Charger Types and What to Look For
Not all home chargers are equal, and understanding the differences saves you from overpaying or buying something that doesn't suit your setup.
Level 1 vs Level 2. A Level 1 charger plugs into a standard 10A powerpoint and delivers 2.3kW – painfully slow at 10–15km of range per hour. Level 2 chargers run on a dedicated circuit at 7kW (single-phase) or up to 22kW (three-phase), which is what most installations involve.
Tethered vs untethered. Tethered chargers have the cable permanently attached (grab and plug in); untethered units have a socket where you bring your own cable. Tethered is more convenient, untethered is tidier. Expect a $100–$300 price difference.
Smart features worth paying for: solar integration (charger uses excess solar first), dynamic load balancing (see below), scheduled charging for off-peak tariffs, and OCPP compatibility for future flexibility.
Popular Australian brands. Fronius Wattpilot, Tesla Wall Connector, Zappi (by myenergi), Wallbox Pulsar, Evnex E2, and Ohme Home Pro are the most commonly installed. All comply with AS/NZS IEC 61851.1. Charger units alone range from $750 to $1,800 depending on features and power rating. Your electrician can usually supply the unit or install one you've purchased separately.
Charging Speed Comparison
How fast you charge depends on your charger, your wiring, and your car's onboard charger (which caps intake regardless of the wall unit).
Level 1 (10A GPO): 2.3kW, adds 10–15km/hr range, ~26 hours for a 60kWh battery. Fine for PHEVs or very light use.
Level 2 single-phase (32A, 7kW): 30–40km/hr range, ~8.5 hours full charge. The sweet spot for most Australian homes.
Level 2 three-phase (32A, 22kW): 100+km/hr range, ~2.5–3 hours full charge. Requires three-phase supply and heavier cabling.
One thing that catches people out: if your car's onboard charger maxes out at 7kW (common on many models), a 22kW wall unit won't charge any faster. Check your vehicle's specs before paying extra for three-phase installation.
Which Charger Suits Your Car?
Your car's onboard charger caps how fast it can accept power, regardless of what the wall unit is rated for. A 22kW charger connected to a car with a 7kW onboard charger delivers 7kW. Matching the charger to your car avoids overspending.
*Most charger brands jump from 7kW to 22kW with no 11kW option. A 22kW charger connected to an 11kW car runs at 11kW automatically. All vehicles use the universal Type 2 connector.
The wave of new Chinese and Korean EVs arriving in 2025 and 2026 predominantly feature 11kW three-phase onboard chargers. On a single-phase home, these cars charge at 7kW regardless of the wall unit. To get full speed, you need three-phase supply at your property. A three-phase upgrade costs $3,000–$8,000 depending on your street connection and distance from the transformer. Your switchboard must also have capacity for the new circuit.
Charger Brands Compared
Not all chargers come in every power rating, and features like solar diversion and dynamic load balancing vary significantly by brand.
The Tesla Wall Connector is the cheapest unit at ~$720 but has no solar diversion or DLB. The Zappi is the most popular choice for homes with solar because its ECO/ECO+ modes work with any inverter brand and CT clamps are included in the box. ABB and Schneider are the only brands with a dedicated 11kW three-phase variant, but most electricians recommend a 22kW unit instead since it automatically throttles to match the car.
What Affects the Cost
Cable run distance. Every extra metre from the switchboard adds cost. Runs over 15 metres move the needle noticeably, and underground trenching through an established garden or driveway is the biggest jump.
Switchboard capacity. If your board is full or undersized, you may need a
switchboard upgrade first — common in older homes already running solar,
air conditioning, and a pool pump. Budget $1,000–$3,600 per job for a full board replacement.
Dynamic load balancing (DLB). CT clamps on your switchboard monitor total power draw in real time, and the charger auto-throttles so you never exceed supply capacity. This can eliminate the need for a switchboard upgrade entirely. Ohme and Evnex include the CT clamp in the box; others charge $150–$400 for the add-on. DLB is increasingly relevant under AS/NZS 3000 Maximum Demand calculations.
Single vs three-phase. Three-phase supply allows 22kW charging but costs more to wire. Most Australian homes are single-phase, and upgrading just for the charger is rarely worth it unless you have other high-draw loads that benefit.
IP rating for outdoor installs. IP65 is the minimum for sheltered outdoor locations; IP66 for exposed or coastal installs where driving rain and salt air are factors. Check the rating before buying.
Tethered vs untethered. Tethered units cost $100–$300 more but are more convenient for daily use.
Mounting location. Garage wall installs are straightforward. Outdoor, carport, or detached structure installs add weatherproofing, UV-rated conduit, and longer cable runs.
Solar integration. Smart chargers that coordinate with solar panels cost more upfront but reduce running costs significantly. If you already have solar, this is one of the best returns on the extra spend.
Your car's onboard charger rating. Newer EVs from BYD, Kia, Geely, and Zeekr arriving in 2025 and 2026 have 11kW three-phase onboard chargers. If your home is single-phase, you charge at 7kW regardless of the wall unit. To get the full 11kW, you need three-phase supply and a three-phase charger. This is the most common mismatch on EV charger installations right now.
Strata approval. Apartment installations often require body corporate approval, adding cost for engineering assessments, dedicated metering, and compliance with
NCC 2025 EV charging guidance. New builds from 2025 increasingly must include EV-ready infrastructure.
A straightforward garage wall mount in a post-2000 home, close to the switchboard, single-phase, no board upgrade sits toward $1,500. A detached garage 20+ metres away, board upgrade needed, three-phase wiring, and trenching through an established garden pushes toward $3,600.
City and Regional Price Comparison
Sydney is the baseline at $1,500–$3,600 per job. Melbourne tracks similarly, though detached garages and rear laneway parking often push costs higher. Brisbane tends to come in slightly lower. Perth and Adelaide's strong solar penetration makes smart charger integration worth discussing with your installer, with integration requirements influencing the installation quote.
Within any city, the range shifts based on property layout. Inner-city terraces in Paddington (Sydney) or Fitzroy (Melbourne) often lack garages, requiring creative mounting and long cable runs. Newer outer-suburban estates with attached garages sit at the lower end. Properties with existing three-phase supply (common in post-2010 estates) can run 22kW chargers without additional supply work, though cable sizing costs more.
Once installed, your electricity tariff makes a big difference to running costs. Dedicated EV tariffs like EnergyAustralia's EV Night Boost (around 7c/kWh, NSW), AGL's Night Saver EV (around 8c/kWh), or Origin's EV Power Up (around 8c/kWh) cut charging costs by 75–80% compared to standard residential rates. A smart charger with scheduled charging hits these off-peak windows automatically.
Hiring a Licensed Electrician
All electrical work must be performed by a licensed electrician who holds the appropriate state licence and issues a compliance certificate on completion. Look for someone with specific EV charger experience — EV circuits run at continuous full load for hours, which affects cable derating, circuit protection sizing, and Maximum Demand calculations differently from standard household circuits.
The Electric Vehicle Council publishes an EVSE Installation Guideline covering best practices for residential installations. It's worth asking your electrician if they're familiar with it.
Get at least two quotes. Make sure each specifies the charger model, cable size and run length, whether DLB is included, and whether a switchboard upgrade is needed. The cheapest quote isn't always best value if it skips load management and leaves you with nuisance tripping.
How We Calculate
Estimates are based on surveyed trade rates for licensed electricians, adjusted by state and property age. All prices include GST. Figures assume a standard residential Level 2 installation with a cable run under 15 metres and no switchboard upgrade. Commercial, fleet, or multi-bay apartment installations are not included.