Rolec EVO vs Enphase IQ EV Charger 2

£356 against £1,050 — and both charge at 7.4 kW

These two chargers deliver identical power to a single-phase UK home. Both offer solar surplus modes, built-in electrical protections, Wi-Fi 6, five-year warranties, and IP-rated enclosures tough enough for a coastal driveway. The gap between them is £694. That is not a rounding error — it is the price of a decent holiday, or a Zappi GLO with change left over. The question is whether the Enphase IQ EV Charger 2 does something the Rolec EVO cannot.

• Rolec EVO — £356, untethered, OZEV-approved, solar Eco/Eco+ modes with CT clamp included, built-in PME detection and RCD. The budget pick that doesn't feel like one.
• Enphase IQ EV Charger 2 — £1,050, tethered with a 7.5-metre cable, solar chase from 1.38 kW surplus in 1A increments, MID-certified metering, single-app control if you run the full Enphase ecosystem. OZEV approval not confirmed.

The Enphase only makes sense inside an Enphase home

Strip away the branding and both chargers do the same fundamental job: divert spare solar generation into your car. The Rolec's Eco+ mode watches the CT clamp and sends surplus to the vehicle. The Enphase does the same thing — arguably more finely, adjusting in 1A increments roughly every 30 seconds and starting from as little as 1.38 kW of excess — but it reaches its full potential only when paired with Enphase IQ microinverters, an IQ Gateway, and ideally an IQ Battery. In that configuration, the app orchestrates solar, battery storage, and EV charging from a single screen. The AI-led source selection across all three is the Enphase's real argument.

Without that ecosystem, the Enphase is a £1,050 charger doing a £356 charger's job. Its MID-certified metering is precise, its OCPP 2.0.1 support is forward-looking, and its ISO 15118 hardware readiness nods toward Plug & Charge and eventual V2X. These are credentials. They are not, today, worth £694 to a household that just wants to charge a car on spare solar.

Install costs widen the gap further

The Rolec ships with built-in PME/PEN fault detection, a Type A RCD, and surge protection. On most installations, that removes the need for a separate PEN device or earth rod — saving £100–£250 in parts and labour. Typical install runs £400–£600, and the charger itself is OZEV-approved, so eligible renters and flat owners can claim the £500 grant. At £356, the grant covers the unit outright and chips into the install.

The Enphase's install estimate is £900–£1,300. It too includes PEN fault protection and an RDC-DD, so the electrical savings are similar — but the base install is higher because the unit often requires an Enphase IQ Gateway on site and integration with the existing Enphase system. And because OZEV approval is not confirmed for this model, the £500 grant is not something you can bank on. All-in — charger plus install — the Enphase path could cost £1,950–£2,350 against the Rolec's £756–£956. That is a substantial difference for the same 7.4 kW to the car.

Neither charger chases cheap tariff slots

If your priority is tariff optimisation rather than solar, neither charger is the right answer. The Rolec has charge scheduling in its app, which is enough for a fixed off-peak window like Octopus Go (8.5p/kWh, 00:30–05:30). The Enphase has scheduling too. But neither has direct API integration with Octopus Intelligent Go, Octopus Agile, or any other half-hourly tariff. For that, the Ohme Home Pro at £539 is the obvious alternative — and it is covered in more detail in the Ohme Home Pro vs Rolec EVO comparison.

Tethered versus untethered — a practical note

The Enphase comes with a 7.5-metre tethered Type 2 cable, among the longest on the market. The Rolec is untethered only — you supply your own cable. For some drivers this is a dealbreaker; for others it is a preference. A decent 5-metre Type 2 cable costs £60–£100, and untethered sockets keep the wall tidy. But if you want to grab a cable and plug in without fetching anything from the boot, the Enphase has the edge. Then again, so does the Sync Energy Wall Charger 2 at £400 — tethered, OZEV-approved, and £650 cheaper than the Enphase.

The verdict

Buy the Rolec EVO if:

• You want solar surplus charging without paying four figures for it
• You value built-in protections that cut £100–£250 from a typical install
• You are OZEV-eligible and want the grant to cover the unit price outright

Buy the Enphase IQ EV Charger 2 if:

• You already own Enphase microinverters and an IQ Battery and want one app for everything
• You need MID-certified metering for energy reporting or billing
• You want a long tethered cable and are comfortable with the higher total cost

For the vast majority of UK households — including those with solar panels from other manufacturers — the Rolec EVO is the right charger here. It does the core solar job, costs £356, qualifies for the grant, and saves further at the consumer unit. The Enphase is a fine piece of hardware that belongs inside a specific ecosystem. Outside that ecosystem, £694 buys you precision you will not notice and integration you cannot use.