Single-phase 7kW handles almost every Perth home's overnight charging. Three-phase 22kW is faster but often overkill - and it triggers a Western Power application. Here's how to decide.
A single-phase 7kW charger adds about 40km of range per hour of charging. Plug in at 6pm, wake up to a full battery - even on a Tesla Model Y with a 75kWh pack, you're going from 20% to 100% in about 10 hours. For 95% of Perth households, this is genuinely enough. Cost supplied and installed: $1,800-$2,800.
A three-phase 22kW charger triples that speed - about 120km of range per hour. It's worth it if you have two EVs sharing one charger, if you regularly do long-day driving with a quick evening top-up, or if you're a taxi/rideshare driver. Cost supplied and installed: $3,200-$4,800, plus the Western Power application fee. We lodge the application for you.
Which brand? Tesla Wall Connector Gen 3 is our most-installed unit - it works with every EV brand (not just Tesla), the app is polished, and the hardware is genuinely the most weather-resistant we've fitted. Wallbox Pulsar Plus is our second choice for non-Tesla households wanting solar integration. Zappi is the pick for homeowners with rooftop solar who want to charge only from excess solar.
The switchboard question. Most Perth homes built after 2000 have room for a single-phase 7kW EV charger with minimal switchboard work - usually just a new RCBO. Three-phase 22kW almost always needs a switchboard inspection, sometimes a full board upgrade, and always a load calculation. We do all of this on the first site visit and quote transparently.
Solar integration is worth thinking about upfront. If you have (or plan) a 6-10kW+ solar system, a Zappi or Wallbox can charge only from excess solar generation - meaning you charge the EV for free on sunny days. This adds $300-$600 to the charger cost and pays back in under two years for most Perth households.
