How we compare EV chargers
Our charger pages exist to answer one question honestly: which unit suits your situation. This page sets out exactly how those comparisons are made — and what we don't do.
What our comparisons are based on
Evova's charger reviews are spec-verified editorial comparisons. Every specification — power, connector and cable options, warranty, connectivity, solar behaviour, smart-tariff integrations — is checked against the manufacturer's published documentation, with reputable UK retailers and reviewers used to corroborate pricing and real-world reports. Every price we publish is dated with when and where we checked it.
We are upfront about what we don't do: we don't run a hands-on test lab. We don't claim to have installed every charger on a wall and measured it. Where real-world evidence matters — app reliability, warranty experiences — we draw on documented owner reports and say where they came from.
How the verdicts work
Rather than a single "best charger" — which doesn't exist — we match chargers to needs: solar homes, smart-tariff savers, design-led buyers, budget installs, all-rounders. A charger becomes our pick for a need when its verified capabilities fit that need better than the alternatives at its price: a true solar diverter that can charge from 100% surplus PV is a different machine from one that keeps a 1.4kW grid floor, and our comparisons keep that distinction visible. Where two units are genuinely close, we say so and name the deciding factors.
Grant eligibility
Whether a charger qualifies for the government's chargepoint grants is taken from the official OZEV eligible-model list on GOV.UK — not from retailer or manufacturer marketing — and each charger page records when that status was last checked. Grant rules themselves are covered in our grants hub, with sources and dates.
Keeping it current
Charger pricing and model line-ups move quickly: models are superseded (we mark them and point at their replacement rather than quietly deleting them), tariff-compatibility lists change, and new entrants arrive. Prices are re-checked on a monthly cycle and specifications whenever a model is updated; every review shows its last-checked dates. If you spot something out of date, email hello@evova.uk and we'll fix it and update the date so the correction is visible.
Independence, in plain terms
Evova doesn't sell or install chargers, carries no display advertising and has no affiliate links — if you buy a charger after reading our comparison, we don't earn a penny from it. We make money from services to installers, as described in our editorial policy. That's also why our pages end by pointing you at independent local installers rather than a checkout button.
The comparison rules
Specs from the source
Every specification is verified against the manufacturer's own documentation, and re-checked when models are updated. Where sources disagree, we say so rather than pick a number.
Prices dated, always
Every price on our charger pages carries the date we checked it and where. Charger pricing moves often — an undated price is a guess wearing a suit.
Grant status from GOV.UK
OZEV grant eligibility comes from the government's own eligible-chargepoint list, not from retailer claims. We record when we last checked it.
No hardware favourites
We don't sell chargers, we have no affiliate links, and manufacturers can't pay to be recommended. Our revenue comes from services to installers — and no installer influences which charger we rate for which need.
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