We begin by inspecting the charger and associated infrastructure for visible signs of damage or deterioration.

We inspect:

• Charger enclosure

• Charging cables

• Plugs and connectors

• Mounting and physical condition

• Isolation equipment

• Electrical protection devices

• Signs of overheating

• Water ingress

• Corrosion

• Mechanical damage

• Labelling and installation condition

Visible damage can provide important clues, but many EV charger faults cannot be identified through visual inspection alone.

We verify the electrical supply supporting the charger.

Testing may include:

• Supply voltage

• Circuit condition

• Protective earth continuity

• Earth loop impedance

• Insulation resistance

• Protective device operation

• Electrical connections

• Voltage stability

This helps determine whether the fault originates from the EV charger or the electrical infrastructure supplying it.

EV charging installations use electrical protection systems designed to disconnect the supply when unsafe conditions occur.

We can test:

• RCD operation

• Trip current

• Trip times

• Protective device operation

• AC and DC fault protection functionality where applicable

Repeated tripping can indicate a genuine electrical fault, a protection issue, a charger problem or a problem elsewhere within the installation.

Testing helps determine what is actually causing the protective device to operate.

A charger may have power and appear operational while still failing to correctly initiate or maintain a charging session.

Using specialised EVSE testing equipment, we can simulate vehicle connection and charging conditions without relying solely on a vehicle for diagnosis.

This allows us to assess how the charger responds through different operating states.

EV chargers communicate with vehicles before allowing charging to begin.

We can test the Control Pilot (CP) functions used for communication between the charger and vehicle.

This can help identify problems associated with:

• Vehicle detection

• Charging requests

• Charger readiness

• Communication states

• Charging current signalling

• Abnormal operating conditions

Communication faults can sometimes appear to the user as a charger that simply refuses to charge.

Where applicable, we verify Proximity Pilot (PP) functionality associated with charging cable detection and current capability.

Testing can help identify issues involving:

• Cable recognition

• Connector operation

• Charging current limits

• Charging cable condition

• Safe charging operation

Specialised EVSE testing equipment allows us to simulate selected abnormal operating conditions and observe how the charger responds.

Depending on the charger and installation, this may include simulation of:

• Open earth conditions

• Control pilot faults

• Communication faults

• Protective conductor faults

This provides valuable diagnostic information when investigating intermittent or unexplained charger behaviour.

Where appropriate, testing may also be undertaken to assess charger operation under load.

This can include checking:

• Charger output

• Voltage stability

• Current delivery

• Charging performance

• Operation during a charging session

This can be particularly useful when investigating chargers that operate but appear to charge slowly, stop unexpectedly or behave differently under load.