Even a “slow” home charging station is likely to charge your EV overnight, whereas charging via the standard socket will at least take 3 times longer. At a fundamental level, charging an EV works much the same way as any electronic device with a battery – an EV needs to be plugged into a power source from which it can draw electricity to recharge its battery. With an IoT-connected charger, you can monitor your car’s charging status even when you’re inside or away from home.
It found that EVs cost half as much to maintain and that the savings when charging at home more than cancel out any charging costs on an occasional road trip. While charging your EV with an extension cord might seem like the cheaper, more convenient option, the dangers of electricity should never be taken lightly. On the topic of extreme weather, choosing a home charging station with a flexible cable is the best option to manipulate it in colder climates. Once you have connected the car to the charging station, the next step is to start the charging session. For this, you need to locate your car’s power socket – this is often found in the same place where a fuel cap for a gas-powered vehicle would be, in other words, on either side. In those cases, you can typically use the charging cable your EV’s manufacturer provided (It’s usually stored in your car’s trunk). Charging at home is also usually cheaper than charging publicly, as you avoid the additional fees that public charging operators add for offering the service.
The formula to determine cost factors in a vehicle’s range (VR), the range per kWh (RPK) which can be estimated at about 3 to 4 miles, and the cost per kWh (CPK). To locate these charge points across the country select “free to use” within the payment filter on the Zapmap app or desktop map. While you can start a charge simply by tapping the RFID card against the card reader, you will need to pre-register your RFID card and manage an account online in connection with the card. Paying via a network app can have its advantages, with networks’ membership or pay-as-you-go plans seeing cheaper pricing per kWh than for contactless payment. Most, if not all, EV drivers will know that there are several different ways to pay for EV charging in the UK. It’s important you do this step before activating the charging station. Therefore, we only recommend using a household outlet to charge your EV if it’s an emergency.
Plug In, Fuel Up: Here’s How EV Charging Stations Work
The days of green and black pumps are over, so get ready to plug in and embrace kilowatt hours rather than litres and gallons. To keep your electric car moving, you’ll need to make sure your lithium-ion battery is topped up – just like your smartphone or laptop. Most likely, you’ll want to charge at a Level 3 charging station unless you only need a small top-up or can leave your car charging for hours at a time. Investing in an EV is undoubtedly a smart choice that can also bring you lots of benefits. After tallying up all the fees and charges, there is a significant probability that it will turn out to be even less expensive than owning a regular car. Although it can be confusing to comprehend the entire process of charging your new electric car, we guarantee you that it is not as challenging as it may seem. Everything will run smoothly once you read our article and charge your car the first couple of times.
Plan With Public EV Charging Stations in Mind
However, the routing the power in cable through the bottom of the unit is less aesthetically pleasing than having it come through the back as is the case with many models of EVSE. One clever owner did manage to close-off the infeed wire hole on the bottom of the ChargePoint Home and route the wire through a knockout on the back for a very clean, small footprint installation. Including installation, the Level 2 charging station is likely to set you back somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,000. I feel this is well worth it to get the best use out of an electric vehicle. If you’re looking to install something to charge your electric car in your garage, carport, or elsewhere, a “charging station” or EVSE is what you want.
Regardless of the power level or if the unit needs to be hardwired or plugged in, always obtain the services of a licensed electrician to install your EV charging equipment. EV chargers deliver a lot of power for many continuous hours, typically every day. Read more about Ecarcharger.store here. It’s important to make sure the work is done properly and up to code, so you don’t experience issues that could damage your car or your residence. This is more complex than a homeowner extending a 15-amp 120-volt outlet in the basement. Level 2 charging requires a separate wall box to be purchased and installed in your home or garage.
