Indra Smart LUX vs EVEC VEC03

A current product versus a clearance one

That is the core tension here, and it matters more than the £197 gap between them. The Indra Smart LUX costs £546. The EVEC VEC03 costs £349. Both deliver 7.4 kW, both carry three-year warranties, both are OZEV-approved. On paper, the EVEC looks like a bargain. In practice, EVEC has already replaced it with the vecGO 2.0 — what remains of the VEC03 is run-out stock, flagged as such on EVEC's own product page. The Smart LUX is a live product, manufactured in Worcestershire, receiving OTA updates.

• Indra Smart LUX — slim, tough, tariff-aware. £546 for a charger with a future.
• EVEC VEC03 — cheap, compliant, discontinued. £349 for a charger that is already behind you.

What the £197 buys — and what it doesn't

Both chargers include built-in electrical protections that trim your install bill. The VEC03 packs a Type A RCD with 6 mA DC leakage detection and PEN fault protection — typically saving around £100 on install labour. The Smart LUX includes its own SPD and PEN fault detection, with Indra claiming savings closer to £150. Factor that in and the real out-of-pocket difference narrows, though the Smart LUX still costs more.

Where the gap becomes decisive is software. The Indra claims integration with over 1,000 UK energy tariffs. On Octopus Agile, that means half-hourly scheduling — the charger chases the cheapest slots without you setting an alarm. On Octopus Go or EDF GoElectric, it handles the fixed off-peak window automatically. The VEC03 has no smart-tariff API at all. It is not on the Octopus Intelligent Go compatibility list, has no OVO Charge Anytime hook, and its app-based scheduling — the only route to off-peak charging — draws consistent complaints about reliability over Wi-Fi. If your tariff has an off-peak window, the VEC03 makes you do the work yourself and sometimes forgets to do even that.

Solar diversion tells the same story. The Smart LUX includes a CT clamp for PV surplus charging out of the box. The VEC03 supports solar integration in theory, but the CT clamp is sold separately and the implementation depends on an app that users report as intermittent. If you have panels on the roof, the Indra is the only credible option of the two — though dedicated solar buyers should also look at the myenergi Zappi GLO vs Indra Smart LUX comparison for a fuller picture.

The Indra Smart LUX's physical advantage

78 mm deep, 3.6 kg, IP67 plus IK10. Those numbers are unusual. The VEC03 is 105 mm deep, 5.01 kg, and its IP rating is — to put it politely — unclear: EVEC's own documentation quotes IP54, IP55, and IP65 in different places. The Smart LUX is submersible-rated and impact-resistant to IK10, the highest of any home charger on the site. If your charge point faces the street, sits in an exposed car port, or needs to survive a reversing wheelie bin, the Indra's housing earns its keep.

The cable is longer too — 6 metres against the VEC03's 5 metres. Not a dramatic difference, but enough to reach a second parking position or a charge port on the far side of the car.

One caveat on the Indra

Connectivity. The Smart LUX ships with Wi-Fi only. If your router signal fades before it reaches the driveway, the optional 4G module costs around £250 — steep, given that the Ohme Home Pro includes a SIM in its £539 price. If reliable connectivity without a strong Wi-Fi signal is your priority, the Ohme Home Pro vs Indra Smart LUX comparison is worth reading before you decide.

The verdict

Buy the Indra Smart LUX if:

• You want smart-tariff scheduling — especially on variable rates like Octopus Agile
• You have solar panels and want built-in PV diversion
• You value a slim profile (78 mm) and the highest weather and impact protection available

Buy the EVEC VEC03 if:

• You are on a flat-rate tariff, do not need smart scheduling, and want the lowest unit price
• You are grant-eligible — the £500 OZEV grant covers the £349 unit outright and chips into the install
• You accept that this is discontinued stock with limited software development ahead of it

For most buyers, the Smart LUX is the right charger. It costs £197 more, but it is a product that is still being made, still being updated, and still being supported. The VEC03 is already a footnote in EVEC's own catalogue. Paying less for a charger that is on its way out only saves money if nothing ever needs to change — and with EV tariffs, apps, and grid demands shifting year on year, that is not a bet worth taking.