Charging your EV
Charging Times
charging cost
Charging Equipment
Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions
Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions
Charging your electric vehicle car be similar to charging your mobile phone, most of us will leave our phones to charge overnight and if need be give them a little extra charge during the day (maybe a bit more if you own a apple phone). The same approach can be taken to charging your electric vehicle, most of the time you will be charging your electric vehicle overnight and can top up that charge during the day.
A mobile phone charger has a set power rating so will generally take the same time to charge no matter where you plug in. EV chargers have different power ratings, this simply means the time it takes to charge your car will depend on the EV charger rating/power being used, we talk more about this in the “Charging Times” section.
With the growing popularity of EVs and the UK government announcing no new sales of petrol/diesel cars form 2030 we are starting to find more options to charge away from home. EV chargers are now starting to pop up in work places, supermarkets, cars parks and petrol courts, these chargers are normally classed as “rapid” chargers and as the name suggests will charge your car quicker than your home charger. It’s never advisable to let your battery run down to 0% and with so many options we say to top up whenever your car is parked.
When charging you car there are a number of factors that can effect the charging times, we will go through some of them below.
Maximum charging rate of vehicle –This is the maximum charge rate your car can accept, simply put if your car can only accept 3.6kW it will not charge any faster by using a 7kW charger. This also works the other way around if your car accepts 22kW and you plug into a 7kW charger it will only charge at 7kW.
Percentage of charge in battery –You car battery will charger faster from 50% to 100%, then 0% to 50%
Ambient temperature – The cooler the ambient temperature the slower your battery will charge.
Generally the more powerful the EV charger the faster your car can charge, if your vehicles maximum charging rates allows this. Domestic chargers typically do not go beyond 7kW as a 3 phase supply is required.
To make this simple below we have shown small to large vehicles being charged by various power ratings. Please note the numbers below are estimates and can vary.
| Electric Vehicle Charger Power rating | Fiat 500e 2020 (38kWh usable battery) | Mercedes – Benz EQE 2022 (90kWh usable battery) | BMW iX 2022 (105kWh usable battery) | Porsche Taycan 2020 (75kWh usable battery) |
| 3.6kW | 12 Hours | 27 Hours | 13 Hours | 22 Hours |
| 7kW | 6 Hours | 15 Hours | 16 Hours | 12 Hours |
| 22kW | 4 Hours | 5 Hours | 10 Hours | 7 Hours |
| 50kW+ 20% – 80% charge | 40min – 20min | 80min – 30min | 90min – 30min | 60min – 20min |
Charging your car at home can be the most cost effective and convenient way to keep your battery topped up. The formula for working out the cost for a charge is quite simple.
*Tariff charge per kWh x Usable battery = Cost
E.G £0.30* x 38kWh = £11.40
Your *Tariff charge per kWh will vary depending on who supply’s your energy. As EV charging is becoming more popular many energy providers are starting to offer special rates just for EV charging.
Using the same example of cars as in the previous section, below is a table showing the cost of charging from 0% – 100%.
Please note the numbers below are estimates and can vary.
| 0.30p per kHw | Fait 500e 2020 (38kHw usable battery) | Mercedes – Benz EQE 2020 (90kHw usable battery) | BMW iX 2022 (105kWh usable battery) | Porsche Taycan 2020 (75kHw usable battery) |
| Cost 0% -100% full battery | £11.40 | £27 | £31.50 | £22.50 |
Rapid charger cost’s can vary, the average in the U.K is 44p per kHw. Work place chargers also vary in cost and if your lucky the boss could even make it free to charge.
The type of EV connector/plug you require will depend on your EV vehicle type, similar to a mobile phones Androids and Apple both have different charging ports. EV’s use Type 1 and Type 2 charging ports, with Type 2 being the most commonly used. If you are unsure we can help you identify which you require.
Socket = Replaces the petrol cap space on your vehicle.
Alternating Current (AC) = Relates the power rating available using this type of connection 3.7kWh, 7kWh and 22kHw., these tend to be domestic chargers.
Direct Current (DC) = These are “rapid chargers” connections and require a different current to produce a faster charge. EV’s will use either CHAdeMO or CCS1/2 connections. These tend to be commercial chargers.
You will notice Type 1/2 are the same as CCS1/2 with an additional 2 ports, this is to allow for rapid charging.
A tethered EV charger has the charging cable hard wired in. This means you would only need to plug in one side of the cable in to the car.
Pros
Convenience you dont need to get the cable from the car each time you want to charge.
The cable tends to be higher quality then the one you will receive with your car.
No risk of losing or forgetting charging cable.
Cable lengths are limited
A non-tethered charger dose not have the charging cable hardwired into the charger. This would require you to plug the both sides of the charging cable in, one side into the EV charger and the other side into your car.
Pros
Visual – Looks better as it doesn’t have a long cable attached to it.
Cheaper to upgrade cable
The charging unit is usually smaller
Getting a EV charger installed at your home will allow you to charge whenever you like making your life just that bit easier, no more queuing at petrol stations or waiting for someone else to finish charging at the supermarket. With our simple process we will have you up and running in no time.
If you would like any help with choosing your EV charge point conatct us today.
We promise treat you and your property with respect. You will be given a specific time of arrival and a demonstration on how to use your EV charger and mobile application before we leave.
Our work is carried out to a high standard we only use high quality materials. We test and issue an electrical certificate for every EV charger installed.
All our EV charge points come with a minimum of a 1 year warranty, depending on the make and model a 3 year warranty is also available.
0208 144 1428
Vartia Electrics LTD (14166679), Unit 503, 89 High Street, Sidcup, DA14 6DW
Mon-Fri 9:00 – 16:00