EV chargers that don’t have built-in earthing require an external earth rod.
An earth rod is a copper rod that is inserted into the ground and connected to the charger, creating an earthing system for the charger.
Earthing is necessary to stop the car body from becoming live. If no earthing is present, this is beyond dangerous and against the law.
An earth rod isn’t the only way to create an earth, however. You can install a Garo earthing device or a Matt:e instead. These cost about £120 (compared to £30 for an earth rod) but a lot of electricians prefer them because they have a warranty.
Ultimately, when an EV charger has no in-built earthing, it needs an earth rod or an earthing device like a Garo. For example, the Ohme Home requires an earth rod, but the Ohme Home Pro has in-built earthing so doesn’t need one.
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