Why a $500 no name EV charger is a bad idea in a Perth summer
It works fine in Manjimup in July. It struggles badly on a 42 degree February afternoon in a closed garage. Here is what fails first.
Every month or two, someone rings us to install a charger they bought online for a few hundred dollars. We install what we are asked to, but we have opinions, and this is the honest version.
The Perth garage problem
A closed western facing garage in Perth in February hits 42 to 46 degrees inside. Cheap chargers have basic passive cooling, no internal temperature sensor, and low grade contactors. What happens when the ambient climbs is one of three things: the unit throttles to a fraction of its rated speed, the contactor arcs and welds, or the plastic housing warps.
The good units (Tesla, Zappi, Wallbox, Ocular) are actively cooled or thermally derated in a controlled way. They protect themselves and back off cleanly.
Compliance and warranty
- No RCM mark means it is not legal to sell in Australia and an electrician cannot certify the install.
- No local warranty means shipping a broken unit back to Shenzhen at your cost.
- No firmware updates means whatever bugs shipped are the bugs you own for the life of the product.
The saving that isn't a saving
The gap between a cheap import and a proper unit is around $500 to $800. Over a ten year life span, that is $50 to $80 a year. It is not worth the risk to the car, the wall, or the switchboard.
Ready to talk it through
Free site visit, fixed price quote.
Send us a couple of photos of your switchboard and where the car parks. Our team will call you back with a firm number, and answer any questions from the article.