Schneider EV Charger Reviews

About Schneider

Schneider Electric is a giant company with a market capitalization of around $165 billion. It produces a vast array of electrical and electronic products ranging from industrial automation to air conditioners. Their output includes EV chargers.

This page is mainly about their home EV charger which Schneider Electric has named – quite appropriately I think – the Schneider Charge.  But if you want information on EV charging in general, you can check out our EV Chargers Guide.

Company Location

I assumed a company called “Schneider” would be German, but after looking it up, I discovered it was founded in France around 190 years ago and has its headquarters in Paris. It operates internationally with offices all over the world, including every Australian state and the only two territories most people remember – the NT and the ACT.

Having an Australian office is an advantage for making warranty claims. I recommend buying an EV charger from an installer, as that makes them responsible for both the installation and the functioning of the device, but if they're no longer around you can contact the manufacturer directly.

Manufacturing Location

While it’s a French company, this doesn’t mean they make their home EV chargers in the land of croissants and sub-South Australian level wine. Like most EV chargers, theirs are made in China.

Company History

Schneider Electric was founded in 1836 by two brothers. It originally didn’t have the word “electric” in its name and, from 1871 to 1946, was heavily involved in armaments. But that was long ago and, these days, if a Schneider Electric product kills you it means something has gone dreadfully wrong.

They started making electrical equipment in 1891. Back then it was a new and expanding field, like cryptocurrency today – except useful. In 1999, one hundred and eight years after starting production of electrical products, they changed their name to Schneider Electric after selling off the company’s steel making and ship building divisions.  While this makes it sound like Schneider Electric is now a no ship company, they still do plenty of ship work, some of which involves Australia's Collins Class submarines.

EV Chargers

Schneider Electric has large commercial DC chargers that can supply up to 180 kilowatts (kW) to a vehicle. But putting one of these in your home isn’t an option. Home wiring can't handle those kinds of hefty loads.

However, the company also makes smaller EV chargers. Some are designed for multiple users at businesses and blocks of flats, but I’ll tell you about the one most suitable for Australian homes – the Schneider Charge.  The maximum amount of power it can supply depends on which version you get:

• 7.4kW single-phase Schneider Charge
• 11kW 3-phase Schneider Charge
• 22kW 3-phase Schneider Charge

Single Phase Vs. 3-Phase

The single-phase version can supply up to 7.4kW, which is the maximum amount a single-phase EV charger can normally supply.  This is enough to provide most EVs with over 40km of range per hour.  If your home is like most in Australian, it will have single-phase power, so you'll only be able to install a single-phase EV charger. 

If you have 3-phase power, you can choose between installing a single-phase or a 3-phase charger.  If you get a 3-phase Schneider Charge you can choose between the 11kW or 22kW version.  While the 22kW version can supply much more power, most vehicles can only charge at 11kW or less. 

Charging Cables

You have three choices when it comes to charging cables.  You can have no cable or a tethered cable.  Tethered means the cable is hardwired to the charger and it can be 5m or 7m long.  If you choose to go without a cable it will have a socket you can plug your own into.  This can be handy if you need a charging cable over 7m long.

The unit is designed so you can wrap the charging cable around it when it's not in use.

Operating Temperature

The minimum operating temperature of the Schneider Charge is -30°C.  This is fine anywhere in Australia as well as its territories – except the Antarctic one.  According to their datasheets the maximum operating temperature depends on EV charger's power output:

• 7.4kW kW single-phase 50°C
• 11kW kW 3-phase Schneider Charge 55°C
• 22kW kW 3-phase Schneider Charge 45°C

As no capital city has yet hit 50°C, having a maximum operating temperature that high should be fine for Australia.  The 45°C maximum for the 22kW charger seems a little low, but the User Manual says both the 7.4kW and 22kW versions can operate with derating up to 55°C.  This means they will continue to supply power but at less than their normal maximum rate.  So long as this is correct, then all units have a good operating temperature range for Australia.

Installation Location

The Schneider Charge has an Ingress Protection (IP) rating of IP55.  This means they can be safely installed outside and exposed to rain.  But it's always a good idea to install electronic equipment out of direct sunlight if possible, as this will help prevent it overheating and likely extend its life.

Its plastic case is also impact resistant with an IK10 rating.  This means it should survive having a bowling ball dropped on it from 2.7m.  But I don't recommend testing it. 

They Don't Come Able To Solar Solar Smart Charge

An EV charger can solar smart charge if it's able to send 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 Schneider Charge doesn't come with this ability.  While it could be made to solar smart charge with the right additional hardware, if you want solar smart charging my advice is to get an EV charger that comes fully capable of doing it out of the box.

Energy Management

It does come with the ability to be monitored remotely through a smartphone app.  This can be used to set charging schedules to take advantage of low electricity prices and/or high rooftop solar output.  But the Schneider Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions Catalogue 2024 says these functions are available in Europe but doesn't mention Australia.  So be sure to check the smartphone app monitoring and control will actually work here. 

It is Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) compatible, which means it can potentially be integrated with home energy management systems that also use it.

Anti-trip Module

An EV charger can draw a lot of power, and if a home draws too much power at once, it can result in a circuit breaker tripping.  The Schneider Charge anti-tripping module is a device that can prevent this by reducing the power used by the Schneider Charge.  This device, whether single-phase or 3-phase, is likely to cost around $340.  You'll also have to pay for its installation, but hopefully, that won't be too much if you get it installed at the same time as the EV charger.

Schneider Electric Doesn't Tell The Truth About Installation Time

Schneider Electric says the Schneider Charge has "Effortless installation in minutes" and that it takes 5 minutes to install.  This isn't true.  It may be quicker and easier to install than many other EV chargers, but 5 minutes is not realistic for all the steps that need to be taken.  Even if some super dextrous installer can do it in that time, you can't just randomly slap it on a convenient piece of wall.  A lot of work has to be done to get a site ready for an EV charger installation.

If Schneider had a video of someone doing an installation in 5 minutes that would be one thing, but they only have a computer animated video that takes 5 minutes to play, and that's not the same thing.  This makes me distrustful of anything Schneider Electric might say.  It's bad enough to put me off buying a Collin's Class submarine.

Price

Without a charging cable, you can expect a Schneider Charge to cost around $1,400.  Getting one with a cable may add $60-$100 depending on if it is 5m or 7m long.

Installation will add a considerable amount to the total price.  A very simple and straight forward installation may only cost a few hundred dollars, but despite Schneider Electric claims about a 5 minute installation time, the actual cost is likely to be $800 to $1,000 or potentially more. 

2 Year Warranty

The Schneider Charge only has a 2 year warranty.  That's bad, but at least it's twice as long as the 1 year it used to have.  While I think 2 years isn't nearly long enough for a company with Schneider Electric's reputation, short warranties like this aren't unusual for EV chargers.  In addition to the warranty, you are also protected by Australian Consumer Guarantees and these can apply even after the warranty period has ended.

Maybe Look Elsewhere

Schneider Electric has a reputation for making good quality products. However, because their Schneider Charge…

• Doesn't come capable of solar smart charging
• Doesn't have a long warranty, and…
• Given the above two points, is expensive

…I suggest looking carefully at EV chargers from other manufacturers before settling on one from Schneider Electric. You can use our EV charger comparison table to see what's available.