled charging)
@@johnnym1215 If you want a longer cable, pretty much. Sounds like you want tethered, but another option would be a socket-only product as this would allow you to get whichever length cable you like.
We also have a handy comparison table of charge point features on our website: www.smarthomecharge.co.uk/guides/compare-ev-charger-features-1/
Thanks for watching,
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
I had the 7.4kw installed 1 month ago with a longer 8M cable. The Wallbox dealer contacted Wallbox and they confirmed that the cable can be changed to my red. So the dealer changed the 5m cable to a longer on for me
@@ogunnaikekolawole6853 thanks for your reply. Did you mean you had to buy a new 8m cable and the dealer then swapped that with the 5 M cable the wall box came with .
How can you not mention whether it uses solar to charge or not? Literally the only thing I care about when I'm researching car chargers...
I'm trying to understand why anyone would need a"smart EVSE" to schedule charging or monitoring. Most EV's have that built into car.
Consistency. Some EV don't have that feature, and different ones have different features.
I doubt any have the features of the Ohme which figures out optimal charge time based on your tariff price overnight
I use the wall charger schedule at home as I use other chargers during the day and don’t want to muck up my schedule
I can only schedule charge with my car when I'm actually in the car. I can schedule the Wallbox remotely via the app.
You mentioned not all homes can accommodate the 22kaW charger, can you point me to the video please
Article here and video at the bottom of that page:
www.smarthomecharge.co.uk/guides/22kw-three-phase-charging-is-it-worth-it/
Can any one explain? Why would anyone buy Wallbox charger? Almost everyone already buy charger set from car dealer like Tesla, Ford, or VW. Thanks.
Some people buy 2nd hand EVs
We would tend to disagree. Many customers want a choice of which charger they have installed, rather than being told what they can have.
I got mine for £480 from a wholesaler, the zappi was £850. I can't get solar on my property so those features were not of interest. It has the pen fault detection so I didn't need an earth rod. 🤷♂️
The ones from the manufacturers are often just "sticker branded" versions of these aftermarket ones. Also electric companies offer very healthy rebates for choosing certain units they prefer or have deals worked out with.
Why is this any better than a NEM 14-50 Wall Outlet? Those you can install for $149, why pay $650 for the plastic gloss exterior? Seriously, if anyone knows please help me, lol. Seems stupid.
Seriously? This plus into a NEMA 14-50. How are you expecting to charge your car with just a wall outlet?
Having started the process today on your website to have a sync ev home charger installed.
You failed at the first fence. email from your support team stating can't install in my area due to shortage of engineers
Told to try podpoint or BP chargemater.
Very poor service 😠
Hi Mike, sorry we weren't able to help with your install. But it's better we are honest straight away about installation capacity in your area, instead of over-promising and under-delivering - that helps nobody. All the best.
Danny - Editor at Smart Home Charge.
Shortage of installation engineers becoming bad and will only get worse.
how much is it?
Depends. You can find a minimum cost of the Wallbox with installation on our website. But if you want a price for the charger only, then this can vary depending on the supplier. A quick Google search should help you find what you need.
I got it for £480 from a UK electric wholesaler. Cheap electrician might fit for £300. Mine asked for £400.
I have had one for a year or so now. Never been reliable, every firmware update has fucked it up and the app is shite. I have written to Wallbox but not had a reply.if you’re looking for something reliable id look elsewhere
Awful product. The firmware never updates. Who cares about the pretty case. Bluetooth does not work. Wifi constantly drops off. Wish I purchased a different EVSE. app is not ‘very very good’
Hi Robert, sorry to hear that. I can only base a review on my own experience and those of the majority of our customers (not sure who installed yours).
We know of customers who have had some technical issues, but we installs 100s of charge points each month, so there are bound to be some.
But the vast majority, including myself, have found the Wallbox to be very reliable and good value. We would not to install a product that causes issues for the majority of customers post-install because that creates more work and problems for us as well as the customer. We've found it to work very well in all but a few cases.
Obviously that's not the experience you've had and Wallbox support should really help you with this.
All the best and thanks for watching.
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
I've had issues with wi-fi connectivity too.
Robert- I’m with you on this. Haven’t even used it yet and it appears to have stopped working. Struggling to connect to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth even though it says it’s updated. I think it has lost its power but I can’t work out what has tripped out. All switches are fine . Not a great start. Car comes next month. Have emailed customer support. Let’s see how that goes!
I emailed support for this issue thier fix worked.
For my android phone sometimes I have to go into the Bluetooth settings unpair the device it's CALLED WB XXXXXXX. Then re launch the app and it connects just fine.
A bit frustrating but nvm. Once you have the fix it's fine.
Clearing the app cache has worked for me too via android settings, apps wallbox clear cache.
Sorry guys. My rating is 0 stars. This box is a mess. Impossible to keep it connected to wifi. Version upgrade every two weeks creating instability. It is not the value for money. Fly away from this stupid thing.
It's incredible that someone can talk for 12 minutes and hardly convey any meaningful information. What did I just watch?