Delta EV Charger Reviews

About Delta

Delta is a giant global company with an annual turnover of around $19 billion. It was founded in 1971 and its headquarters are in Taiwan. They manufacture a wide range of electronic equipment including factory automation, EV powertrains, and EV chargers. They make large EV chargers for commercial use and also a residential one – the Delta AC Max.

The Delta AC Max residential EV charger comes in two versions – the AC Max Basic and AC Max Smart. The main difference is the Smart version has more communication capabilities giving it more ability to integrate with other electronics. This extra functionality makes it around $400 more than the AC Max Basic.

Australian Office

Delta does plenty of business in Australia and has offices in Sydney and Melbourne and also across the Tasman in Auckland. This means the Delta company itself is responsible for their products' warranties and also their obligations under Australian consumer law. If you bought your Delta EV charger from an installer, they are the ones you should first call if there’s a problem, but if they are no longer around you can contact Delta to make a warranty claim.

Charging Power

The AC Max EV chargers can be used with either single-phase or 3-phase power. This will determine how many kilowatts (kW) of power they can supply:

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

AC Max EV chargers don’t have different versions for single-phase and 3-phase power. Instead, each unit can be connected to either single-phase or 3-phase power.

Homes with single-phase power can only install one as a single-phase charger, but those with 3-phase power can choose between them. A 3-phase EV charger can supply up to 22kW of power, but few EVs can accept that much and most charge at 11kW or less.

Solar Smart Charging Requires Extra Hardware

Solar smart charging is when an EV charger is able to supply only surplus power from rooftop solar to a vehicle. Because this power normally only receives a low feed-in tariff it's usually the cheapest way to charge.

The Delta AC Max does not come with the ability to do this, but with the right additional hardware, it may be possible to set it up to solar smart charge. If you want to try this, you’ll likely need the AC Max Smart version because its additional comms features give it much greater capacity to integrate with other systems.

Charging Cable

The AC Max comes with a 5m hardwired charging cable. Alternatively, you can get one with just a socket you can plug your own cable into. This can be useful if 5m of charging cable isn't enough.

Security

The AC Max Smart version comes with two Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) cards that, if desired, can be used to control access. The AC Max Basic version comes with two conventional metal keys.

Location

The Ingress Protection rating is IP55. This means they’re able to resist rain and can be located outside. While it’s not a requirement, it’s always a good idea to install electronics out of direct sunlight if possible.

Operating Temperature

The operating temperature is from -30°C to 50°C. As no Australian capital has hit 50°C yet, it’s not a bad range. Note that all EV chargers normally derate and provide less than their maximum power output as they approach their maximum operating temperature and this could be an issue during heatwaves.

Warranty

The warranty is only for two years, which isn’t long for an expensive piece of electronic equipment. Because Delta has a reputation for making reliable products, I’d expect it to last much longer than its short warranty suggests it will. But if it does fail after its warranty has ended, you may be able to use the protections provided by Australian Consumer Guarantees to obtain a repair or replacement, as they can apply even after the warranty period is over.

To help avoid warranty issues, I recommend buying an EV charger from an installer. This way they’ll be responsible for both the installation and functioning of the device. If there are any problems they’re obligated to fix them. But if you buy an EV charger from a manufacturer or supplier and then pay someone else to install it, it’s possible they will blame each other for problems, leaving you stuck in the middle.

Price

The Delta AC Max is not the most expensive EV charger around, but considering it’s not fully capable of smart charging out-of-the-box, it’s not cheap. You can expect to pay around $1,600 for an AC Max Basic and around $2,000 for an AC Max Smart. Installation will add a considerable amount. While a simple installation may only set you back a few hundred dollars, expect to have to pay $800 to $1,000 or more. 

Recommendation

I expect the Delta AC Max to be a quality product. However, it costs a lot and only comes with a two-year warranty. If you just want a basic EV charger and are on a budget, I recommend looking elsewhere. If you want to solar smart charge, unless you already have the additional equipment required and are confident it will work, it may be far more convenient to get an EV charger that comes with everything required to smart charge.