ABB EV Charger Reviews

About ABB

ABB is a large manufacturer of electrical equipment with headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. They produce a wide range of products that include EV chargers.

At the start of 2024, they made the world's most powerful roadside charger which could supply 360kW, but they now have one that can provide 400kW of power.  If you want one of these in your home, I’ll warn you they’re pretty pricey and I guarantee you your household wiring isn’t up to the job. But ABB does have an EV charger suitable for home use - the Terra AC Wallbox.

The ABB Terra AC Wallbox EV charger comes in single-phase and 3-phase versions and can be internet connected through the 4G network.  Despite appearing to be a quality product and produced by a reliable manufacturer, it only has a short, parts only, 2 year warranty.

Chinese Made

ABB has an EV charger design and testing centre in Delft in the Netherlands. This is very close to The Hague, so we can be confident the design and testing of their EV chargers don't involve war crimes. But their actual manufacture occurs in China.

Australian Office

ABB has an Australian office.  This is useful because it gives you someone to contact if your installer is no longer around and you need to make a warranty claim.  This makes ABB responsible for their warranty and obligations under Australian consumer law, rather than the importer.

Power

The maximum amount of power a Terra AC Wallbox EV charger will supply depends on whether it's single-phase or 3-phase:

• Single-phase up to 7.4 kW
• 3-phase up to 22 kW

If your home has single-phase power, you will only be able to install a single-phase EV charger.  But if you have 3-phase power, you can choose between them. While a 3-phase charger can provide up to 22kW of power, very few EVs can accept this much. Most can only charge at 11kW or less.  For this reason, as well as 3-phase inverters normally costing more to buy and install, people with 3-phase power often decide to install single-phase EV chargers.

If you are happy with an EV charger with lower power output, ABB offers a single-phase one with 3.7kW capacity and a 3-phase one with 11kW of capacity. 

Can’t Solar Smart Charge As Is

Solar smart charging is when an EV charger supplies only surplus power from rooftop solar to a vehicle. The Terra AC Wallbox is not capable of doing this without additional equipment. But unlike some “dumb” EV chargers it comes with a range of connectivity options that potentially allow smart charging with the right setup. This includes using Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) which is a standardized method of communication between EVs, chargers, and supporting equipment.

Charging Cable

It normally comes with a 5m hardwired charging cable. You can get one without a cable that has a socket for attaching your own cable.  This can be useful if a 5m cable won't be long enough.

Security

The Terra AC Wallbox can be set up to only operate if activated by a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) card or a smartphone. The charger comes with 5 RFID cards and zero smartphones. Five cards is more than most EV chargers with this feature provide.

Location

They have an Ingress Protection rating of IP54. This means they can be located outside and exposed to rain. Their installation manual recommends installing them out of direct sunlight, which is definitely a good idea for electronic devices. They can be wall or pole mounted.

The plastic case also has an IK10 rating, which is a measure of resistance to kinetic energy from impacts. Its rating means it should be able to survive a bowling ball dropped on it from 2.7m without cracking. But please don't try this.

Operating Temperature

The operating temperature is from -35ºC to 50ºC. This is a good range for Australia, as no capital city has hit 50ºC yet. But note EV chargers normally derate and provide less power as they approach their maximum operating temperature and this could be an issue in Australian summers.

Warranty

Its warranty is terrible. It’s only for two years and only covers parts and not labour. Fortunately, you are also protected by Australian Consumer Guarantees and these can apply even after the warranty period is over.  I recommend using them if ABB tries to charge you for labour to get a faulty product working while it's under warranty.

To maximize your consumer protection I recommend buying an EV charger from an installer. This makes them responsible for both the installation and the device, so they will have an obligation to deal with any problems that occur during the warranty period. If you instead buy an EV charger and then pay someone else to install it, you could potentially be caught in the middle if the installer blames the manufacturer for a problem and the manufacturer blames the installer.

If you bought from an installer but they’re no longer around, you can then approach the manufacturer to make a warranty claim.

Price

As of December 2024, the ABB Terra AC Wallbox is likely to cost this much:

• Single-phase 7.4kW - $2,000
• 3-phase 11kW - $2,300
• 3-phase 22kW - $2,400

ABB says the Terra AC Wallbox is “The best value EV charger on the market”, but they ask for a lot of money for an EV charger that only has a two year parts only warranty and doesn’t come ready to smart charge without the need for additional equipment.

Installation will add a considerable amount to the total. More labour is required to install a 3-phase EV charger, so their installs usually cost more. Locating one away from a property's switchboard also adds to the cost.  While a simple installation may only come to a few hundred dollars, it can easily be $800 to $1,000 or more.

Recommendation

ABB has built up a good reputation for making quality products, so I expect their EV chargers to last much longer than their short 2 year warranty suggests they will. If you are interested in smart charging you may find it much easier to get a charger that comes with all that’s required rather than try to integrate it with other hardware. While they’re not cheap, if you like ABB’s reputation, they may appeal to you.