Bunnings has jumped into the EV charger game with sharp pricing on the gen3 wall charger.
RRP is $800.
They've also other brands now available:
Arlec 7m 16A Type 2 Portable Charger $349
Arlec 5m 32A Single Phase Wall Charger $599
The hidden gem looks to be this special order of the Ocular LTE Three Phase 22kw wall charger /w 6M cable for only $250. Expired
Other Ocular chargers available at low (possibly error) prices.
@junk3569: If you are honestly getting quoted $4.5k-$8k a year you are either in serious need of shopping around, or you need to not crash into things every 5 minutes.
The biggest downside of going EV is that you will hate to go back to ICE after a getting use to it, particulary in a Tesla. It is best to stick to ICE if you want to avoid that.
This!! Same if you have multiple cars, no one wants to drive the ice no matter how good it was.
Wow you’re pretty delusional. I have an ice and am tempted to get an ev because you save so much money
Anyone know if you can use a 3 phase charger even though house is only single phase?
You can't
Not true at all, the ocular charger does both
Fronius watt pilot also does both
I’ve got a 22kw 3 phase charger and it chargers at 7kw on single phase.
Sweet. Well I am trusting you, will give it a shot. They probably won't honor it anyway.
@Aureus: Another comment already said confirmation email said it’s cable and clamps, can always try but wouldn’t get hopes up
Actually just to confirm is your charger the Ocular LTE? I know other 3 phase chargers can operate on 1 phase, but Ocular seems like maybe it can't.
@Aureus: Nah I’ve got a fronius
But the ocular page says
A Charger to Suit Every Home - 1-phase (7kW) & 3-phase (22kW) Models Available with either a Socket or a Tethered 6 meter cable with Type 2 Connector
Double check the specs on the ocular website imo
@adrian2093: Yeah I am almost certain that just means you have to choose the correct model depending if you have 1-phase or 3-phase.
Oh well. If it actually comes I will probably have to flip it.
Just looking at the receipt I get
"Charger Lead & Ct Clamps 22kw++Ocular Iq Home Three Phase"
Which is a different charger also.
@Aureus: Yep
I misread part of it too
Had multiple links up…
it’s a bit confusing it says it does 32amps max per phase not sure if it will still do max 32amps on 3 phase charger running at single phase or not
I’ve got a fronius and it does 7kw 32 amps even tho I’ve got a 22kw 3 phase installed
@Aureus: If you order the IQ Home 3 Phase for $230 it cancels straight away. They've made a mess of these product listings.
@devize: No. Not mine.
So i did a combo of delivery, click and collect, trade and direct trade enquiry.
Fingers crossed. Will be happy with 1.
I think it does 7KW/1P as well
Product page on EVSE website says:
Max. output power – 7.4KW(1 Phase) / 22kW (3-Phase)
Suggests to me it works.
We talking about the Ocular?
I looked at the specs and got the impression that it is 3 phase only.
https://media.bunnings.com.au/api/public/content/5c11a8f6662…
Would be awesome if it can run as single phase.
im not sure if that is referring to the different product lines, i.e. 7kw for the single phase version and 22kw for the 3 phase product.
The single phase product line only says 7kw for max output power. Fairly sure it means the 22kw is capable of both, otherwise why would it list both but not on the single phase product?
Max. output power – 7.4KW(1 Phase)
https://evse.com.au/product/ocular-lte-plus-w-6m-type-2-cabl…
https://evse.com.au/product/ocular-lte-plus-22-kw-three-phas…
Yes it should work, similar to Tesla wall charger:
A Charger to Suit Every Home - 1-phase (7kW) & 3-phase (22kW) Models Available with either a Socket or a Tethered 6 meter cable with Type 2 Connector
I think its more two different products rather than being able to use the 22kw in a single phase house, granted my googling yielded mix results. Ended up buying the slightly more expensive single phase product for $307 instead.
I wasnt sure so ended up going ahead and buying the single phase version instead - the Ocular Charging IQ Home Single Phase 7kW Type 2 Lead & CT Clamps for $307
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ocular-charging-iq-home-single-p…
Wish you luck, that’s got to be a pricing/listing error.
That is the premium home hub rrp $1,400
Yeah have a feeling it'll get cancelled but fingers crossed! Got order confirmation already.
im not convinced that the 3phase charger would work on single phase power either. datasheet says 3 phase charger needs 400V (+/- 20). The single phase IQ seems like the right choice. has OCPP, and has integration with chargeHQ.
you just hook up 1 phase on the 3 phase charger and 1 CT. it's the same install manual for both single and three phase models
https://ocularcharging.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/IQ-…
The Solar IQ is definitely three phase or single phase compatible.
Correct me if I'm wrong here. But aren't all these items technically a "connector"? The car itself does the actual "charging" and all this does is supply the raw power to the car through a thick wire and unique plug? With some connectivity and monitoring options?
You know that thing that charges your phone at night? Do you call it a connector or a charger?
