Zaptec Go 2 vs Rolec EVO

£282 for a future that hasn't landed yet

The Zaptec Go 2 costs £638. The Rolec EVO costs £356. That £282 gap is not a rounding error — it is the price of a bet on vehicle-to-grid technology reaching UK homes before your charger's warranty expires.

• Zaptec Go 2 — the only AC home charger certified V2G-ready in the UK, with a MID-approved meter and free 4G. A forward-looking proposition at a forward-looking price.
• Rolec EVO — a British-built 7.4kW smart charger with solar diversion, built-in PME fault detection, and install-cost savings that make the £356 sticker even cheaper in practice.

What the Rolec EVO does with the money you save

The Rolec's headline is value, but the interesting detail is where that value sits. Built-in PME/PEN fault detection means your installer can skip a separate PEN device or earth rod — a saving of £100–£250 on most jobs. Add the integrated Type A RCD and surge protection, and the total install bill drops further. A CT clamp ships in the box for dynamic load balancing and solar integration. On a typical single-phase home, the Rolec's all-in cost — unit plus install — can land below what many competitors charge for the hardware alone.

Solar owners get Eco and Eco+ modes that divert surplus generation to the car without extra kit. It is not as sophisticated as the myenergi Zappi GLO's approach, but it costs £243 less and handles the core job: charge from the roof first, top up from the grid if needed. For households already running panels and wanting a charger that cooperates without a second mortgage, the Rolec is a strong starting point. Those wanting deeper solar integration can see how it stacks up in the Zappi GLO vs Rolec EVO comparison.

Connectivity is the one area where the Rolec concedes ground. Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and Ethernet cover most driveways, but there is no 4G fallback. If your charger sits at the far end of a long garden with patchy Wi-Fi, that matters. If it is bolted to the wall two metres from your router, it does not.

What the Zaptec Go 2 is actually selling

V2G readiness is the Zaptec's reason for existing at this price. No other AC home charger in the UK carries the same certification. When — if — vehicle-to-grid services become commercially available on a meaningful scale, the Go 2 will not need replacing. That is the pitch.

Today, though, V2G remains a pilot-stage technology. The protocols are not standardised, the tariff structures barely exist, and compatible vehicles are a short list. Paying £638 for a charger whose distinguishing feature cannot yet be used is a conscious gamble. If you are the sort of person who bought solar panels in 2012 and does not regret it, the logic tracks. If you prefer to pay for things that work on the day they arrive, it does not.

The Zaptec does earn some of its premium in the present tense. The MID-approved energy meter provides legally certified readings — useful for company car drivers claiming reimbursement or landlords billing tenants. Subscription-free 4G means the charger stays online regardless of your home network. And OCPP 1.6J compliance opens the door to third-party energy management platforms. These are real features, just not £282-worth of real features for most households.

For buyers drawn to the Zaptec's future-proofing but wary of the price, the Indra Smart PRO at £395 is another V2G-adjacent option worth examining — the Zaptec Go 2 vs Indra Smart PRO comparison covers the detail.

Neither charger automates your tariff

Both units offer scheduled charging, and both are OCPP 1.6J compliant. Neither offers direct tariff integration — the half-hourly rate-chasing that the Ohme Home Pro handles natively. On a fixed off-peak tariff like Octopus Go at 8.5p/kWh, a manual 00:30–05:30 schedule works fine from either charger. On Octopus Agile, where rates shift every thirty minutes, you are leaving money on the table with both. If tariff optimisation is the priority, the Ohme is the right charger — and neither the Zaptec nor the Rolec pretends otherwise.

Which to buy

Buy the Zaptec Go 2 if:

• You are specifically investing in V2G readiness and accept the timeline risk
• You need a MID-approved meter for company car reimbursement or tenant billing
• Your driveway has poor Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity is non-negotiable

Buy the Rolec EVO if:

• You want the lowest total cost of ownership — unit, install, and ongoing
• You have solar panels and want surplus diversion without extra hardware
• You prefer to pay for features that work today, not promises about tomorrow

For most single-phase homes, the Rolec EVO is the more rational purchase. It costs £356, its built-in protection components trim the install bill by a meaningful amount, and its solar modes do a competent job from day one. The Zaptec Go 2 is not overpriced for what it will do — but it is overpriced for what it does right now. Buy the Rolec, charge cheaply on EDF GoElectric at 6.99p/kWh overnight, and revisit V2G when there is something to plug into.