Rolec EV Charger from UK

russelldlee

Hello

Has anyone imported a Rolec EV Charger from the UK. I'm looking at this one and wondering what additional taxes/duties I might have to pay to get it into Ireland?

https://evonestop.co.uk/collections/floor-mounted-charging-points/products/ev-basiccharge-16-32-amp-single-phase-1-or-2-sockets-token-mech

Thanks

Lee

kanuseeme

Vat at 23 % maybe duty @ 10 % that will depend on rules of origin, minimum 50 euro for delivery, are you buying 2 x 3.6 kW or 2 x 7.2 kW or a single socket?

By right you should be able to buy VAT free in the UK, but its hard explain that to some over there.

Gumbo

The biggest problem will be making sure that the sender (EV One Stop) ship it with the correct customs forms etc

otherwise it will be rejected by our customs.

I bought a charger for a family

member from them just as brexit took hold so the company themselves are ok.

slave1

If you are close to Newry just get it sent to a dropshipper and collect it in person

russelldlee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118449238#Comment_118449238

They are saying they won't charge VAT and will be buying 7.2 Kw - shipping is 20 EUR apparently

russelldlee

*Won't be charging UK VAT

scuzz

Also interested in Rolec from Evonestop, did you purchase from evonestop in the end?

Black_Knight

I bought one from them pre brexit, so probably not useful to you. They're a grand unit, but youtube them and you'll see plenty of bad experiences with them. RBCOs burning out is the main issue.

...Ghost...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118669668#Comment_118669668

I got one from them a few years ago. Was worth the money, but it does tend to trip from time to time, especially on really cold nights. Has left me without a charge on a couple of mornings. The RCBO is just garbage in them.

KCross

Same experience... Rolec has poor quality. The plastic doesnt stand the test of time and the RCBO's burn out.

I'm sure plenty also working fine but I'd hazard a guess they have the highest failure rate.

scuzz

Thanks for the info Guys, ordering the Qubev 18th Edition also from Evonestop, keeping it simple no frills

...Ghost...

My Rolec has been tripping every single night the past while, so I ordered a direct replacement. Cost me €60 !! £20 for part, £20 for rip off delivery and then customs etc ended up being €17. Should have gone to screwfix, or the wholesaler, but haven't had the time.

Orebro

They’ve fixed the RCBO on these a good while back so it’s not an issue anymore. Grand simple reliable unit.

...Ghost...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118863717#Comment_118863717

I have just replaced the RCBO (by that, I mean a fully qualified electrician 😉) in my Rolec charger. The old one was only very lightly burnt on the right side and the wiring was not at all melted. When I say burnt, I would describe the shell as having a beige smudge on it. Nothing quite like the images I have seen elsewhere, but still very obviously damaged from excessive heat. If it trips over the weekend, I'll come back and say so. Hoping I won't have anymore issues with it.

Black_Knight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118870722#Comment_118870722

Did anything lead you to assume the rcbo might be on the way out?

Our Rolec tripped for the first time in a long long time last week. I've not opened it up (yet) to have a look.

...Ghost...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118873007#Comment_118873007

Mine started tripping after maybe a year. At first, I thought it was an issue with the setup at the Consumer Unit. The electrician added a mini CU under the main CU which gives priority to the electric shower. It started happening more frequently, maybe once a month, or more often on really cold nights. The tripping at the CU side is what threw me at first.

The RCBO in the Rolec would only trip maybe 10% of the time, so it was 3 years installed before I really discovered the RCBO issues on the internet. I had heard about it before, but mine would so rarely trip, I ignored the signs. In the past couple of months, the RCBO would trip on the CU every night, leaving the EV partially charged and me being stuck. My OH would reset the switch at around 6AM to get more charge into the car, but it would often trip again without us knowing. I was expecting to see the RCBO melted upon opening the unit, but the visible damage was very slight.

This morning, I woke up and checked the Rolec. Blue light is still on. That is the first time it has not tripped overnight in 2 months. The OH said it didn't need to be reset this morning, so it certainly looks like the problem was the Rolec RCBO and not the CU setup. The car will need a good 15-20kWh tonight for my commute in the morning. If it doesn't trip in the morning, then I reckon it's smooth sailing.

I have read that the RCBOs with the blue rolec logo are the problematic ones and the green ones are the new units which have not been reported as problematic yet according to the speakev forum.

Black_Knight

What colour logo is yours?

...Ghost...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118874170#Comment_118874170

Old one was blue. Replacement is green. I doubt they sell the old ones anymore.

handpref

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118873236#Comment_118873236

Mirrors a fault I had- pick up a similar rated rcbo from your local electrical wholesaler and swap them out - love the serviceability of the Rolec’s-

oinkely

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876151#Comment_118876151

i did this in my one when it failed after three years. I also had another part fail in it, a contactor if i recall correctly, pre brexit and after two years of use so sourced the replacement part from Rolec in the UK. It was around €100.

The plastic case has developed a crack in mine, was going to replace it but a strip of duck tape is holding strong so it will do for the moment. Mine is on the front of the house facing south so in direct sunshine all day. It's there about 6 years so can't fault it too much. That's a lof of UV exposure and plastic generally doesn't like that. Works every night.

Black_Knight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118877438#Comment_118877438

Plastic case is brutal for getting cracks, and those screws corroded on me terribly. Had to drill out 1 or 2.

...Ghost...

Another night without tripping and i'm delighted. The location of my Rolec is on the garden wall facing West, so it's not battered by the Sun and has no cracking. The colour has changed and I can feel it's more brittle than when I first got it. so I could understand how easily they would crack.

For anyone who has a cracked front case, I would recommend the following fix:

Remove case (after cutting power to unit).