Just spitballing. Your phone is connected to a charger because its incorporates a transformer, rectifier circuit and associated electronics to convert AC power to very low voltage DC power. This is similar to any battery charger. It has some control over charging algorthium.
A car wall charger just allows connection from the car to the 230V per phase AC LV circuits from your house supply but also incorporates electronics to tell the car how much power to can draw from the connector.
So I guess the difference is a wall connector does not transform (change voltage) or rectify (Change AC power to DC power).
The charging brick drops down the 240v ac to 5v DC or whatever.. so that's a charger
EVs have the charging bring built into the car, so the wall connector doesn't so any drop down of voltage, it's simply a direct connection to the 240v?
an EVSE is more than that, otherwise you could just plug in an extension lead to your car
@realaccount627465746: Not really… It's just a GPO Powerpoint with an electronic switch. Can be bought for as low as $50 for a kit (not including the handle + $80 from Ali ex).
The phone charger is a charger, incorporating a transformer and charging circuitry.
These EV "chargers" are way over priced bits of cable and box with a temperature sensing circuit but no charging component, they simply supply mains to the car that actually manages the charging. Prices will plummet as China starts to mass produce them.
Agreed. Ignorance is bliss…for sales.
technically what's your point?
Yes, that is why the product is called a “wall connector”
EVNex is my preference, from what I’ve read and seen.
Part numbers are matching up to the chargers, not the cables. Maybe Bunnings got an amazing deal 👍
IQ model 3 phase is $230 so I am thinking they must have got a good deal or it's clearance time. Well done.
Is this a better model? It has OCPP
Ocular LTE aka Ocular Home does not support ocpp.
the home iq does tho, lol
I put in an order for the $230 Home IQ (just to hedge my bets, lol), and it came through as:
Ev Cable Type 2-Type 2++Ocular Three Phase 10m
I/N:0708252
👎
I tried too and mine immediately got cancelled.
@devize: Interesting. Neither of my orders ($250 LTE 22kw & $230 IQ 22kw) have been cancelled yet. Will have to wait and see!
I'll be happy if either of them gets honoured (for the listed item) - otherwise I'll be refunding obviously (if they dont get cancelled already!). 🤞
Where do you see the part numbers? The description makes it sound like a cable to me.
Just scroll down to specifications. I got the IQ home as it has CT clamps. Part number on Bunnings site matches part number on Ocular site for the charger.
Does that mean it can follow your solar output?
I saw this deal last night, but didn't bother (thought it was just a basic EVSE, with the CTs there just for error checking).
@tunzafun001: That’s what the manual implies you have 3 modes. The default does a trickle charge and then boosts based on excess solar output.
The trickle is apparently for battery health, but there is also a charge on solar only mode.
@UltimateAI: The solar modes on Ocular are useless unless you have a 10kw panel setup or larger. On the basic 5kw setup it's not enough to trigger the solar mode from memory as it allows for headroom to run the rest of your house instead of dedicating all to the EV. Probably because it isn't designed to fluctuate charging current rapidly so it allocates a buffer for the normal household operations.
Plus I guess the car isn't going to like constant varying of current
@0 0 0: Disappointing to hear, but thank-you for that feedback. Thankfully there are a 3 different modes, so should still work as a charger.
Ironically in summer we often have the AC on and I run the spa heater during the day so their isn't any excess solar..:)
I currently have a standard portable charger, works well only charge every few weeks as it maxes out at 1.8kw in spring\autumn uses the solar.
For me it was more of I like the idea of a faster slow charger to potentially take advantage of an EV power plan and a more attractive install than a charger on the floor.
But charging the EV full rate is cheap as chips, it's the AC (wife working from home) that burns a hole in my pocket.
@0 0 0: Good to know, and glad I didn't buy then.
How does it monitor your solar output? CT needs to go on grid connection (so produces a + / - figure?
I have Growatt solar batteries with a CT in place for the battery, app monitoring.
Could I simply utilise this?
@0 0 0: Yes, that's the conclusion I came to when reading the manual. So I'll be using it in Fast Mode and ignoring solar, really just want it for Home Automation integration and scheduling. In that case, I assume it will still work if I don't get the CTs installed?
@pumpkins: Yeah it'll work normally without the CT clamp installed. Mine couldn't be installed as the mains cable run was too long and the sparky wouldn't splice the CT cable to extend it. I manually monitor my solar excess and then set the current limit via the app. Need to spend more time trying to integrate again with Home Assistant. Couldn't get it working previously but perhaps there's been updates to the OCPP integration which might help it work now.
@0 0 0: when you're driving around the motor sends and receives an order of magnitude more power to the battery than it will be getting from a home charger, at a rate that varies more.
@0 0 0: I use ChargeHQ app, $7 a month. It has a mode that uses mostly solar and grid boost to maintain minimum charge rate when a cloud passes, etc.
It will run with a range of inverters and chargers. I have a fronius inverter and OCPP charger.
I hope to replicate this with Home Assistant.
@TooSerious2: Yeah there's heaps of integrations that allow you to do that locally for free. Just that the Ocular Solar IQ wouldn't work with the OCPP integration when I last tried several months ago.
