Easee One vs Rolec EVO: Which Budget Charger Deserves Your Wall?

Easee One vs Rolec EVO: Two Sub-£450 Chargers, One Surprisingly Tough Decision

These two chargers sit closer together on price than almost any other pairing on the market — just £44 separates the Easee One at £405 from the Rolec EVO at £449. Both are untethered, both deliver 7.4kW on single-phase, and both include dynamic load balancing. So what actually separates them?

Quite a lot, as it turns out.

In a nutshell:

• Easee One: Lightest charger available (1.5 kg), lifetime 4G connectivity, rock-bottom price
• Rolec EVO: Solar integration, 5-year warranty, UK-built, more complete feature set

Does the Rolec EVO's Solar Integration Justify the Extra £44?

If you have solar panels — or plan to install them — this comparison is basically over. The Rolec EVO includes Eco and Eco+ solar diversion modes with a CT clamp in the box. No extra hardware, no add-on costs. Eco mode blends grid and solar power to maintain a minimum charge rate, while Eco+ charges exclusively from surplus solar generation.

The Easee One has no solar integration whatsoever. If solar matters to you, the Rolec EVO is the obvious pick. For a broader look at this category, our solar charger guide covers all the options.

Connectivity: Easee's 4G vs Rolec's Wi-Fi 6

Here's where the Easee One fights back. Its built-in eSIM provides lifetime 4G connectivity at no recurring cost, with Wi-Fi as a backup. If your charger is mounted in a garage or at the far end of your driveway where Wi-Fi signal is patchy, that cellular connection is invaluable. You'll never lose app control or scheduled charging because your router had a wobble.

The Rolec EVO counters with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and an Ethernet port — three options, but all dependent on your home network. If you can run an Ethernet cable to the charger or your Wi-Fi coverage is solid, this is a non-issue. But for anyone with connectivity concerns, the Easee's always-on 4G is a meaningful advantage.

Warranty and Build: Five Years vs Three

The Rolec EVO offers a 5-year warranty — among the longest in the UK market — backed by a manufacturer that's been building EV chargers in Lincolnshire for over a decade. That's two full years more than the Easee One's 3-year warranty, and it provides real peace of mind for a piece of outdoor electrical equipment exposed to British weather year-round.

Both units carry IP54 weatherproofing, but the Rolec adds IK10 impact resistance — the highest rating available, meaning it can withstand serious knocks. At 3 kg it's double the Easee's featherweight 1.5 kg, but that extra heft reflects a more robust enclosure. For a wall-mounted box that'll live outside for years, toughness counts.

How Do the Easee One and Rolec EVO Compare on Smart Features?

The Rolec EVO simply packs more into the box. RFID access control (two cards included), OCPP 1.6J support for future-proofing with third-party energy platforms, built-in PME/PEN fault detection that eliminates the need for a separate earth rod or PEN device — saving you £100–200 on installation costs — and energy monitoring. That PME protection alone can close the £44 price gap entirely once you factor in installation savings.

The Easee One keeps things simpler: app control, scheduled charging, dynamic load balancing, and that excellent 4G connectivity. It also supports expanding to three chargers on one fuse, though that requires additional Easee hardware. If you want a straightforward, no-fuss charger and don't need solar or RFID, the Easee's minimalism is appealing.

Neither charger offers direct smart tariff integration like the Ohme range. Both rely on their respective apps for scheduled charging, which works fine with fixed off-peak windows like Octopus Go but won't dynamically optimise across variable-rate tariffs like Octopus Agile. Check our EV tariff comparison if smart tariff optimisation is a priority — you may want a different charger entirely.

Which Should You Buy?

Buy the Easee One if you:

• Want the absolute cheapest charger available at £405
• Need reliable connectivity in a location with poor Wi-Fi
• Prefer the lightest, simplest installation possible
• Don't have or plan to get solar panels

Buy the Rolec EVO if you:

• Have solar panels or plan to install them
• Value a longer 5-year warranty from a UK manufacturer
• Want built-in PME fault detection to reduce installation costs
• Need RFID access control or OCPP compatibility

For most buyers, the Rolec EVO is the smarter spend. That extra £44 buys you solar capability, two more years of warranty, PME protection that could save you more than £44 on installation, and a more complete feature set overall. The Easee One remains the best pick if rock-solid connectivity is your top priority or you simply want the lowest upfront cost. Either way, you're getting a genuinely capable charger for under £450 — a price point that was unthinkable two years ago. See our cheapest EV charger guide for full installed cost breakdowns.