The rise of Electric Vehicle (EV) sales has been well reported and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) now account for over 20% of new car sales in the U.K. However, knowing how and when to charge up remains a common worry for most. Unlike petrol or diesel powered cars, EVs require a little more planning to guarantee you have enough juice to get to your destination.
An EV charger helps keep your battery full. Both electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid units use a charger to recharge their on board battery, like in most electronic devices. Here are some things EV owners should know about how an EV charger works.
An EV charger delivers electricity to the vehicle's battery from the grid (or your own generation if you’re lucky enough to have it). Your car then stores the electricity to power its electric motor in a large battery pack.
A home EV charger is a relatively straightforward piece of kit. It is connected up to the main electrical supply in your home and can deliver up to 7.4kW AC in most homes. The charger makes sure that it is safely connected to a vehicle and responds to the vehicle's request(s) for charge.
The EV charger delivers the power to the car as AC and the car then uses it’s own on-board charger to convert this AC electricity to DC electricity in order for it to be stored in the battery.
Unless you choose to rely solely on the public charging network then you will need some method of charging your car at home. But that doesn’t mean you have to have a dedicated home charger. There are ‘00s of EV owners up and down the country that just use the 3-pin plug or ‘granny charger’ at home and are really happy with it, indeed many of our customers use the granny charger for a short period of time before having a dedicated EV charge point installed. The main things to be aware of if you want to just use a 3-pin plug are:
99% of domestic home charge points can deliver 7.4kW of power to your EV. This equates to approximately 25-30 miles of driving range equivalent per hour of charge. In short, if you plug in an empty EV at night it will be fully charged before you wake up.
Some homes have what is called a Three Phase supply which means they can have a 22kw charge point installed (3x the power of a 7.4kW charge point).
One of the factors affecting the charging speed of your electric vehicle is the size of its battery. The bigger your battery capacity, the longer your car will take to charge.
Your battery's state also determines how much time your EV takes to charge. If empty, your electric vehicle will take longer than when topping up from 60%.
A maximum charging rate for all EVs limits the speed you can charge your car. It means charging a 7Kw max charge rate battery on a 22Kw will not charge any faster.
Electric vehicle charge points also have a maximum charging rate. It affects the time your EV takes to charge by limiting the charging speed, even if your vehicle supports a higher voltage.
Extreme changes to the environment also affect your EV charging speed. Your car might take longer to charge at a colder ambient temperature, especially when using a rapid charger. Electric vehicles are less efficient during colder temperatures, adding fewer miles as you charge.
You can charge your electric vehicle, provided you install a compatible home charger. A home charger allows you to enjoy EV ownership while eliminating all the charging-related stress. It is also safer, cheaper, and more convenient than public chargers.
The only challenging part of charging your electric vehicle at home is the charger installation, which may require professionals. After installation, you must plug the connector into your car's inlet and give it time to charge. Overnight charging is the best since it allows you to take advantage of off-peak demand pricing.
An EV charger is necessary to establish a safe, fast and cheap electric vehicle charge, and EV domestic has you covered. We are a company specialising in EV charger installation in homes around the country. Contact us today about an effortless electric vehicle charger installation.
