Are all electric car chargers the same?

Smart charger for your wallbox or wallbox? What do you do to install your charger after choosing it? We have answers to all your questions regarding charging your electric vehicle at home

About 80 percent of electric car charging is done in the home, so it’s crucial to ensure you have the correct technology to make the process as easy, fast and efficient as you can. To make the entire procedure as simple as it can be, we’ve put together this guide that answers all your questions regarding the various methods of charging.

Are all electric car chargers identical?

There are two options to charging your home at home. You could either utilize the slow charger included with your vehicle, or you can have an installed wallbox. The latter utilizes a standard 3-pin plug to draw the power from your home source, and is easy to operate and extremely lightweight. However, as battery capacities are growing every day, the units can take more than 24 hours to complete an entire charge, and that’s why manufacturers suggest they only be used to be used in emergencies. The best option, particularly in the case of daily EV use for your home, is a wallbox. It can be placed on the wall of your home or garages, it’s capable of offering quicker charging speeds and is secure. It’s also more user-friendly and doesn’t require a lot of cables to be connected to the home.

What’s the definition of a wallbox charging?

In essence, it’s a stand-alone charger that’s connected directly to the power supply of your home. It’s like the name suggests it’s attached to the exterior wall of your house and allows you to swiftly and easily plug your vehicle into the outlet to charge. It is even better if you purchase fast charging devices that can cut down the amount of time needed to replenish your battery. There are smart units that can be programmed remotely to charge only at specific intervals (such for the time when your electricity is the lowest) and also to make the battery more stable and extend its life span. Should you own solar panels in your home, certain smart chargers of them to make use of renewable energy source, which can help lower the cost of your electricity and reducing carbon emissions.

Most wallboxes are speedy chargers that can produce power at 7kW, however there are cheaper and simpler slow chargers of 3kW available.

You’ll need an entrance, garage or other type of off-street parking that is close to your home if you’re planning to install wallboxes, since you aren’t able to extend the charging cable over a public footpath , or road. It will also have to be installed by an experienced electrician.

How much will it take to set up an electric home car charger?

It’s based on the desired charging speed and the’smart features you’d like to get in your charging device. Basic 3kW slow chargers begin at PS100 or so, whereas you’ll require around PS300 for a higher-powered 7kW model. Smart chargers that offer wireless control through apps for smartphones cost anything between PS450 and $1000. The cost of installation will be included within the cost however, there might be an additional charge for major changes that are required to the wiring in your home. Some manufacturers are currently offering a complimentary wallbox and installation when you buy one of their EVs It’s worth taking a look at the offers that are available on the market.

What is the wallbox grant?

In order to encourage motorists to move to EVs To encourage drivers to make the switch to EV, the Government offers cash incentives via its OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles) department. If you purchase a brand new EV that you own, you’ll get an incentive that covers 75 per cent of purchase and installation costs of a wallbox up to a maximum amount of PS350. You can currently apply for a grant on every EV that you own, however it is restricted to two vehicles. But, from April 2022, the government changes the eligibility criteria for grant applicants, which means that the majority of homeowners who have off-street parking spaces were not able to apply for the grant. The only applicants were landlords, tenants , and small-business owners.

How do you get an electric car charging point to be installed at your home

The easiest method is to schedule the installation through the business that sells the wallbox. The cost of fitting is usually included in the price of purchase with the wallbox company having its own certified installers. If you purchase the wallbox by itself, you are able to choose your own installer, however they must have approval from the manufacturer of the device you choose.

It’s important to note that the person fitting the wallbox will require a thorough examination of the location you prefer to install it and the electrical circuitry in your home before proceeding. If you’d like the wallbox to be installed a long distance from the fuse box, or if your wiring is in need of upgrading and you’re not willing to pay more for the installation.

What is a Smart Charger and do I really need one?

Smart chargers are wallbox that makes use of wi-fi or Bluetooth to connect to various apps that are available on your phone. It allows you to control your car’s charging routine and allows you to decide when charging occurs and how much power to be putting into the battery. This means you can ensure that you’re charging only when electricity is at its lowest and restrict your energy consumption stored in the battery to around 80 percent to avoid overheating cells, and increase the longevity of. Smart chargers are more expensive to purchase than standard ones however, you should keep in mind that the government’s OZEV subsidy is only applicable to this type of device and, in the majority of situations, they are less expensive to purchase.

