Zaptec Go vs Zaptec Go 2: The Differences That Matter in the UK

The short answer

Zaptec sells both, and the choice is cleaner than most "old vs new" pairs. The Zaptec Go 2 is a three-phase-capable, MID-metered, screen-equipped update that costs about £638; the original Go is a single-phase 7.4 kW unit with no screen and a ±3% meter for roughly £150 less. On a normal UK single-phase supply they charge at the same speed. Buy the Go 2 if you have, or expect to get, three-phase power, if you need legally valid meter readings for a mileage claim, or if you want the V2G-ready hardware. Buy the Go if you want the cheapest Zaptec and the built-in PEN protection that, according to UK resellers, the Go 2 lacks.

Neither one talks to Intelligent Octopus Go or OVO Charge Anytime through the charger. That rules out both for an older EV on a smart tariff, and it is the main reason the Ohme Home Pro outsells them.

Every difference

The three things that actually separate them

Three-phase and phase switching. The UK Go is wired single-phase only. The Go 2 runs at 22 kW on three-phase and, more usefully for solar homes, switches between one and three phases on its own, so it can take a small PV surplus on one phase rather than waiting for enough to feed three. If you have three-phase power, or are paying the DNO to get it, the Go 2 is the only Zaptec worth fitting. If you don't, this difference is worth nothing.

The MID meter. A MID Class B reading is what a leasing company, an employer's expenses system or a landlord will accept. The Go's ±3% meter is fine for your own curiosity. Company-car drivers who reclaim home charging should buy the Go 2 for this alone; everyone else can ignore it.

PEN-fault protection. This is the UK catch. The UK Go was re-engineered with open-PEN detection built in, so it needs no earth rod and no extra device. UK resellers list the Go 2 with "no built-in PEN protection", which would mean an external open-PEN unit at the consumer unit — typically £100–150 on the install. Zaptec's UK page for the Go 2 does not address it, and we have not seen a Zaptec statement either way, so treat this as a question for your installer rather than settled fact. If it holds, it eats most of the Go 2's price premium over the Go and makes the Easee One, which carries PEN protection and the RCD inside, a sharper comparison for a single-phase home.

Things that are the same

Both are sockets, so budget for a cable. Both have subscription-free 4G, which is the feature Zaptec owners praise most: no driveway Wi-Fi, no problem. Both use the same app, the same OCPP 1.6J cloud, and the same five-year warranty, which is the longest in the range we cover alongside the NexBlue Point 2. Neither has Ethernet. Dynamic load balancing and solar-surplus charging need the Zaptec Sense on either model; it is not in the box.

Tariffs

The weak spot is shared. Octopus's eligibility checker does not accept any Zaptec for Intelligent Go, OVO's Charge Anytime list has no Zaptec entry, and E.ON's Next Drive Smart list names zappi, Hypervolt and Indra. A Tesla or another car on Octopus's vehicle list gets around it, because the schedule then runs through the car's API and the Zaptec is just the socket. For a car without a supported API you are on a fixed-window tariff — Octopus Go, EDF GoElectric — with the Zaptec app's timer, and at that point the Go's lower price is the better deal. Our smart-tariff chargers guide lists the chargers that do integrate.

Price

The Go 2 sells for £638 at UK EV Installers and up to £670 elsewhere; Zaptec's UK shop lists it at £525 without saying whether that includes VAT. The Go sells for about £488 at resellers, with clearance prices under £480 appearing as stock turns over. Installed, expect £1,038–£1,238 for the Go 2 on single-phase, plus the external PEN device if your installer confirms it is needed. Both are on the OZEV approved list, so eligible renters and flat owners can claim the grant on either.

Verdict

Three-phase supply, solar, or a mileage claim: Go 2. The phase switching and MID meter are real, and the IK10 case and better 4G are welcome.

Single-phase driveway, no reimbursement: the original Go. Same 7.4 kW, same app, same five-year warranty, built-in PEN protection, £150 less. Spend the difference on a decent cable.

Any Zaptec on a smart tariff with an older EV: neither. Look at the Ohme Home Pro or the NexBlue Point 2, both of which Octopus and OVO schedule directly.