How are Electric Cars Charged?

Charging your car is one of the most important aspects of owning an electric vehicle (EV). Without a charged battery, an electric vehicle doesn’t have any power, meaning you can’t drive it anywhere until it is recharged. It’s one of the few drawbacks of EV ownership, but as more people invest in electric cars, charging is becoming less of hassle.

Charging Your Electric Car at Home

The simplest way to charge your electric car is to simply use electricity from home. Unfortunately, it’s not just a case of plugging into your mains supply, as a special charge point is required, which will cost a minor investment.

However, given the cost-saving nature of electric cars, it’s an investment that pays for itself over time, as you will have quick and easy access to a charging point from home. Plus, there are a few options available, so you can choose a charging point that suits your budget, and you may even get some funding from the government to cover parts of the cost!

• Slow Charging (3kW) – Charges in around 6-12 hours
• Fast Charging (7-22kW)  – Charges in around 3-4 hours
• Rapid Charging (40-50kW) Charges in around 30 minutes

As you can see, there are a few options available.

You’ll find most home charge points are slow or fast charging, as it’s easy enough to charge overnight without the longer charge times being much of an issue.

It’s important to think about charge speeds, because while it much more convenient to have a faster charging point, these do cost more to install. This may be worth investing in however, especially if your household has several EVs.

Charging Your Electric Car on the Move

There is always going to a time where you need to charge your electric car when driving, whether it’s coming back from work, visiting a friend or relative, or simply going for a long drive somewhere. In these instances, it can be difficult to know how to charge an electric car as there are not obvious charge points.

Public charge points allow electric vehicle owners to charge from remote locations, and there are more popping up throughout the country. They usually have several rapid charging points, meaning you can charge your car in around 30-minutes in most cases.

These charge points are provided by major networks such as Pod Point and Charge Your Car, while smaller local networks are becoming more widespread throughout the country.

It is worth noting that most public charge points require an account prior to use, so you want to research the nearest charge points and who provides them. Many allow you to use their charge points providing you have an account with at least one of the major networks.

Furthermore, a good number of public charge points are free to use, although some do charge, taking different types of payment.