Andersen EV Charger Review – Andersen A3, Rated.
Andersen EV prides itself on its luxurious EV charging point looks. In fact, some are calling it the ‘designer EV charging brand’ when it comes to the EV charging market.
But while the Andersen A3 is undoubtedly one of the best-looking EV chargers on the market, is it the best-performing?
Next, in our EV charger review series – you guessed it – is the Andersen A3.
Today, we give you a brief introduction to the Andersen, take you through the pros and cons, before giving you our honest opinion on the Andersen A3 – all in our go-to Andersen EV charger review.
What is the Andersen A3 EV Charger?
To start, a little overview. The Andersen A3 is a wall-mounted, tethered, single-phase 7kW fast charging smart home EV charger. Compatible with all Type 2 electric and hybrid cars as well as made directly here in the UK, it’s the perfect electric car charger for British EV drivers with predominantly Type 2 EVs.
Like other home EV chargers, the Anderson A3 comes with its own app to manage your charging from home.
For the installation, a CT clamp is included for solar as standard, and no earth rod is needed for the A3. So, the Andersen is packed with more for the price, and has a quicker, more efficient installation.
Now, let’s get into the pros and cons in our Andersen A3 EV charger review.
Andersen EV Charger Review – A3 Pros
1. Designer looks
Slip that paintbrush between your fingers – it’s time to be an artist.
Customise your own bespoke Andersen electric car charger from Andersen A3’s 247 available colour combinations. From Midnight Black to Cashmere with Sorong Teak Craft to Hampton Stone, and add in a choice of accoya wood, metal and more – the A3’s fascia is fully customisable, and entirely your own.
Match your home’s colour scheme. Match your car. Match your style. Stay individualistic against the masses.
One thing is for certain: whatever your mind’s eye designs, your Andersen will be a beautiful concoction of British heritage, premium materials blended with modern technology.
Plus, with Andersen’s custom palette feature, you can go the extra mile and match your charger to anything. Wall? Car? Favourite outdoor chair? Done, done and done.
Your charger, your way.
It’s slimmer than the Andersen EV A2, too.
2. Hidden cable solution
Tethered or untethered? The charging cable debate is endless.
Untethered is neater. Tethered is handier. The pros and cons of each make choosing between the two hard, with no clear winner in the fight.
But Andersen has a new and improved solution – their unique, magical hidden cable.
Worried your cable will dangle mid-air? Stressed that the cable will ruin your home charger’s aesthetics? Harrowed that dirt might muddy your hands when you use the charging point?
Don’t worry. With Andersen A3 charger’s hidden cable, you get the ease of use and convenience of a tethered charger without compromising style. Wrap the cable around the charger, and it will slip neatly into the groove-like design. Voilà – your charging cable is hidden away from nosy neighbours and Peeping Toms. Stylish, safe and secure.
The cable length is 5.5 metres, too. Enough to stretch far and wide, covering the typical length for an EV charging cable.
Bonus points, the integrated cable holder has cleaning brushes – doing double duty when you put your charging cable away.
3. 7-year warranty
7 years bad luck? Not with the Andersen.
The average smart EV charger comes with a 3-year warranty as standard, direct from the charging point manufacturer. Occasionally, like the Rolec, a 5-year warranty may come into play. But a 7-year warranty is almost unheard of. Andersen chargers do, though, surpass the norm into unknown–yet–secure territory, with a whopping 7-year warranty on offer.
Longevity at its finest, for complete peace of mind.
4. Solar integration as standard
Do you have solar panels at home? If so, you’re in luck. With Andersen’s new solar integration, you can charge your electric car or hybrid with free, surplus solar energy.
Packed with different solar charging functions, you can: view live solar data, charge purely with solar energy, or top-up with a sustainable blend of solar energy and electricity from the grid.
You can even go as far as creating a bespoke, cost-saving, energy-efficient charging schedule. For example, top up with free solar energy during the day, then use discounted electricity at night. A win-win.
To top it off, solar compatibility is included in the standard price, unlike other electric vehicle chargers, such as the Easee One, which require an add-on purchase to access this functionality.
5. Lock feature
Lock in. Lock out. Your Andersen EV A3 protects your electric car charger from unwanted use. Passersby? Neighbour? No problem. Tap your app and remotely lock your Andersen A3.
Lock. Unlock. For simplistic security.
Andersen EV Charger Review: Andersen A3 Cons
1. Expensive
Think of a premium car. Or wallet. Or watch. Anything designer, really. It goes without saying that these items will have a higher price tag attached – sometimes, even eye-watering.
Since Andersen is the self-proclaimed ‘designer charger’ of the EV market, that price tag is on the larger side of life.
Usually, for luxury items, it’s down to the brand, the quality, and the materials. And this is true of the Andersen charging points. Chosen by Porsche and trusted by Jaguar and Land Rover, their quality is backed by some of the leading luxury car manufacturers.
With this, if you have a taste for the finer things in life, then there’s no problem. Indulge in the Andersen’s rectangular, English heritage-esque fit and form. If anything, it’s a high expense for a high reward.
That said, if premium aesthetics isn’t your cup of tea, this could be a deciding factor for you. And, cheaper EV chargers, such as the evec or the Indra Smart Lux, may be more for you.
2. Limited App functionality
Andersen has style in every crevice, even in the app, with the Andersen app’s clean, user-friendly interface.
Altogether, it offers a conventional smart EV charger app package, too. You can use scheduled charging, track your costs daily, weekly or monthly, and monitor your energy usage – but does it do anything beyond the basics? Does the Andersen App offer anything special?
Sadly, while Andersen EV charging includes the essential smart charging features, across the board, we found one smart feature lacking – Andersen’s EV tariff compatibility.
For example, the Andersen is not compatible with the British Gas EV tariff, where electric car drivers can charge for 7.9p. Potential savings could therefore be missed out on.
That said, Andersen A3 does work with the OVO Charge Anytime tariff, which allows you to charge for 7p per kWh with the right charging set-up.
Plus, Andersen have recently announced their partnership and new compatibility with the Octopus Intelligent Go EV tariff.
With the way Andersen’s technology is advancing, full EV tariff compatibility could be on the table soon.
Andersen EV Charger Review: Andersen A3 Conclusion
To conclude, the Andersen A3 EV charger unites high-quality manufacturing and bespoke British beauty to present one of the most stylish electric car chargers by a mile. With this in mind, the Andersen EV charger receives a whopping 10/10 for looks from us.
In fact, while all Andersen EV chargers are perfect for electric car drivers who prefer the luxurious way of life, the Andersen A3, with its slimmer build and fresher features than the Andersen A2, leads the charge.
And, with over 1,300 happy customers, a market-leading 7-year warranty and as a Which? Trusted Trader, reliability is just as prominent as Andersen’s visual appeal. In fact, the Andersen A3 was voted the best home charger for quality by What Car?.
However, for those on a budget or the cost-savvy who want functionality over form, the Andersen may not be for you. Try the evec instead. Or, while not as chic, the VCHRGD Seven Pro is abundant in smart features, for a fraction of the price.
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