Installing a Pod Point Solo 3S home EV charger: what the job involves

Video reference. "Pod Point Solo 3S EV Home Charger Installation Guide - Untethered" is the official installation walkthrough from the Pod Point YouTube channel. Pod Point, now part of the EDF group, is one of the UK's leading EV charging providers and the video covers the current Solo 3S model to the manufacturer's UK installation specification.

1. Assessing the supply and earthing arrangement

The first thing any competent installer will do is look at your consumer unit and measure the available load. A Pod Point Solo 3S draws 32A at 7.2 kW. Most modern UK homes on a 100A single-phase supply can accommodate this comfortably, but older properties with a 60A or 80A cut-out fuse need the load assessed under real conditions - typically using a clamp meter during a busy early evening.

The earthing arrangement matters too. Most UK homes use PME (Protective Multiple Earthing), also called TN-C-S. On a PME supply, BS 7671 requires the charger installation to include a Type B RCD rather than a standard Type A. This is because EV on-board chargers can produce a smooth DC fault current that a Type A device will not detect, which means it will not trip in a fault condition. If your consumer unit already contains Type A RCDs for other circuits, those are fine to leave - the EV circuit simply gets its own dedicated Type B RCBO.

2. Choosing where to mount the charger

The Solo 3S is IP55 rated, so it can be mounted on an outside wall or inside a garage. The most practical position is beside where the car parks, at a height that makes plugging in comfortable without crouching - between 0.8m and 1.2m from the ground is the typical range. The final position is also influenced by the cable route from the consumer unit: a clean, short route is cheaper to install and looks neater.

For a detached garage, the cable usually travels overhead through the loft void or underground as armoured SWA cable, then up into the garage. Underground cable must be at least 450mm deep and protected wherever it crosses a vehicle path. An outdoor wall installation close to the consumer unit can be as simple as drilling through the wall and running the cable in surface conduit.

3. Running the supply cable

The Solo 3S runs on a dedicated 32A circuit using 6mm two-core and earth cable for most standard domestic runs. The cable must follow BS 7671 cable safe zones (within 150mm of an edge or behind a wall surface switch or socket) unless it is in mechanical protection such as conduit throughout its length. For any buried section, steel wire armoured (SWA) cable is the correct choice.

Cable runs beyond about 15m from the consumer unit - or runs that pass through a warm roof void or hot garage roof space - may need 10mm cable to stay within the 3% volt-drop limit that BS 7671 sets for this type of circuit. Your installer will calculate this before ordering materials, not after.

4. Fitting the backplate and connecting at the charger

The Solo 3S installs as a two-part unit: a backplate that fixes to the wall, into which all the wiring is made off, and a front cover that clips over it. The backplate is levelled and secured to wall plugs, the cable is fed in, and the Line, Neutral and Earth conductors are connected to the correct terminals. Terminals are marked inside the unit, and the installer will check polarity and continuity before the cover goes on.

For an untethered unit the Type 2 socket is exposed on the front of the cover, and the owner uses their own car cable. For a tethered unit the cable comes coiled on the front cover and the socket on the car side is the only moving part. The tethered option is slightly more convenient for daily use; the untethered option suits driveways shared between two different EV types.

5. Connecting at the consumer unit

The other end of the supply cable connects to a 32A Type B RCBO in the consumer unit. If the board has no spare ways, your electrician has two options: fit a twin RCBO in place of an existing single-width device to free up a way, or recommend a board upgrade if the board is old or already using twin adaptors elsewhere.

The connection inside the consumer unit is work that absolutely must be done correctly. A loose terminal on a 32A circuit running for hours overnight can cause a fire. A competent installer will torque terminal screws to the manufacturer's specification and test the completed circuit before leaving.

6. Commissioning and Part P notification

Once the wiring is complete and checked, the installer pairs the charger to your Wi-Fi network using the Pod Point app. The app allows you to schedule charging, track energy use and - if you are on a smart tariff - set charging to run during off-peak hours automatically. A quick test charge session confirms the unit communicates correctly with the car before the installer packs up.

Your installer must then notify the installation to their registered Part P competent person scheme, which issues a building compliance certificate. You should receive this paperwork, along with an Electrical Installation Certificate, within a few days of the work being completed. Keep it with your property documents: it is evidence that the circuit was installed and tested correctly, and it will be asked for when you sell.

When to call us

Richard is an OZEV-approved EV charger installer covering Sandwich, Deal, Dover, Ramsgate and Canterbury. We install Pod Point Solo 3S, Zappi and other home chargers, completing the Part P notification and providing the full certificate pack on the same day as the installation.