FIMER EV Charger Reviews

About FIMER

Fimer is an international company with headquarters in Italy. It has two factories in that country and another in India. They're one of the world’s largest manufacturers of inverters and produce them for large-scale solar farms, as well as for commercial and residential use.

Fimer also makes EV chargers. These range from large commercial DC rapid chargers to small residential chargers I consider too puny for Australian use. But they do make one residential EV charger able to supply the maximum power possible for normal Australian households - the Fimer Flexa AC Wallbox. This comes in several versions that vary in their ability to communicate with and interface with other electronics.  All are available in single-phase or 3-phase. 

The maximum amount of power in kilowatts (kW) the single-phase and three-phase versions of this charger can supply are:

• FIMER FLEXA AC Wallbox single-phase 7.4kW
• FIMER FLEXA AC Wallbox three-phase 22kW

There is a lower cost “Stand Alone” version and a more expensive “Future Net” version with improved communication and integration abilities. There is also an "Inverter Net" version able to interface with Fimer solar inverters.

You can view the Fimer Flexa AC Wallbox datasheet here.

Australian Office

Fimer has an Australian office and Australian-based technical support. This can be useful if something goes wrong.

Not Solar Smart Charging Capable Out Of The Box

Solar smart charging is when an EV charger is able to use only surplus power from rooftop solar to charge a vehicle. Because this often only receives a low feed-in tariff it's usually the cheapest way to charge an EV, provided it's parked at home during the day at least some of the time.

The Fimer Flexa AC Wallbox EV charger doesn’t come with the ability to smart charge out of the box. If you want it to smart charge, you'll need the “Future Net” version and additional equipment will also need to be installed.

Connecting an "Inverter Net" or "Future Net" version of the Flexa AC Wallbox to a Fimer inverter will not, by itself, be enough to provide smart charging.

Single-Phase Power

If a property has single-phase power, then only single-phase versions can be used. These can supply up to 7.4kW to an EV. The amount of range this will add per hour of charging depends on the EV but - after allowing for losses - it’s normally enough to add at least 40km per hour.

Three-Phase Power

If a property has three-phase power it can use either single-phase or three-phase EV chargers. The three-phase Fimer Flexa AC Wallbox can supply a maximum of 22kW. But few EVs can accept that much power with most only able to charge at 11kW or less. For this reason, along with single-phase chargers generally being cheaper to buy and install, people with three-phase power sometimes install single-phase EV chargers.

Charging Cable

The Flexa AC Wallbox can either come with a hardwired 5m charging cable or no cable and just a socket for plugging your own into.  This can be useful if you need a charging cable more than 5m long.

Temperature

The charger’s operating temperature is from -25ºC to 50ºC. This is a good range for Australia because - so far - no capital here has hit 50ºC. EV chargers will normally derate and reduce their maximum power output as they approach their maximum operating temperature and this may be an issue during heatwaves.

Card Access

If you want to restrict access to the charger, it can be set to only operate if a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) card is used. It comes with three cards.

Location

The charger has an Ingress Protection rating of 55 (IP55). This means it can withstand rain and safely be installed outdoors. As with all electronic devices, it's a good idea to locate it out of direct sunlight if possible.

The EV charger can be mounted on a wall or a stand. If you want, you can get a basic looking but functional steel stand from Fimer.

Future Net

If you are okay with paying around an extra $300 you can get the Future Net version of the charger. This has improved communication capabilities and is what you're likely to need if you want the inverter to interface with other equipment to enable smart charging.  It will also allow you to connect to a "charging management provider".  This is where you pay a third party to help manage your EV charging.

If you don’t want these communications features you can get the cheaper “Stand Alone” version. There is also an ”Inverter Net” version able to interface with Fimer inverters.

Price

Not including installation, the single-phase “Stand Alone” version costs around $1,600. Three-phase adds around $100 while the “Future Net” version is around $300 more. This means the different versions will cost roughly:

• FIMER FLEXA AC Wallbox single-phase “Stand Alone”: $1,600
• FIMER FLEXA AC Wallbox single-phase “Future Net”: $1,900
• FIMER FLEXA AC Wallbox three-phase “Stand Alone”: $1,700
• FIMER FLEXA AC Wallbox three-phase “Future Net”: $2,000

Installation adds a considerable amount to the total cost. A simple installation of a single-phase charger in a convenient location may only cost a few hundred dollars but expect to pay more. Three-phase connections add to the cost, as does integration with other equipment. For these reasons, expect installation to cost $800 to $1,000 or more.

Warranty

It has a two year warranty, which is not a long time for a pricy piece of electronic equipment. This sounds bad - and it is bad - but two years is currently a common warranty period for EV chargers. Hopefully, it won’t be long before Fimer offers a longer warranty. Note you are also protected by Australian Consumer Guarantees and these can apply after the warranty period has ended.

Beware Of Puny Fimer EV Chargers

While you’re unlikely to find one on offer in Australia, Fimer makes another home EV charger called the Fimer Flexa Home. This only provides a puny 2.3kW of power, so make sure you don’t accidentally buy one of these - unless you’re sure it’s what you actually want.

Recommendation

Fimer has demonstrated the ability to make quality electronics, so I expect their EV chargers will be reliable. But unless you have - or plan to get - devices that can interface with the Fimer Flexa AC Wallbox you’ll be paying a considerable amount for an EV charger that can’t smart charge. Given it only has a two year warranty, I recommend investigating other options before buying one.