For a few years now I've been using an EcoFlow Delta Max portable power station to run most of the devices in my motorhome. It's been an absolutely superb thing to have, and I run everything from a television to a coffee machine. It never breaks a sweat.
EcoFlow has just announced a new version. It's the Delta 2 Max, and I've been sent one to test out. Lifting it out of the box, I'm immediately confused though. It looks identical.
It takes a few minutes before I start to notice some subtle changes. And they really are subtle.
Firstly, on the front, there's no IOT button. This, on the older version, was used to make the unit discoverable to WiFi - but the Delta 2 Max has the welcome addition of Bluetooth, which means it links up to EcoFlow's brilliant app automatically. Good to see.
Around the back there's another small difference - there's an extra charging input, which is a hint towards another important upgrade. I'll get to that in a minute.
Save £135 on this luxury Hugo Boss robe that's now less than £35!Because the big update for the Delta 2 Max isn't in the capacity or any of the other numbers, it's in the battery technology. EcoFlow has fitted its newcomer with LiFePO4 batteries. And this is a new technology that makes its power source more reliable, safer, longer-lasting and much more efficient.
To put that into context, it firstly gives you around 3,000 charge cycles before your battery capacity dips below 80% of its former self, and that's effectively a 10-year lifespan if you use it daily.
Power output from the only slightly heftier 2,048wh batteries, through the AC inverter, is the same healthy 2,400w, but the X-Boost technology gives you a burst of 3,100w if you need a surge of big power.
The 2,048wh capacity is also expandable, and by connecting up to two other batteries, you can serve up effectively over 6kw of capacity for your home or off-grid energy requirements.
EcoFlow has always been a market leader when it comes to recharging speed, and it's fair to say the Delta 2 Max doesn't disappoint. It's possible to charge it at up to 2,400w on AC, or through a combination of solar and AC, and that's enough to take it from 0% to 80% in just 43 minutes.
Solar-only charging capacity is now up to 1,000w, if you have enough panels, and the AC charging speed is controllable, so you don't always have to fast-charge, you could just trickle it with a few hundred watts if you fancy.
Everything is controlled through EcoFlow's app, which has been updated relatively recently, and it's better than ever. Thanks to the Wi-Fi connectivity, you can remotely monitor input and output levels, control standby times, turn off your AC and DC inputs, or even set a custom charge and discharge level.
That Wi-Fi connectivity, incidentally, gets around a problem I've struggled with on the previous version, the stability. The old one often disconnected, and the only way to reconnect was to fumble for the small IOT button. Now, it generally stays connected all the time, without logging off. And it's really handy to be able to monitor capacity from wherever I am.
It's tough to find fault with the Delta 2 Max, and that was the same with the old one. All I can really see are improvements. On paper, it's a kilo heavier, but that doesn't make a huge difference in the real world. They're both very heavy.
Price-wise, the Delta 2 Max is currently on offer, with a £500 saving on the 2000 version, and a £300 saving on the 1600 version. That brings prices down to £1,499 and £1,349.
Aldi's bestselling and 'affordable' fitness equipment event starts today!And that that money, when compared to the competition, EcoFlow has surely got another big hit on its hands. The improvements over the previous Delta Max might seem subtle, but that was a superb machine to start with. It's now even better.