EV Charging
EV charging is simple, convenient and cost-effective. EVs are powered by rechargeable batteries, which must be charged using an external power source. Charging can be done at home, at work, or at public charging points. It is possible to charge a regular domestic three-pin socket, but a dedicated home EV charger is a much faster option. Dedicated EV home chargers typically deliver around 7kW of power. It is also possible to make use of the charger's smart technology. For example, starting and stopping the charge remotely via a smartphone app.
How to Charge an EV
There are several ways to charge an Electric Vehicle:
- Charging at home using a home chargepoint.
- Charging near home using publicly available on-street chargepoints.
- Charging at forecourts, motorway services, carparks, shopping centres and other destinations.
- Charging at work if there are chargepoints available.
Types of Chargepoint
Generally, there are three categories of chargepoint based on their power, measured in kilowatts (kW):
- Low-speed and standard chargepoints.
- Fast chargepoints.
- Rapid and ultra-rapid chargepoints.
Time Taken to Charge an EV
The time it takes to charge an EV can vary significantly depending on:
- The power of the chargepoint.
- The EV's charging capability.
- The size of the EV battery.
Information on the speed of different chargepoints for charging:
-
Low speed and standard chargepoints
- Low speed chargepoints, 0 - < 3.7 kW. A full charge takes 12 to 15 hours.
- Standard chargepoints, 3.7 kW - < 8 kW. A full charge takes five and a half to 11 hours.
-
Fast chargepoints
- Fast chargepoints, 8kW - 49 kW. A full charge takes one to five hours.
-
Rapid and ultra-rapid chargepoints
- Rapid chargepoints, 50 kW - 149 kW. It only takes 15 mins to one hour to charge up to 80%. To protect battery life, charging speeds below 20% and above 80% will be slower.
- Ultra-rapid chargepoints, 150 kW and over. The fastest at 10 minutes to one hour to charge up to 80%.
Battery Electric Vehicle Charging Times (From 20% charged)
| Chargepoint Power Output | Average EV Battery Size | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25kWh | 50kWh | 75kWh | 100kWh | |
| 7.4 kW (AC) | 3h 45m | 7h 45m | 10h | 13h 30m |
| 11 kW (AC) | 2h | 5h 15m | 6h 45m | 9h |
| 22 kW (AC) | 1h | 3h | 4h 30m | 6h |
| 50 kW (DC) | 36m | 53m | 1h 20m | 1h 48m |
| 120 kW (DC) | 11m | 22m | 33m | 44m |
| 150 kW (DC) | 10m | 18m | 27m | 36m |
| 240 kW (DC) | 6m | 12m | 17m | 22m |
| 350 kW (DC) | 3m | 7m | 11m | 15m |