​When you are buying a charger for your electric car, the choice can be bewildering. You could just get the cheapest and hope it does the job, or perhaps select one which looks pretty and has the most flashing lights.

But ask drivers who have owned an electric car for years and they will tell you there is one quality which is more important than any other - and that is reliability. You need the peace of mind which comes from knowing you will wake up to a full battery rather than an error message and not enough charge to get to work. 

Which is why the new MSI chargers should be on your shopping list. The MSI Eco series has weather sealing up to the IP55 official rating, which means it will resist the British rain when it’s wet and dust when it is dry. It will shrug off minor impacts too, and is guaranteed to deliver full power in temperatures from -30°C to 55°C. If we see anything more extreme than that in the UK, our problems will be bigger than your battery charge. 

And then there’s the power. The MSI Eco can deliver up to 22kW if you have a three-phase electricity supply and a car capable of accepting the full amount. For most UK homes with single phase power, you'll be looking at around 7kW, which still gives you enough to fill an average electric car battery overnight. But if you can tap into industrial power at your business, or perhaps in a communal car park, then the MSI Eco is ready to deliver and could add 100 miles’ worth of energy to a family EV over a lunch break. 

If the MSI Eco is accessible to the public, the unit can also make sure that your power doesn’t get into the wrong hands with the ability to restrict access using an app or RFID card. For even more convenience the MSI can use an Auto Charge feature, where it will recognise an approved EV as it is connected and automatically unlock. 

The Eco Premium version includes a five-inch screen which lets new users access using a QR-code from their smartphone to give the owner and driver a simpler way to manage charging. The screen also shows real-time charging information. 

Use the app and you can set schedules, keep an eye on your energy use and control the MSI remotely, so you don’t have to go out in the cold and rain to check on the charging.

The MSI Eco is approved and eligible for the OZEV EV Chargepoint Grant, meaning you may be able to get financial help to fit one. To back up the quality, MSI backs the Eco with a four year warranty.

So don't just buy the charger which looks pretty. Choose one that's going to work reliably with your home, your car, year in and year out.

MSI EZgo - freedom to charge at any socket

If you need the ability to top up while you are away from home, you can charge almost anywhere with a three-pin plug using the MSI EZgo. With a massive 7.5-metre-long cable and a 1.5 metre power cord, it gives an overall length of 9.3 metres, meaning you will be able to reach power sources which are inaccessible to other cars. 

Like its big brother the Eco, it is designed to be tough, with a full IP66 rating design to survive in harsh environments and extreme weather. It has also passed a rigorous two tonne run-over test so it will survive the inevitable accidents, while a zip up case will help keep it looking pristine when stored in your boot.

It can deliver up to 3kW, depending on the available supply, with the EZgo’s processors monitoring the current to ensure the optimal charging speed. A 1.8" LCD screen on the front of the unit displays real-time voltage and current flow, plus any error codes if something isn’t quite right. You can also control the EZgo with the aConnect app on your smartphone, allowing scheduled start times to make the most of cheaper overnight energy rates. It will even show interactive charts to track your energy use and history.

Using the EZgo could mean you aren’t reliant on pricey public chargers and can plug in safely wherever you can find a socket. 

To learn more about the Eco and EZgo, visit the MSI website here.​