Hypervolt Home 3 Pro vs Pod Point Solo 3S: All-Rounder vs All-Inclusive

The All-Rounder vs the All-Inclusive: Which Approach Suits You?

These two chargers represent fundamentally different philosophies. The Hypervolt Home 3 Pro is a feature-rich smart charger you buy separately and pair with your own chosen installer. The Pod Point Solo 3S bundles everything into a single price — charger, installation, done. Both deliver 7.4kW charging, both work with every Tesla and EV sold in the UK, but the experience of buying, owning, and using them couldn't be more different.

If you're choosing between these two, you're really asking yourself a deeper question: do I want maximum control over features and installation, or do I want someone to handle the whole thing for me? Neither answer is wrong, but the right one depends entirely on your priorities.

In a nutshell:

• Hypervolt Home 3 Pro (£690): The UK-built all-rounder with smart tariff integration, solar diversion, and the toughest build quality on the market.
• Pod Point Solo 3S (£999 installed): The hassle-free package with professional installation included and an industry-leading 5-year warranty.

Spec Comparison

Smart Tariff Integration

This is where the gap between these two chargers is starkest. The Hypervolt Home 3 Pro supports smart tariff integration, meaning it can work with tariffs like Octopus Intelligent Go (~7p/kWh off-peak) or Octopus Go (7.5p/kWh between 00:30 and 04:30) to automatically schedule your charging during the cheapest periods. For a typical Tesla Model 3 driver covering 7,400 miles a year, the difference between charging at off-peak rates versus standard rates can easily save £300-400 annually.

The Pod Point Solo 3S, by contrast, offers scheduled charging through its app but lacks direct smart tariff integration. You can manually set a timer to coincide with off-peak hours, but you won't get the automatic, dynamic optimisation that the Hypervolt provides. If energy prices shift or your tariff windows change, you'll need to update your schedule yourself. For drivers on variable tariffs like Octopus Agile — where prices change every 30 minutes — the Pod Point simply can't keep up.

This is a significant omission in 2025. Smart tariff support has become a baseline expectation for home EV chargers, and its absence from the Pod Point Solo 3S is hard to overlook when rivals like the Ohme Home Pro and Hypervolt both offer it as standard. As viablepower.co.uk notes, smart chargers that utilise off-peak tariffs can make "significant savings" — savings the Pod Point leaves on the table.

Solar Integration

Both chargers claim solar compatibility, but they approach it very differently. The Hypervolt Home 3 Pro includes a CT clamp for solar integration at no extra cost, allowing it to monitor your home's energy consumption and divert surplus solar generation into your car. According to heatable.co.uk, the Hypervolt offers three solar modes — Boost, Eco, and Super Eco — giving you granular control over how aggressively it prioritises solar self-consumption.

The Pod Point Solo 3S is described as "solar compatible," but the data doesn't indicate the same level of built-in solar diversion functionality. There's no mention of a CT clamp, multiple solar modes, or the kind of active surplus management that the Hypervolt provides. If you've invested in rooftop solar panels and want to maximise free miles from sunshine, the Hypervolt is the stronger choice here.

That said, as topcharger.co.uk points out in their review, the Hypervolt's solar diversion "works but isn't as sophisticated as the Zappi's Eco/Eco+ modes." So if solar is your absolute top priority, you might want to look at a myenergi Zappi instead. But between these two chargers, the Hypervolt wins comfortably on solar capability.

Build Quality and Design

The Hypervolt Home 3 Pro is built like a tank. Its IP66 weatherproofing means it's fully protected against powerful water jets — perfect for an exposed driveway in a British winter. The IK10 impact rating means it can withstand serious knocks, making it what electriccarguide.co.uk calls "pretty hard to damage." Add in interchangeable colour covers (Ultra White, Space Grey, Ultra Black) and you've got a charger that's both tough and attractive. It's manufactured in Rainham, Essex, with each unit going through three quality control stages before dispatch, as topcharger.co.uk details.

The Pod Point Solo 3S is lighter (3.5kg untethered, 6kg tethered) and slightly larger in dimensions, but its IP54 rating is noticeably lower. IP54 protects against splashing water from any direction — perfectly adequate for a sheltered wall, but less reassuring if your charger will be fully exposed to driving rain. The option of an untethered version is a genuine advantage, though — if you charge multiple vehicles with different cable types, or simply prefer a cleaner look without a dangling cable, the Pod Point gives you that flexibility.

Cable length is another differentiator. The Hypervolt offers 5m, 7.5m, or 10m options, which is particularly useful if your parking spot isn't directly next to where the charger is mounted. The Pod Point tethered version comes with a 5m cable only — fine for most driveways, but potentially limiting if your setup requires a longer reach.

Installation Considerations

Here's where the Pod Point Solo 3S makes its strongest case. The £999 price includes professional installation — no hunting for OZEV-approved installers, no comparing quotes, no surprises. You book, they come, it's done. For anyone who finds the process of sourcing and vetting electricians stressful, this is genuinely appealing.

The catch? You can't choose your installer. Pod Point assigns a third-party contractor from their network, and you have no say in who turns up. You can't check their reviews or track record beforehand. As wepoweryourcar.com and other industry sources note, installation quality matters enormously — a poorly routed cable or a sloppy consumer unit connection can cause headaches for years.

The Hypervolt Home 3 Pro at £690 requires you to arrange installation separately, typically costing £400-600 for a standard fit. That gives you the freedom to choose a local installer you trust, read their reviews, and get multiple quotes. The total installed cost lands at roughly £1,090-1,290 — broadly comparable to the Pod Point, though potentially higher for complex installations.

Price and Value

On pure upfront cost, the Pod Point looks like the better deal — especially after the OZEV grant brings it down to just £649. But cost and value aren't the same thing. The Hypervolt's smart tariff integration alone could save you £300+ per year on charging costs compared to the Pod Point's manual scheduling. Over the 5-year warranty period, that's potentially £1,500 in savings that more than offsets the higher purchase price. The Hypervolt also includes solar diversion hardware at no extra cost, which the Pod Point doesn't match.

Who Should Buy Which?

Buy the Hypervolt Home 3 Pro if:

• You want smart tariff integration to minimise your charging costs automatically
• You have solar panels and want built-in solar diversion with multiple modes
• You prefer choosing your own trusted installer
• You need a longer cable (7.5m or 10m options available)
• You want the toughest build quality available (IP66 + IK10)

Buy the Pod Point Solo 3S if:

• You want a completely hassle-free purchase with installation included
• You qualify for the OZEV grant and want the lowest possible all-in price
• You value a long warranty (5 years standard, no extra cost)
• You prefer an untethered charger for a cleaner wall-mounted look
• You don't use a smart energy tariff and have no plans to switch to one

Our recommendation: For most EV owners, the Hypervolt Home 3 Pro is the better charger. Its smart tariff support, superior solar integration, tougher build quality, and cable length options make it the more capable and future-proof choice. The savings from smart tariff charging alone justify the higher upfront cost within the first year or two. However, if you qualify for the OZEV grant, don't have solar panels, and simply want someone to handle everything from purchase to installation with zero fuss, the Pod Point Solo 3S at £649 after the grant is hard to argue with. Just be aware you're trading long-term running cost savings for short-term convenience.

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Read our full Hypervolt Home 3 Pro review or Pod Point Solo 3S review.

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