I tried Ohme’s home electric vehicle charger and it will let you go without gas forever

Whether you like it or not, the battery electric car revolution is now in full swing. The UK government is still committed to banning the sale of new petrol vehicles from 2035, meaning we will all have to switch to electric vehicles at some point in the future. Electric vehicles continue to evolve rapidly, with many new models now rivaling their gasoline siblings in terms of range and boasting blazing performance, less maintenance, and features like pre-air conditioning that keeps the car comfortably warm before you get in for the drive on winter morning.

There are clearly great benefits to switching to an electric vehicle, but one of the biggest problems for drivers remains refilling the battery. Public charging stations are still shockingly rare when compared to the endless supply of gas stations scattered throughout cities, and battery concerns remain a major concern for many.

Charging the battery on the go can also be ridiculously expensive (around 79p/kWh) and take far too long. Fortunately, there is another option that makes filling the battery much more convenient and surprisingly affordable.

Ohme is just one of several companies offering home charging solutions. The company promises that its smart boosters can determine the best time to recharge the tank and save you significant amounts of money.

So can this device really end the worry of running out of gas and is it worth all the hassle of installing it? Express.co.uk put the Ohme Home Pro to the test and here’s our full review.

We’ll start by explaining the purchase and installation process. First, you need to decide which charger you need. Ohme sells two models, including the smaller ePod and the more advanced Home Pro solution.

There are two clear differences between these products: The Home Pro offers a touch display and a fully tethered connection – a bit like what you find at gas stations.

The ePod is simply a small box on the wall that you can plug your car’s portable cable into every time you want to charge. Both gadgets are quite expensive, with purchase and installation costs starting at £949.

For our test we fitted the £999 Ohme Home Pro, which is larger but makes quick charging far easier as the cable is already connected so you don’t have to search for the charging cable in the boot. The built-in screen also provides some useful information, such as: B. how much charge has been loaded into the battery and when the charging process must be completed.

The entire installation process went fairly smoothly, although you will have to spend some time filling out a form and sending pictures and videos of your home’s walls, access points, fuse box, and where you want the box to be mounted on the wall .

Ohme will message you throughout the process to make sure you don’t have any problems. This is a nice gesture, but you will need some patience and time to complete the purchase. Once the form is approved, confirm the installation date with numerous times and days to choose from.

On the day of installation, our technician arrived on time and had the ohme box drilled into the walls and connected within a few hours. Also the main power supply was only turned off for a few minutes to establish the power connection. So don’t worry if you’re working from home and worried about losing that all-important WiFi.

Once the power is flowing, all you need to do is download the Ohme app on your phone and get everything set up.

When you first log in you will be asked a few simple questions such as: B. which electric vehicle you own and which energy contract you currently have. You can then start loading, and this is where things get clever.

Yes, you can plug in the Ohme Pro for an instant boost of energy and recharge the battery at about 7.8 kWh – during our testing, that speed meant we were getting about 10 percent per hour (or 30 miles of range) in our test car – a new one ) got back Mercedes EQB.

It’s not exactly quick, but this device is designed for when you come home in the evening and let things refill overnight – and that’s a process that can have a very positive impact on your finances.

A number of energy companies such as Octopus offer much cheaper electricity in the early hours of the morning and thanks to Ohme’s smart charging feature you can top up the tank for just 7p/kWh.

At this price you could go from flat to full for less than £7.

The beauty of this system is that when you wake up, you simply tell the charger which days you want to charge and what percentage you need in the tank, and it will figure out the best and cheapest times to charge the battery. Then you plug in the device and forget the rest.

The entire process is controlled via a very simple app, which also shows when the charging took place, how much energy was used and how much it cost.

The app can also be used to check each session, meaning passing electric vehicles can’t just drive past your drive and start sapping power. You can even set times to pre-condition the vehicle, which means the windshield is defrosted and the seats are warmed up without draining the actual battery.

It’s all very clever, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

Firstly, the Octopus Intelligent Go tariff for general daytime use is slightly more expensive than the company’s standard tariff, so you will have to pay a little more for the energy used during the day. It’s not a huge difference – just a few pence per kWh – but it’s worth noting.

If the Ohme charger cannot fill the tank with the required amount of power during favorable times, it will refill at the standard rate for a short period of time, which may make some refills more expensive than others.

Of course, less than £7 per tank is incredibly cheap compared to over £50 to fill up a car, but you need to factor in the initial £1,000 price tag for the charger itself.

Our only other gripe is that the tethered cable is not retractable and doesn’t coil neatly like some other solutions on the market, so it looks a bit messy on your driveway.

This is a very smart solution to a growing problem that we will all soon face. Refilling at home is easy and can be incredibly cost-effective if you choose the right energy tariff.

If you charge the battery at the motorway service station you will pay over 70p/kWh. However, if you charge the battery as you travel, it can cost as little as 7p/kWh, or significantly less than £8, to go from empty to full.

The fact that the Ohme charger does all the heavy lifting means you don’t have to wait until midnight for the cheaper tariffs to take effect.

Simply plug it in when you get home and wake up with a full tank and ready to drive.

Yes, it’s not cheap to get the Ohme charger fitted, but considering a tank of gas now costs over £50, it shouldn’t take too long to get your money back.

To get the cheapest charging, you’ll also need to switch to an electric vehicle electricity plan, which can be slightly more expensive to use during the day.

If you choose the Home Pro, you also have to pay attention to the practical but unsightly cable.

Despite the high installation cost and some changes you’ll have to make to your plan and the appearance of your drive, the Ohme charger is truly excellent.

It’s super easy to use, makes refueling your electric car a breeze, and saves you money while you lie in bed.