myenergi Zappi GLO vs Wallbox Pulsar Max: Solar Specialist or Compact All-Rounder?

Solar Specialist vs Compact All-Rounder

These two chargers sit at a similar price point and both offer single-phase and three-phase options, yet they're designed with quite different priorities in mind. The myenergi Zappi GLO is the UK's go-to charger for solar panel owners, with its sophisticated Eco and Eco+ diversion modes letting you charge your EV almost entirely from free sunshine. The Wallbox Pulsar Max, meanwhile, is one of the most compact chargers on the market — barely bigger than a hardback book — and pairs a generous five-year warranty with practical features like dynamic load balancing and voice control.

If you're weighing these two up, the deciding factor usually comes down to one question: do you have solar panels (or plan to get them soon)? If the answer is yes, the Zappi GLO is almost certainly the better investment. If the answer is no, the Pulsar Max's lower price, longer warranty, and space-saving design start to look very attractive. Let's dig into the detail.

In a nutshell:

• myenergi Zappi GLO (£779): The undisputed king of solar diversion, with three charging modes that let you charge your EV from surplus solar energy for free.
• Wallbox Pulsar Max (£699): A beautifully compact, well-built charger with a five-year warranty and dynamic load balancing — ideal where wall space is tight.

Spec Comparison

Smart Tariff Integration

This is an area where the Zappi GLO pulls ahead. It's compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go, one of the cheapest EV tariffs available in the UK at roughly 7p/kWh during off-peak hours. The myenergi app lets you schedule charging to take advantage of those overnight rates automatically, and the charger integrates with the broader myenergi ecosystem — including the eddi hot water diverter and libbi home battery — for whole-home energy management (electriccarguide.co.uk).

The Wallbox Pulsar Max, by contrast, has no built-in smart tariff integration. You can schedule charging sessions through the myWallbox app to coincide with off-peak windows manually, but there's no direct API link to tariffs like Octopus Go or Agile. For drivers on time-of-use tariffs who want a truly hands-off experience, this is a notable gap (viablepower.co.uk).

In practical terms, if you're on Octopus Intelligent Go and charging a Tesla Model 3 (roughly 60kWh battery), you'd pay around £4.20 for a full charge at 7p/kWh. Both chargers can technically charge overnight, but only the Zappi GLO automates the process through direct tariff integration.

Solar Diversion

This is where the Zappi GLO genuinely has no peer. Its three charging modes — Fast, Eco, and Eco+ — give you granular control over how much grid electricity you use. In Eco+ mode, the charger waits until your solar panels are producing enough surplus energy and charges your EV entirely from that excess. In Eco mode, it tops up from the grid when solar generation dips, keeping the charge going. In Fast mode, it simply draws full power from the grid like any other charger (localev.uk).

For a typical UK solar array generating surplus energy on a sunny day, Eco+ mode means you're charging your car for free. Over a year, that can translate to savings of several hundred pounds depending on your mileage and panel output. The Zappi GLO also boasts 35% lower embodied carbon than the previous Zappi 2.1, which matters if sustainability is a core motivation.

The Wallbox Pulsar Max does offer solar integration through its Eco-Smart feature, but it requires purchasing a separate Wallbox Power Meter — an additional cost on top of the £699 unit price. It's functional, but it's not in the same league as the Zappi's built-in, purpose-designed solar diversion. If solar charging is your priority, the Zappi GLO is the clear winner (evenergyhub.com).

Build Quality and Design

The Wallbox Pulsar Max is strikingly compact at just 198 × 201 × 99mm — roughly a third of the Zappi GLO's footprint. If you're mounting a charger on a narrow pillar, inside a tight garage, or on a wall where aesthetics matter, the Pulsar Max is hard to beat. It's also available in six colours, so you can match it to your brickwork or front door rather than settling for the standard black or white. Its IK10 impact resistance rating means it can handle accidental knocks — handy if it's mounted near where you open car doors.

The Zappi GLO is larger at 439 × 282 × 130mm, though myenergi has removed the LCD screen from the older Zappi 2.1 to create a cleaner look. Some users will miss that on-unit display, but the trade-off is a sleeker, more modern design. It's available in black or white. The Zappi GLO's IP65 rating edges ahead of the Pulsar Max's IP54 for pure water ingress protection — IP65 means it can handle direct jets of water, while IP54 protects against splashing from all directions. In the real world, both are perfectly fine for a British driveway (evergy.co.uk).

One practical detail worth noting: the Zappi GLO comes with a 6.5-metre tethered cable versus the Pulsar Max's 5-metre cable. That extra 1.5 metres can make a real difference if your charge port is on the opposite side of the car from the charger.

App and Connectivity

Both chargers connect via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and neither offers built-in 4G — so a reliable Wi-Fi signal reaching your charger location is essential. The myenergi app lets you monitor power consumption, set schedules, track usage, and control the Zappi GLO's solar charging modes. It also supports RFID access for up to 126 users, which is genuinely useful for shared driveways or small businesses.

The myWallbox app offers scheduled charging, Power Boost dynamic load balancing, and voice control through Alexa and Google Assistant — a feature the Zappi GLO lacks. If you're already embedded in a smart home ecosystem, being able to say "Alexa, start charging" has a certain appeal. The Pulsar Max's Power Boost feature is also worth highlighting: it dynamically adjusts charging speed to prevent your main fuse from tripping, which can save the cost of a main fuse upgrade during installation.

Price and Value

The £80 price difference between these two chargers is relatively modest, and the real value calculation depends on your setup. If you have solar panels, the Zappi GLO's ability to charge your EV from free surplus energy will pay back that premium many times over. If you don't have solar, you're paying extra for features you won't use, and the Pulsar Max's longer five-year warranty and compact design offer better value for money.

It's also worth noting that the Pulsar Max's Eco-Smart solar feature requires a separate Power Meter, which narrows the price gap further if you do eventually add solar panels.

Who Should Buy Which?

Buy the myenergi Zappi GLO if:

• You have solar panels or plan to install them — no other charger matches its solar diversion
• You want to build a whole-home energy ecosystem with myenergi's eddi and libbi products
• You're on Intelligent Octopus Go and want automated off-peak charging
• You need RFID access for multiple users on a shared driveway
• You want a longer tethered cable (6.5m vs 5m)

Buy the Wallbox Pulsar Max if:

• You don't have solar panels and want a well-priced, reliable smart charger
• Wall space is limited and you need the most compact unit possible
• A five-year warranty matters to you for long-term peace of mind
• You want voice control through Alexa or Google Assistant
• You prefer to choose from multiple colour options to match your home

Our recommendation: For the majority of UK homeowners without solar panels, the Wallbox Pulsar Max offers the better overall package — it's £80 cheaper, significantly more compact, and comes with a longer warranty. However, if you have solar panels or are seriously planning an installation, the myenergi Zappi GLO is the only sensible choice. Its Eco+ mode is genuinely unique in the market, and the potential to charge your EV from free solar energy makes the higher price a bargain in the long run. Match the charger to your energy setup, and you won't go wrong.

Read our full myenergi Zappi GLO review or Wallbox Pulsar Max review.

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