Rolec EVO vs CTEK Chargestorm Connected 3

£356 versus £1,086 — and why the gap matters less than the supply

These two chargers occupy different universes. The Rolec EVO is a £356 untethered unit built in Lincolnshire, aimed squarely at the single-phase majority. The CTEK Chargestorm Connected 3 costs £1,086, weighs up to 24 kg, and is engineered for three-phase installations with MID-approved metering and OCPP 2.0.1 compliance. The £730 between them is not a quality gap — it is a purpose gap. Choosing between them is less about preference and more about the electrical supply bolted to your house.

• Rolec EVO — £356, single-phase smart charger with solar Eco+ modes, built-in protection, 3 kg. The budget pick that doesn't feel like one.
• CTEK Chargestorm Connected 3 — £1,086, three-phase native at up to 22kW, MID meter, Type B MRCD built in. Commercial-grade hardware for a domestic wall.

What single-phase buyers are paying for with the CTEK

On a single-phase supply — which covers the vast majority of UK homes — both chargers deliver roughly 7.4kW. The CTEK's headline 22kW capability sits dormant, and you are left with a unit that costs £730 more, weighs eight times as much, and has no first-party app for smart-tariff scheduling. Its install costs run £900–£1,300, against £400–£600 for the Rolec. Add the units together with typical installation and the total outlay diverges by over £1,000.

The CTEK does bring a built-in Type B MRCD — a more comprehensive protection device than the Rolec's Type A RCD — and a MID-approved energy meter, which matters if you need billing-grade measurement for workplace recharging or landlord scenarios. For a straightforward home charge point, neither feature changes the nightly routine of plugging in and walking away.

The Rolec, meanwhile, includes its own CT clamp for dynamic load balancing, PME/PEN fault detection, and surge protection in the box. Those built-in protections save £150–£250 at install — money that the CTEK's separate NANOGRID Air gateway (an additional purchase for load balancing) quietly adds back.

Smart tariffs and the app question

Neither charger is an Ohme Home Pro. The Rolec EVO has its own app with charge scheduling, energy monitoring, and solar integration — enough to set a timer for the Octopus Go 00:30–05:30 window or divert surplus PV in Eco+ mode. The app is newer and still receiving over-the-air refinements, but the fundamentals work.

The CTEK has no first-party consumer app at all. Scheduling relies on third-party OCPP platforms like Monta or Charge Portal. Neither offers direct integration with Octopus Intelligent Go or OVO Charge Anytime. If half-hourly tariff optimisation matters to you — and on Octopus Agile it should — the CTEK is the wrong tool. The Rolec is the better of the two for simple scheduling, though buyers who want proper Intelligent Go integration should look at the Ohme Home Pro or VCHRGD Seven Pro instead.

When the CTEK earns its price

Three-phase homes. That is the answer, and it is a short one. If you have a three-phase supply — or are upgrading to one alongside solar and battery storage — the CTEK delivers 22kW natively, with OCPP 2.0.1 and ISO 15118 plug-and-charge readiness baked in. Its five-year warranty, IP54 and IK10 ratings, and Eichrecht-compliant metering make it credible hardware for small businesses, shared driveways, or future-proofed domestic setups. Its nearest rival in this niche is the Zaptec Go 2 at £638 — a comparison worth reading for three-phase buyers weighing their options.

Both chargers are OZEV-approved. Eligible renters and flat owners can claim the £500 grant. For the Rolec at £356, that grant covers the unit outright and contributes towards installation costs too. For the CTEK at £1,086, it takes the unit to £586 — still a significant outlay before install.

The verdict

Buy the Rolec EVO if:

• You have a single-phase supply — which is almost certainly the case
• You want solar diversion with Eco and Eco+ surplus modes
• You want the lowest total installed cost, with protection hardware already inside the unit

Buy the CTEK Chargestorm Connected 3 if:

• You have or are installing a three-phase supply and want 22kW charging
• You need MID-approved metering for billing or reimbursement
• You are building around OCPP 2.0.1 and ISO 15118 for a longer-term infrastructure plan

For the single-phase household — and that is most of you — the Rolec EVO at £356 is the clear pick. It does everything a home charger needs to do, costs less than a weekend away, and saves money again at install. The CTEK is fine hardware aimed at a narrow audience. If you are not in that audience, the decision is already made.