EO Mini Pro 3 vs Enphase IQ EV Charger 2: The £229 solar question

A compact all-rounder versus a solar-ecosystem component

The EO Mini Pro 3 at £550 and the Enphase IQ EV Charger 2 at £779 are not natural rivals. They end up on the same shortlist only when a buyer has solar panels and wonders whether the Enphase's tighter integration justifies a £229 premium — plus install costs that run £300–£700 higher than the EO's.

• EO Mini Pro 3 — the smallest mainstream charger in the UK (215 × 140 × 100 mm, 2.5 kg), with tariff presets, a CT clamp for basic solar diversion, and an OZEV-approved £550 price tag.
• Enphase IQ EV Charger 2 — a 7.4 kW charger built to slot into an Enphase energy ecosystem, with 1A-increment solar tracking, MID-certified metering, a 7.5-metre cable, and a five-year warranty. £779, OZEV approval not confirmed.

When the Enphase earns its price

The Enphase makes its case inside one specific home: Enphase microinverters on the roof, an IQ Battery on the wall, the IQ Gateway already installed. In that setup, one app governs generation, storage, and car charging. The charger chases solar surplus from as little as 1.38 kW, adjusting every 30 seconds in 1A steps. The AI-led source selection — solar first, then battery, then grid — is genuinely useful for someone who wants to maximise self-consumption without thinking about it.

Outside that ecosystem, the picture changes. The Enphase has no direct integration with Octopus Intelligent Go, Octopus Agile, or any other half-hourly UK tariff. Its scheduling works, but it cannot chase variable rates the way an Ohme Home Pro can. And without the IQ Gateway, you lose the multi-source orchestration that separates this charger from a competent 7.4 kW box with a long cable. At £779 — before install costs of £900–£1,300 — that is a lot to pay for hardware readiness you may never activate.

Where the EO Mini Pro 3 fits better

The EO's argument is simpler: it is small, it works, and it costs £229 less. At 215 × 140 mm it mounts where other chargers cannot — narrow garages, tight walls beside doors, recessed brickwork. The CT clamp in the box handles basic solar diversion, and tariff presets cover Octopus Go, EDF GoElectric, and others. Ethernet alongside Wi-Fi gives a wired fallback in garages where signal dies — a practical detail the Enphase also offers, to be fair.

The EO's weaknesses are real but bounded. Its 5-metre cable is short; the Enphase's 7.5 metres is a material advantage if your charge point sits far from where the car parks. Its solar diversion is coarse compared to the Enphase's 1A granularity — and cruder still next to the myenergi Zappi GLO's Eco+ mode. Its three-year warranty is two years shorter than the Enphase's five. And 7.2 kW versus 7.4 kW is a difference that barely registers in practice but exists on the spec sheet.

For British Gas customers specifically, the Hive Power+ variant of the EO adds 25% cashback on charging costs via the British Gas Electric Drivers tariff — a structural discount no other charger offers. That narrows the effective running cost gap further.

The grant question

The EO Mini Pro 3 is OZEV-approved. The Enphase IQ EV Charger 2 is not confirmed on the current approved list. For eligible buyers — renters and flat owners — the £500 grant nearly wipes out the EO's £550 unit price, leaving install as the main cost. The Enphase, without confirmed approval, offers no such offset. That alone may settle the decision for anyone who qualifies.

The verdict

Buy the EO Mini Pro 3 if:

• You need the smallest possible unit for a tight wall or garage
• You want a straightforward, OZEV-approved charger at £550 with tariff scheduling and basic solar diversion
• You are on British Gas and the Hive Power+ cashback applies

Buy the Enphase IQ EV Charger 2 if:

• You already run Enphase microinverters and an IQ Battery, and want single-app control over the whole system
• The 7.5-metre cable is necessary for your parking layout
• You value MID-certified metering and a five-year warranty, and the £229 premium plus higher install costs do not trouble you

For most buyers, the EO is the sensible pick. It does what a home charger needs to do, it fits where others cannot, and it leaves £229 in your pocket. The Enphase is a fine piece of hardware — well-built, future-proofed, impressively granular on solar — but it is a component of an Enphase energy system, not a standalone charger that justifies its price on its own merits. If you have that system, it completes it. If you do not, the EO — or for solar-focused buyers, the Zappi GLO at £750 — does more of what matters for less.