What type of wall charger should I purchase?

The power that the charger will provide will depend on your home wiring as well as the car’s onboard charging adapter. The most affordable option is the slow charger of 3kW and even on a device similar to an Nissan Leaf with a modest 40kWh battery, will need 12 hours to complete a charge. Larger models like the Audi E-tron will need more than 24 hours.

Many wallboxes provide 7kW of rapid charging, which cuts the amount of time required by around half when compared to units with 3kW. Most electric vehicles are able to charge at this speed which is great for homes where the majority of charging happens overnight.

There are also 22kW and 11kW alternatives, however they need an electrical supply with three phases which is uncommon in residential settings, but is often used in business or industrial locations. You could upgrade your home’s power but it’s unlikely the cost is worth the speedier charging times.

Can I plug in my electric car into a standard socket?

Most electric vehicles have a portable slow charger that is able to be used using a 3-pin plug that is plugged into a standard power outlet. The charger is rated at 3 kW, making it the slowest method of charging. Some larger EVs that require longer than 24 hours to complete an entire charge. Many manufacturers are now recommending to have wallboxes for domestic charging, but only with the 3-pin charger for an emergency backup. Also, make sure the cable comes in the standard package, since some manufacturers do not include it.

How quick can you charge your electric vehicle at your home?

In most cases, the 7kW wallbox provides the fastest way to charge at home. With this device, you could expect to fully charge an item like an MINI Electric in as little as three and a half minutes, however, the Nissan Leaf 40kWh will take about six hours.

To get even more rapid charging, you’ll have to change your electrical wiring with a 3-phase technology (domestic wiring is typically single-phase) this will permit 22kW of power. At this rate , a Nissan Leaf with a 40kWh battery could be fully recharged in just two hours.

How do you determine whether you have a three-phase connection?

The best method to verify whether your home is connected to an electrical supply with three phases is to have a licensed electrical engineer to inspect the wiring in your home. Sometimes, a simple examination can tell you if it is necessary to conduct further investigations. The best method is to find the switch box as well as meter since this is the point where electricity is supplied to the home. If you have a single-phase supply, typically, there is one big system fuse along with the meter and the fuse box with circuit breakers to the different appliances and areas within the house. In a three-phase supply, there’ll exist three bigger system fuse typically, each one of them with a rating of 100 amps.

What is the difference between an untethered and a tethered charger?

It’s simply the kind of charging cable that is connected on the wallbox. The tethered device has an unassailably connected cable that has either an Type 1 , or Type 2, connector and is the best option if you only have one electric vehicle as it allows an easy charge – just park up and connect to.

In the case of untethered devices, you’re using the charging cable included by the vehicle, which connects to the charger at one end and the EV on the other end. This is a more flexible option since it allows you to easily switch from the Type 1 as well as Type 2 cables if, like, for instance, you own 2 different EV models that use different connectors like an Nissan Leaf and a Peugeot e-208.

What exactly is Vehicle to Grid (V2G)?

It is currently only available to companies and select retail customers only to select retail customers and businesses, only available to select retail customers and businesses, V2G (Vehicle to Grid) charging effectively integrates an electric vehicle with the grid of the nation. If a variety of cars are connected over prolonged time at designated V2G chargers (such for when they are parked in the middle of the day when their owners are working or sleeping) energy providers are able to utilize the combined capacity of the batteries to provide energy storage or use their electricity to generate additional energy during peak times. For users who are EV-powered, there are financial benefits by charging the energy provider for the electricity it consumes.

Following that, it’s time the next step is for Vehicle to Home (V2H) charging which will see your vehicle becoming an integral part of your home’s power supply. This method could be particularly beneficial with renewable energy sources by storing the electricity produced from wind or solar energy that otherwise would be wasted for instance during the day, when there is less need for heating or lighting. The only drawback is that the only vehicles that have an CHAdeMO charging connector can take advantage of this dual flow of energy. This effectively means that only models made by Nissan like The Leaf as well as the EV200 van. However, several companies are in the process of having the same technology to the more well-known Charging System CCS.