You've brought your EV home. The dealer handed you a charging cable, and now everyone has an opinion. Your neighbour swears by his 7.4 kW wall box. The electrician says 3.3 kW is plenty. A forum thread says buy the biggest charger you can afford.
Here's the short answer: your car decides, not the charger.
Quick answer: Choose a 7.4 kW charger if your car accepts 7.2 kW or more of AC power, you drive long distances daily, or two EVs share one charger. Choose a 3.3 kW charger if your car's onboard charger is rated 3.3 kW, you park overnight for 8 hours or more, or your home's sanctioned load is tight. Kazam makes both: the Kazam Zoom 7.4 kW and the Kazam Zip Pro 3.3 kW.
The most common buying mistake goes both ways. Some owners pay for a 7.4 kW unit their car can't use. Others put up with 12-hour charges when their car could have done it in five. This guide helps you avoid both.
Your car's onboard charger is the real limit
A home charger doesn't charge your battery directly. It supplies AC power, and a converter inside your car, the onboard charger, turns it into DC for the battery. That onboard charger has a fixed ceiling.
Plug a 3.3 kW car into a 7.4 kW charger and it charges at 3.3 kW. Nothing breaks and nothing is damaged. You've simply paid for speed the car can't take.
The catch in India is that the same model can have different onboard chargers depending on the variant. A Punch EV with the smaller battery and a Punch EV with the long-range pack don't need the same charger.
• Tata Tiago EV: 3.3 kW or 7.2 kW, depending on variant. Fits Zip Pro or Zoom.
• Tata Punch EV: 3.3 kW on medium range, 7.2 kW on long range. Fits Zip Pro or Zoom.
• Tata Nexon EV: 3.3 kW or 7.2 kW, depending on variant. Fits Zip Pro or Zoom.
• Mahindra XUV 3XO EV: 7.2 kW. Fits Zoom.
• MG Windsor EV: 7.4 kW. Fits Zoom.
• Citroen eC3: 3.3 kW. Fits Zip Pro.
• MG Comet EV: 3.3 kW. Fits Zip Pro.
• Electric scooters and three-wheelers: under 3.3 kW. Fits Zip Pro.
How to check yours: look for "AC charging" or "onboard charger" in your car's brochure or owner's manual, or ask your dealer which wall box option your variant supports. If the number says 7.2 kW or 7.4 kW, read on for Zoom. If it says 3.3 kW, Zip Pro is your charger.
That 7.2 vs 7.4 difference? Ignore it. Cars rated 7.2 kW and chargers rated 7.4 kW are the same class, and they work together at full speed.
Kazam Zip Pro vs Kazam Zoom: side by side
These are two different kinds of charger, built for two different jobs. Zip Pro is a smart 16 A charge point: you plug in the portable cable that came with your car (or your scooter's charger), and Zip Pro adds the safety, control and tracking that a plain wall socket doesn't have. Zoom is a wall box with its own Type 2 cable, built for cars that can take more than double the power.
Kazam Zip Pro (3.3 kW)
• Power: 3.3 kW (16 A), single phase
• How you plug in: your car's own portable charging cable
• Charges: cars, scooters, bikes and three-wheelers
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, GSM and Bluetooth
• App control: live status, energy use, session history, scheduling, auto cut-off and voice commands
• Safety: 30 mA RCD, overload, over-voltage and surge protection, plus a tamper-proof cable lock
• Weather rating: IP54
• Mounting: wall
• Price: Contact us
Kazam Zoom (7.4 kW)
• Power: 7.4 kW (32 A), single phase
• How you plug in: tethered Type 2 cable, 3 to 5 m
• Charges: cars
• Connectivity: 4G, OCPP compatible
• App control: app monitoring and plug and charge
• Safety: 10 layers of protection
• Weather rating: IP54
• Mounting: wall or pole
• Price: Contact us
Notice what's the same: both are IP54 rated for open parking through the monsoon, both run on the single-phase supply most Indian homes already have, and both connect to the Kazam app. You aren't trading away safety or smart features by picking the smaller one. You're choosing speed.
How long does each charger take?
