Andersen A3 vs Cord Zero

The Cord Zero is £440 cheaper at £555 compared to the Andersen A3 at £995. Note: the Cord Zero price is tethered 5m; 8m version £625; untethered £475.

When you factor in professional installation (typically £400–£600), the total installed cost for the Andersen A3 is approximately £1395–£1595, while the Cord Zero comes in at around £955–£1155. Fully installed, the Cord Zero remains the more affordable option.

Both the Andersen A3 (7.4kW) and Cord Zero (7.4kW) are single-phase chargers, delivering around 7–7.4kW on a standard UK home supply.

On a standard UK single-phase supply, both will charge a Tesla Model 3 Long Range (75kWh battery) from 20% to 80% in approximately 5–6 hours overnight. Even a Tesla Model Y with its larger battery completes a typical daily top-up well within an overnight window. For the vast majority of UK Tesla owners, single-phase 7kW charging is more than sufficient — you'll wake up to a full battery every morning.

The Andersen A3 offers: Andersen app, Smart tariff support, Solar integration, Scheduled charging, Hidden cable system, Wi-Fi connected. The Cord Zero offers: Cord AI app, Scheduled charging, EV tariff integration, Solar compatible, Dynamic load balancing, RFID access control, OCPP 1.6J, Wi-Fi + 4G dual connectivity, Energy monitoring.

Breaking these down by category: for connectivity, the Andersen A3 uses Wi-Fi connected, while the Cord Zero uses Wi-Fi + 4G dual connectivity. For energy management, the Andersen A3 provides basic monitoring, compared to the Cord Zero's Dynamic load balancing, Energy monitoring. Solar and scheduling features are covered in the dedicated sections below.

Both the Andersen A3 and Cord Zero support solar integration, allowing you to charge your Tesla using surplus solar energy rather than drawing from the grid. The implementation and sophistication of solar diversion differs between the two, which can significantly affect how much free charging you actually get.

The Andersen A3 supports solar diversion through its energy management system. The Cord Zero supports solar diversion through its energy management system. The key difference is how precisely each charger tracks surplus generation — CT clamp-based systems typically offer more responsive diversion than those relying on smart meter data, which can have a slight delay.

Both the Andersen A3 and Cord Zero support smart energy tariffs, enabling automated off-peak charging at significantly reduced rates. This is one of the most impactful ways to cut your EV running costs, potentially saving hundreds of pounds per year compared to charging on a standard tariff.

The Andersen A3 supports smart tariff scheduling with popular EV tariffs including Octopus Go (~8.5p/kWh) and similar time-of-use plans. The Cord Zero supports smart tariff scheduling with popular EV tariffs including Octopus Go (~8.5p/kWh) and similar time-of-use plans. The most popular EV tariffs in the UK include Octopus Intelligent Go (~7p/kWh), Octopus Go (~8.5p/kWh), OVO Charge Anytime (~14p/kWh), and British Gas EV Power+ (~7.9p/kWh). Not all chargers work with all tariffs, so check compatibility with your specific provider before buying.

The Andersen A3 comes with a 7 years warranty, while the Cord Zero offers 3 years. The Andersen A3 offers 4 years more coverage, giving you added peace of mind. Both are OZEV-approved and suitable for outdoor installation — a longer warranty provides more peace of mind for a product that lives outside year-round and is exposed to British weather.

For weatherproofing, the Andersen A3 is rated IP54 (weatherproof) (splash-proof — protected against splashing water from any direction), while the Cord Zero is rated IP54 + IK08 (weatherproof, impact-resistant) (splash-proof — protected against splashing water from any direction). A higher IP rating means better protection against rain, hose water, and dust. In practical terms, any rating of IP54 or above is suitable for a UK outdoor installation, but a higher rating provides extra confidence in extreme weather — particularly relevant if your charger is exposed rather than sheltered under a car port.