Clean the case with warm, soapy water.

Repair with an automotive fibreglass kit from the inside of the unit.

Mask off all the bits you don't want painted.

Lightly sand the case, clean, prime, sand, clean and apply colour of choice spray paint.

Finish off with a UV clear coat and reinstall. Will look brand new and won't fade again.

oinkely

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118878529#Comment_118878529

I'll add that to the long list of jobs to do. Fancied a grey one at one stage - might just have it so!

handpref

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118877438#Comment_118877438

The only part you will need Rolec or Ev Onestop for is the control module for the power to the car, the contactors and rcbo’s all have alternatives here bought over the counter- try that with a zappi :)

KCross

Almost every part of the early Rolec’s fail… the plastic, the RCBO and the controller. The contactor tends to last but everything else is junk but easy to source and replace

personally, I’d rather pay more for a more reliable and safer product. Seeing a scorched RCD isn’t something I want attached to my house wall.

Black_Knight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118881943#Comment_118881943

Yup. Had I known at the time i'd probably have sourced something else. EO mini probably if it was available at the time. If I was picking now though, I'd go tethered with a 10M cable.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118877752#Comment_118877752

A Rolec doesn't sound like a great investment, so best to be avoided. Our ESB branded ABL charger has just worked without a single issue since the free install in 2015 and also looks brand new still. I did relocate it a couple of times with change of parking arrangements but didn't have any issues opening it and it has never tripped or not worked.

Not much seem to have changed in the field of UK electronics since Lucas, the Prince of Darkness.

Orebro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118882500#Comment_118882500

I've had a Rolec for over 5 years now and it hasn't missed a beat like your one, and they've sold many thousands of them. There were issues with early versions of the RCBO but they've been long remedied. And as another poster has mentioned it is very easy to get spares for them, and they are such simple devices it's not a big job to fix them.

Black_Knight

Time to open her up and have a look. Tripped again last night after about 3 hours of charging. Reset no bother and charging away again, but 1. I can't rely on it, 2. Could be more serious.

KCross

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118901677#Comment_118901677

Be gentle with the screws when opening it and when tightening it back up. The plastic will have gotten brittle and easy to crack it.

Black_Knight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118901979#Comment_118901979

Because of the quality of the screws I think I only have 4 to tackle from the last time I opened it (put in a Shelly to "smarten" my charger).

...Ghost...

The Rolec has started to trip again. It tripped twice last week and when charging the car this morning, it tripped three times. RCBO is replaced, so wondering what should be replaced next (maybe the entire unit!!!). I'm not sure how much longer a type 1 charger will be needed, so if I can keep the Rolec going for the time being, that would be best. Anyone have a link to replacement parts?

KCross

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119004993#Comment_119004993

Did you replace the RCBO with a Rolec one?

Even the green replacement ones aren’t very reliable. A good quality Hager or Garo one would be recommended.

Which switch is tripping? The internal Rolec one or the CU?

Regardless, first step is to open it up and check if the wires have got loose or if there are any scorch marks. Then decide next steps from there.

...Ghost...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119005170#Comment_119005170

RCBO replaced with the green Rolec one, as I had seen on SpeakEV that there were no reports of them being problematic...certainly not after a few weeks.

The mini CU which gives priority to the shower is the one that trips the majority of the time. Very rarely would the charger end trip. I'll open it up later if I get a chance and check for damage and loose wires.

I won't go through the trouble of replacing the unit. I have a 3 pin external socket I can use if need be. I'll be getting a Type 2 charger soon enough for Leaf40, so I may just replace the Rolec unit completely and perhaps I can can a Type 2 to Type 1 adapter to use it on the Leaf24. If I can cheaply fix the Rolec unit, I'll install a separate charger. A few options to consider.

KCross

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119005877#Comment_119005877

RCBO replaced with the green Rolec one, as I had seen on SpeakEV that there were no reports of them being problematic...certainly not after a few weeks.

The green ones give trouble too but you are right, it shouldnt happen so quickly. Here are two examples.

https://www.speakev.com/threads/rolec-tripping-what-do-i-need-to-replace.166262/post-3173491

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW5vN1sUxI0

Let us know what the root cause is.

...Ghost...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119006702#Comment_119006702

The CP tripped several times since my last post and today I got some time to inspect it. The RCBO is is visually undamaged, as too were the wires. However, the neutral could be pulled out by hand, so I have made sure everything was tight this time. Fingers crossed that's the problem fixed. I have one of the cars plugged in now. If it doesn't trip, then it looks good, because it was tripping several times per charge.

KCross

However, the neutral could be pulled out by hand

that would do it alright.

...Ghost...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119021102#Comment_119021102

No tripping since I tightened her up. That's a relief!

handpref

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119027273#Comment_119027273

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118873236#Comment_118873236

Kcross is on the money there with the fault finding process, that loose neutral could easily do it- go through every cable in it, even the small control wires and give them a gentle tug- I do my ones here once or twice a year given the use they get.

I have a back up unit here for parts, if your stuck let me know and I can lend you a contactor or power controller to help with fault finding. But 7kw’s coming back through a loose neutral is definitely going to cause you heartache.

...Ghost...

I had more drama on the CP issue yesterday. The mini CU which gives priority to the electric shower started tripping and wouldn't reset. I checked the Rolec and the wires were tight and no sign of damage. My intuition was that the constant tripping had caused a fault on the mini CU but I had an electrician take a look and he concurred that the RCBO in the mini CU likely failed from the number of times it had been caused to trip. New GARO RCBO was put in and we are back up and running. Can't wait to change out the Rolec now.

I see Rolec have a new CP released. I will steer very clear of it.