How do you charge an electric car?
To charge an electric car, you’ll need to plug it into a charging point. In the UK there are four main places you can find these; at home, at work, at public locations and at service stations.
- You’ll sometimes need to take your own separate charging cable with you.
- Most EV drivers plug-in to a chargepoint whenever they park to stay topped up.
- Sometimes drivers need to charge en route, using higher powered chargers.
- Depending on the location, you can start charging simply by plugging in, or by using an app, contactless card or RFID card…
How do you charge an electric car at home?
You can charge an electric car at home using a dedicated home charger (a standard 3 pin plug with an Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) cable should only be used as a last resort).
- Electric car drivers choose a home charging point to benefit from faster charging speeds and built-in safety features.
- Charging an electric car is like charging a mobile phone – plug in overnight and top up during the day.
- Certain electricity tariffs offer much cheaper electricity at specific periods (usually late at night) and scheduling to charge your car, either via the Pod Point App or the car itself, can save you money…
How long does it take to charge an electric car?
The time it takes to charge an electric car can be as little as 30 minutes or more than 12 hours. This depends on the size of the battery and the speed of the charging point.
- A typical electric car (60kWh battery) takes just under 8 hours to charge from empty-to-full with a 7kW charging point.
- Most drivers top up charge rather than waiting for their battery to recharge from empty-to-full.
- For many electric cars, you can add up to 100 miles of range in ~35 minutes with a 50kW rapid charger.
- The bigger your car’s battery and the slower the charging point, the longer it takes to charge from empty to full…
How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
The cost to charge an electric car in the UK varies between home, work and public charging.
For a typical electric car with a 60kWh battery and ~200 mile range:
- Charging at home: Costs about £13 for a full charge.*
- Charging at work: Many employers will install workplace charging points and typically offer free access throughout the day.
- Charging at public locations: The cost of public charging at supermarkets or car parks varies based on the chain, location, and speed of the chargers. The average cost is around £26 for a full charge.**
- Rapid charging: Rapid charging points are normally found at motorway service stations and typically cost ~£19 for a 30 min, ~90 mile charge. ***
* Costs calculated at 24.5p/kWh based on usable battery of ~54kWh (90%).
** Costs calculated at an average rate of 48p/kWh as of May 2023, based on usable battery of ~54kWh (90%).
*** Charging at 50kW, receiving 3.5 miles per kWh. Assumes tariff of 74p/kWh applicable to most network rapid chargers as of May 2023…
What are the different EV Charging Connector Types and Speeds?
Similar to phone charging cables, car charging cables tend to have two connectors, one that plugs into the vehicle socket and the other into the chargepoint itself.
The type of connector you need varies by vehicle and the power rating (“speed”) of the chargepoint.*
- Electric vehicles either have a Type 1 or Type 2 socket for slow/fast charging and CHAdeMO or CCS for DC rapid charging.**
- Most slow/fast chargepoints have a Type 2 socket. Occasionally they will have a cable attached instead. All DC rapid charging stations have a cable attached with mostly a CHAdeMO and a CCS connector.
- Most EV drivers purchase a portable charging cable that matches their vehicle’s Type 1 or Type 2 socket so that they can charge on public networks.
* This guide is based on the UK and may not include complete information for all countries.
** With the exception of Tesla Model X and Model S vehicles to date, which use Type 2 connectors for DC rapids. Adapters that allow to charge these Tesla models via CHAdeMO or CCS connectors are available…
Can any Electric Car use a Tesla Charger?
Electric cars with CCS connectors can use Tesla Superchargers. Electric vehicles (EVs) with Type 2 connectors can also use Tesla’s destination charger network. To access the brand’s charging stations, you’ll need access to the Tesla app.
Can any EV use a Tesla charging station?
Yes! Tesla’s charging network continues to grow with more than 40,000 destination chargers and faster 1,100 Superchargers available across the UK. While any EV fitted with a standard Type 2 connector has always been able to use the brand’s destination chargers, only Tesla EVs were able to use their Superchargers, until last year…
How do you Prepare for a Home EV Charger Installation?
Getting a smart home charger installed is the most convenient way to charge your electric vehicle (EV), and fortunately it’s not as complicated as you might think.
Before you book your EV charger installation, there are a number of important things you’ll need to consider to get the most out of your charger:
- Where you park your EV and where you want your home charger to go
- The quality of your home’s Wi-Fi
- What kind of EV charger you want to get installed
- How much your installation will cost
- Which EV chargepoint provider to pick…
