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How to charge your electric car at home

Smart charger or wallbox charger? What do you do to install the charger after you’ve selected it? We will answer your questions regarding charging your electric vehicle at home

The majority of electric car charging is done at home, so it’s essential to ensure you have the correct technology to make the process effortless, quick and economical as is possible. To make the entire procedure as simple as it can be, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to answer every question you have about the different ways of charging.

Are all car chargers that are electric the same?

There are two choices when it comes to charging at home – you can either use the slower charger included with your vehicle or install an installed wallbox. The latter makes use of a standard 3-pin connector to draw charge from the domestic power supply. It is also easy to operate and extremely mobile. However, as battery capacities are growing every day, they can take up to 24 hours to complete the full capacity and, as such, manufacturers suggest they only be used to be used in emergencies. An alternative, especially in the case of daily EV use is to use a wallbox charger. It can be placed on the wall of your home or garages, it’s capable of providing more rapid charging time, and is safe and secure. It’s also more user-friendly and doesn’t require a lot of cables that run from your home.

What’s a wallbox charging?

It’s basically a standalone charger that’s connected directly to the electricity supply in your house. Like the name implies it’s attached to the exterior wall of your house and lets you quickly and easily plug your vehicle into charge. It is even better if you purchase fast charging devices that can cut down the time required to recharge the battery. There are smart units which you can program remotely to charge only at specific intervals (such such as when your electricity bill is the lowest) and also to improve the condition of the battery and increase its life span. If solar panels are installed on your property, certain smart chargers of them to make use of the renewable energy source, which can help lower your carbon footprint and bills.

The majority of wallboxes are fast chargers that can produce power at 7kW, however there are cheaper and simpler slow chargers that are 3kW.

It is necessary to have a garage, driveway or another type of off-street parking that is close to your home if you’re planning to install an indoor wallbox. You aren’t able to extend the charging cable over a public footpath , or road. It will also require the installation of an experienced electrician.

What is the charge to buy an electrical car car house charger?

It’s based on the desired charging speed as well as the’smart features you’d like to get to get from the charger. Basic slow chargers of 3kW start around PS100 or less, and you’ll need about PS300 to get a more powerful 7kW charger. Smart chargers that offer wireless control through an app for smartphones are priced between PS450 to PS1,000. The cost of installation can be included with the cost however, there might be an additional cost when significant modifications have to be made to the wiring in your home. There are some companies that offer a free wallbox and installation when you buy one of their electric vehicles It’s worth taking a look at the offers that are available on the market.

What exactly is the wallbox grant?

In order to encourage motorists to change to electric vehicles To encourage drivers to make the switch to EV, the Government offers cash incentives via its OZEV (Office of Zero Emissions vehicles) department. If you decide to purchase a new EV and you’re currently get an incentive that covers 75% of the cost and installation costs of a wallbox up to a maximum amount of PS350. You can currently apply for a grant on every EV you own, but it is restricted to two vehicles. But, from April 2022, the Government changed the criteria for eligibility, which means the majority of homeowners who have off-street parking spaces were not eligible for grants, but only landlords, tenants , and small-business owners.

How do you get an electric car charging station installed at your home

The easiest way to do this is to schedule the installation through the business that sells the wallbox. The cost of fitting is typically included in the price of purchase with the wallbox company having its own certified installers. If you purchase the device on your own, then you can select your own professional, but they must have approval from the manufacturer of the product you are purchasing.

It’s important to note that the installer will likely have to verify your preferred place for fitting as well as your home’s electrical wiring prior to proceeding. If you’d like the wallbox to be installed a long distance from your fuse box, or if your wiring is in need of upgrading and you’re not ready to pay more for the installation.

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

Smart electric car chargers are a wallbox that utilizes wi-fi and Bluetooth to connect to various apps that are available on your phone. This allows you to control your car’s charging routine with the capability to decide when charging occurs and the amount of power you charge the battery. This means you can ensure that you’re charging only when it is the most cost-effective to do so or restrict how much energy stored in the battery to around 80 percent to prevent overheating the cells, and increase the longevity of. Smart chargers cost more money to purchase than standard ones however, you should keep in mind that the Federal government’s OZEV subsidy is only applicable to these types of devices which means that in the majority of instances, they’re less expensive to purchase.

What type of wall charger do I need to buy?

The amount of current your charger is able to supply will depend on your home wiring as well as your car’s charging adapter. The smallest available power is the slow charger of 3kW that, even for something similar to an Nissan Leaf with a modest 40kWh battery, will need 12 hours to complete a charge. However, 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. Nearly all electric cars are able to charge at this speed which is great for homes where the majority of charging takes place over the course of a night.

There are also 22kW and 11kW choices, however, they require the use of a three-phase power source which is uncommon in residential settings, but is often located in commercial or industrial locations. You could upgrade your home however it’s unlikely the cost is worth the speedier charging times.

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

A majority of electronic 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 most slow method of charging. Some larger EVs that require longer than 24 hours to complete an entire charge. The majority of manufacturers recommend getting wallboxes for domestic charging, but only with the 3-pin charger for an emergency backup. It is also important to verify that whether a cable is provided as standard, as some manufacturers don’t provide one.

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

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

To charge faster, you’ll have to change the wiring you have to use a 3-phase technology (domestic wiring is typically single-phase) that will permit 22kW of charging. At this rate , a Nissan Leaf with a 40kWh battery could be fully charged in less than two hours.

What can you do to determine whether you have a 3-phase connection?

The most effective way to determine whether your house is equipped with an electrical supply with three phases is to hire a certified electrical engineer to inspect the wiring in your home. Sometimes, a simple examination can tell you if you need to investigate further. The most effective method is to find the circuit breaker and fuse box because this is the place the place where electricity enters the home. In a single phase supply there will typically be one big system fuse that is connected to the meter as well as a fuse box that contains circuit breakers for the different areas and appliances in the home. In a three-phase supply, there’ll have three bigger system fuse usually each one with a rating of 100 amps.

What’s the difference between untethered or tethered charging device?

It’s simply the kind of charging cable that is connected to the wall box. The tethered device has an unassailably connected cable that has either an Type 1 , or Type 2, connector it is the ideal choice for those with only one EV , as it allows easy charging – just park it up and then plug it in.

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

What is Vehicle to Grid (V2G)?

The service is currently available only to companies and select retail customers The 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 during the day , while their owners are working or staying overnight) Energy providers can make use of the battery capacity for energy storage, or tap into their electricity to generate additional power during peak hours. For users of electric vehicles, and EVs, there are financial benefits which is that the energy company pays for the electricity it consumes.

Next, you need to prepare 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 can be especially advantageous with renewable energy that allows you to store the electricity produced from wind or solar energy that otherwise would be wasted in the day, when there is less demand for heating and lighting. There is one drawback: the only vehicles that have an CHAdeMO charging connector can take advantage of this flow in two directions of energy. This effectively means that only models made by Nissan including Nissan’s Leaf as well as the EV200 van. However, several companies are in the process of having the same technology to the popular charger CCS.