The EO Mini Pro 2 has just been released, but what sets it apart from its predecessors the EO Mini and EO Mini Pro?

The first incarnation of EO's home charging flagship product was the EO Mini, which gained distinction as the smallest and simplest EV charging station on the market, measuring just 175mm x 125mm x 95mm. Its universal Type 2 socket was designed to charge all currently available electric vehicles and was supplied in 3.6kW and 7kW versions. If you were looking for a discrete charger for your home smaller than an A5 sheet of paper then the EO Mini fitted the (relatively small) bill.

But by the time of the July 2019 update to the OLEV Electric Vehicle Home Charge Scheme, when all charging stations were required to be 'smart' enabled (accessed remotely and capable of receiving, interpreting and reacting to a signal) the EO Mini no longer qualified for an OLEV grant.

The EO Mini Pro resolved that issue because it added the communication, control and intelligence software of JuiceNet, a cloud-based platform that allowed the user to schedule and optimise charging times to suit cheaper pricing or high levels of green electricity on the grid, view historical charging data and allow EV drivers to take advantage of dynamic tariffs or demand-response initiatives by charging at certain times.

So what does the EO Mini Pro 2 add to the equation?

It is just as small as the EO Mini Pro but offers some powerful features for its size, effectively condensing the features of its predecessors into a single product. The smart features are now courtesy of EO's Smart Home app (pictured, right), powered by EO's own back office platform (rather than JuiceNet). The app allows you to manage, monitor and schedule your charging sessions.

The EO Mini Pro 2 also features solar charging and power balancing for a small additional cost. It can read the power being generated by your home's solar panels and matches it with power from the grid. It can also read the incoming feed to the house, take into account the building's energy usage and calculate a final amount of power that is distributed to the charger. All you need to benefit from both these features are to add a CT Clamp (£60) to the installation package.

A locking function on the EO Smart Home app will disable your charger, so that you can go on holiday and not worry that your device will be used by anyone else. The app's 'scheduled charging' feature will also restrict charging to certain time periods.

Here are more product features of the EO Mini Pro 2:

• Solar matching capabilities & load management (optional extras)
• Monitor energy usage and set charging schedules
• OLEV approved: Home Charge Grant (UK only)
• Compact size: 175mm (H) x 125m (W) x 125mm (D)
• Power ratings: up to 7.2kW
• Universal socket or Tethered (Type 1 or 2)
• 3-year product warranty