An earth rod is only a requirement when the charger doesn’t have O-pen / PEN protection built-in. O-pen detects if the earth is faulty/missing coming into the property. Without this protection, the charger could make the car live!
You have two options when a charger needs an earth rod; you can install an earth rod which costs around £50, or you can install a Garo earthing device or similar unit for about £125.
Chargers that require an earth rod tend to be cheaper units, due to the increased cost to engineer in-built earthing into the unit. For example, the EO Mini Pro 2 requires a Garo device or earth rod, but the Hypervolt Home 2.0 (which is about £300 more) requires no earth rod.
Whether you need an earth rod depends on the manufacturer. You should revert to the specification sheet for clarification if you are unsure. We can recommend smart chargers that do not require an earth rod – just get in touch for a chat about your needs.
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