@tunzafun001: The I/N is no longer searchable on the site, so I guess we're all going to see what happens. You might have missed out on nothing yet.
Did you get a picture showing the part numbers?
Anyone in the Newcastle/Lake Macquarie area, I reccomend Ryan @ Fixer Electrical. Honest guy with great advice. I spoke to a sparky, who did work for us, and he reccomended Ryan to do it.
Not sure how much he will charge for a unit purchased from Bunnings, but if something goes wrong….., it may cost a lot more to sort out with de-installation, replacement etc.
Apart from the physically interface, are wall chargers cross compatible between different manufacturers?
Short answer, it's supposed to be, but in reality it depends
If you know anything about phones, consider that the Tesla is a bit like the reference device, think pixel, and will almost always work with everything for that reason. Everything else depends on the car manufacturers implementation
Thanks OP, had to try a few different stores on the Bunnings website before I could order the Ocular LTE Three Phase 22kw (Midland WA)
Are these special orders easy to return for a full refund if they are not what they claim to be or any other reason like even change of minds?
Presume by law they have to refund if it doesn't match the description. Change of mind is a different question though.
when i asked about another order last week, they said they might charge me a restocking fee at their discretion.
I think if the order gets fulfilled, one could easily sell them in FB Marketplace if no use. I just accidentally bought the 22kw version but only have 1 phase so that will probably have to be auctioned off on FB lol
The three phase version should work on single phase at 7kw. You just connect one wire instead of 3
Btw confirm with your installer they've actually done an Ocular install before. It needs a bit of configuration before it will work. It won't work out of the box. You need to be IT savvy or a trained installer. The mob I used had zero clue and they were sub contacted by EVSE. Fortunately I have a degree in engineering and computer science and tinker with home automation and could work it out.
Broad steps:
Connect to the local AP integrated into the charger
Work out the password as different Ocular chargers have different passwords
Work out the Admin credentials (there's no user manual supplied just a QR code which from memory was a consumer guide not an installers guide)
Connect the charger to your home wifi
Set up the power settings e.g. single phase vs three phase, CT clamp if applicable, some other stuff
Install the app on your phone and log in
Looks like Bunnings have published the install manual, which has all the wifi passwords and other settings etc: https://media.bunnings.com.au/api/public/content/de77c10e9d5…
which has all the wifi ******** and other settings etc:
Haha
From memory I think the username and password from the manual I got was wrong. Had to use the details from another Ocular charger. I think one uses username install password installer123 and the other uses username admin password ioc12345
And the typical sparky has NFI on all of these steps. They connect wires into screw terminals and that's it
FWIW similar was required for a Tesla Wall charger install. Probably similar accross the industry as they will all have similar requirements.
Ordered the ocular. Thanks op!
Thanks OP, thought I'd roll the dice with one of each Ocular. Here's hoping for an Xmas miracle 🤣
I got an isolated Tesla charger but regret not getting the Sigenergy DC 25Kw bidirectional charger- their stuff looks pretty wild.
You are investing $30K to get that though as you need to get their battery and inverter as well. I’d love to do that too but on a new build I’m doing all Tesla instead as it’s significantly cheaper. I expect that when Tesla starts support V2G they will have a charger that supports it too for significantly less than the sig.
More like 15-20k, but absolutely only meant this if you were buying a battery already.
My quotes for the Sigen system battery were lower than the powerwall
I thought they were a bit cheaper than that. About $7-8k? Are installation costs for the DC that much higher than AC?
https://pswenergy.com.au/product/sigen-ev-dc-charging-module
@downhillmtbr: But you need the inverter (up to $6k), may as well get 5-8kWh battery modules and the charger unit you mentioned plus installation cost…
looks like the ocular deal is expired. I just brute forced my way through the checkout process. It looked like they where taking down the stores in my area one by one but i found one 10km away that allowed to proceed to checkout. If that goes through it'll be one of the best black Friday / cybermonday week deals everything else was, like last year, pretty average.
Is it possible to install a 3-phase charger in a home with a single-phase power supply, accepting that the 3-phase charger will be limited to 7kW?
Yes but it depends on the charger
Any idea about the Ocular Home IQ 3?
Yes, it works on both single phase 7kw and 3-phase 22kw.
Just a note, pretty sure the Melbourne art centre car park has these and at least one of them is constantly broken despite repeated fixes, according to car park security/mgmt
This deal is primarily for the Tesla wall connector/charger you won’t find a more reliable charger out there.
I took a punt on the Ocular but not expecting Bunnings to honour the deal.
Sorry meant the Ocular 22kW LTE, The tesla isn't much of a deal, I'm willing to bet the upvotes are for all the Ocular stuff
I am curious can you actually walk into any bunnings and pick these up off the self? or are they online only?
Tesla yes normally when they have stock, many don’t have stock.
No for the ocular it’s a “Special Order”
@junk3569: That is an insane rate. Like they don't want to insure you, but will offer it at stupid rate just in case you say yes. I pay around 1300 for my BYD Seal.