A 7.4 kW charger fills a battery a little over twice as fast as a 3.3 kW one, provided your car accepts 7.2 kW or more. These are approximate times from 10% to 100%, allowing for normal charging losses:
• About 25 kWh battery (Tiago EV, Punch EV medium range): about 7.5 hours on Zip Pro, about 3.5 hours on Zoom.
• About 35 kWh battery (Punch EV long range, Windsor EV): about 10.5 hours on Zip Pro, about 5 hours on Zoom.
• About 45 kWh battery (Nexon EV long range): about 13.5 hours on Zip Pro, about 6 hours on Zoom.
But most days, you won't charge from 10%.
Say you drive 40 km a day. That uses roughly 6 kWh. Zip Pro puts it back in about 2 hours; Zoom does it in under an hour. If your car sits in the parking from 9 pm to 8 am, both finish long before you wake up. Speed starts to matter when you drive 100 km or more a day, come home late and leave early, or share one charger between two cars.
Will your home's electricity supply handle it?
This is the question most buyers skip, and it can decide the choice for you.
Zip Pro draws 16 A, about the same as an air conditioner or geyser. Zoom draws 32 A continuously, for hours at a stretch. Many Indian homes have a sanctioned load of 3 to 5 kW. Add a 7.4 kW charger to an evening of AC, fridge and cooking, and you can cross that limit.
Kazam's study with the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), covering more than 80,000 home charger installations, found that nearly half of Indian homes need some electrical upgrade for reliable EV charging. That can mean better earthing, a dedicated circuit, or a higher sanctioned load from your electricity company. Our guide to earthing, load capacity and dedicated circuits explains each one.
What this means for your choice:
• Zip Pro usually works on your existing supply with a properly earthed, dedicated 16 A point.
• Zoom needs its own circuit from your distribution board, and may need a load increase. The application is routine, but it adds time and cost, so check your electricity bill for your sanctioned load before you order.
Does a faster charger cost more to run?
No. You pay for the units (kWh) your car takes, not for how fast they go in. Putting 6 kWh into your car costs the same on either charger. At an example tariff of Rs 8 per unit, that's about Rs 48 for a day's driving.
The cost difference is upfront: the charger itself, plus the wiring and any load upgrade a 7.4 kW unit needs.
Which Kazam charger should you buy?
Choose Kazam Zip Pro (3.3 kW) if:
• Your car's onboard charger is rated 3.3 kW
• You drive under about 80 km a day and park overnight
• Your sanctioned load is tight and you'd rather not apply for an increase
• You also own an electric scooter or bike that needs charging from the same point
• You want app control, scheduling and a tamper-proof cable lock at a lower upfront cost
Choose Kazam Zoom (7.4 kW) if:
• Your car accepts 7.2 kW or 7.4 kW of AC power
• You drive 100 km or more a day, or your car is parked for only a few hours
• Two EVs share one charger at home
• Your battery is 35 kWh or larger and you often charge from low
• Your home can support a dedicated 32 A circuit, or you're ready to upgrade it
Still not sure? Buying a 3.3 kW car today but planning a bigger EV in two or three years? Zoom will serve both cars. Driving a 7.2 kW car only around the city? Zip Pro will still fill it overnight. When in doubt, book a home charging assessment and a Kazam technician will check your car, your parking and your wiring before you decide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a 7.4 kW charger with a 3.3 kW car?
Yes. The car only draws what its onboard charger allows, so it charges safely at 3.3 kW. You won't damage the car, but you won't get faster charging either.
Does a 7.4 kW charger need a three-phase connection?
No. A 7.4 kW charger runs on single-phase supply at 32 A. Three-phase is needed only for 11 kW and 22 kW chargers.
Is 3.3 kW enough for daily home charging?
For most city drivers, yes. A 40 km day uses about 6 kWh, which a 3.3 kW charger replaces in roughly 2 hours.
Can Kazam Zip Pro charge an electric scooter?
Yes. Zip Pro works with electric cars, scooters, bikes and three-wheelers, using each vehicle's own charging cable.
Do I need my society's permission to install a home charger?
In most apartments, yes. You'll usually need the RWA's approval for wiring to your parking space. Read is your home ready for an EV before you start.
