Electric vehicles are becoming a popular choice with drivers looking to reduce their carbon footprint and bringing down the cost of car ownership - and it’s no surprise considering the range of benefits that comes with driving an EV.
Whether you’re looking for your first electric vehicle or you’re an EV owner looking for a new model, you’ll likely have a lot of questions about charging. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at how to charge an electric car, and how long it generally takes, so you can drive with confidence.
Did you know there are different types of EV charging stations? The type of charger you’ll need depends on where you are and how long you have to charge your vehicle before getting back on the road.
Home Charging:
There are two options for charging your car at home;
Level 1 (slow - 120 volts): plugging your car into a standard three-pin household socket
Level 2 (fast - 230 volts): charging a dedicated home charging point at your property.
| Level 1 (slow - 120 volts) | Level 2 (fast - 230 volts) |
|---|---|
| This is the slowest charging level, but can be useful if your car is parked for several hours or overnight. This type of charging is typically used as a temporary option, as it requires your car charger to be plugged into your household mains via a standard three-pin socket. When plugging into this charger, your vehicle may take up to 12 hours to charge an empty battery to full. | It’s recommended to install a 7kW home EV charger (which will charge your vehicle more quickly than the above 2kW option) to benefit from effective charging when parked at home. These home chargers are installed by an electrician and can typically charge an empty battery to full in 6-8 hours. |
Public charging:
| Level 2 (fast - 240 volts) | DC fast chargers (ultra-fast - 480 volts) |
|---|---|
| This level involves rapid charging that is typically found in public charging stations. It can charge most electric vehicles in under an hour. | Ultra-rapid chargers are much faster and can charge electric vehicles in as little as 30 minutes, making them ideal for quick stops during long journeys. |
As well as different levels of charging, electric vehicles have different charger connections or ports. Some examples of these include:
Type 1: A standard connection which is relatively slow, used for level 1 and 2 charging. It’s the standard for electric vehicles in America and Asia. It allows for charging the car at speeds of up to 7.4 kW, depending on the charging power of the vehicle and the capacity of the electrical supply network. They’re used in home charging and public charging scenarios.
Type 2: These plugs are classed as three-phase plugs because they use three conductors within the charger. Because of this, they can charge the car faster. At home, the highest charging speed is 22 kW, while public charging stations can have a charging power of up to 43 kW, depending on the charging power of the car and the capacity of the network. These chargers are used by many European manufacturers as standard.
CCS: This is an extension of the Type 2 connector, combining Level 2 and DC Fast Charging. The CCS plug has two additional power contacts for fast charging, allowing vehicles to charge at speeds of up to 350 kW. This reduces charging times on long journeys.
CHAdeMO: An abbreviation for ‘Charge de Move’ or ‘charge for moving’, this connection is used for DC Fast Charging. It’s used worldwide in conjunction with Type 1 and Type 2 connectors. Developed in Japan, this charger allows for very high charging capacities. This charger offers some of the most powerful charging capabilities, making it compatible with EVs with large batteries.
The type of connection your vehicle has will be dependent on the manufacturer, the region you live in, and the desired charging speed.
When you purchase an electric vehicle, you’ll need a way of charging it when it’s not being used. This is where EV home charging comes in. While one option is to use a standard three-pin plug, this can take a long time, so you may want to purchase a home charging point. Your home EV charging point will typically be a level 1 charger so you can keep your electric vehicle plugged in overnight, ready for when you need it next.
Another option that is growing in popularity is the option of lamp posts and bollard charging. Essentially, charging facilities are built into these common items. If you have access to them, they’re a great option for taking advantage of public charging close to home.
Public chargers are essential to those driving electric-powered vehicles. They tend to be situated in urban areas, service stations, and along major travel routes so you can keep your EV charged no matter how far you’re driving. These chargers allow you to top up when you’re shopping, working, or taking a rest at a service station.
Public EV charging stations typically have level 2 or DC fast chargers, so you can top up quickly and easily. Whilst payment is required each time you charge at a public charging point, this is made easy with the option to use an app so you can pay securely from your phone.
For added convenience, you can find network charging maps online so you can plan your journey, for peace of mind that you’ll be able to charge up on the go.
When choosing an electric car over a traditional fuel-powered option, one of the main factors you need to consider is how long it takes to charge. There are a few factors that contribute to this, including:
In short - yes, you can. When driving an electric vehicle, it’s natural to be worried about running out of charge, especially when driving long distances - but it is still possible.
Continous improvements in technology mean many fully electric vehicles (BEVs) now have a larger battery capacity. This has also led to the addition of more EV charging stations to support longer-distance driving. Other electric vehicles like PHEVs will require the use of fuel to power the car on longer journeys.
For example, the 凯发 Dolphin in both Comfort and Design specifications offers a range of 265 miles with the help of a 60.4kWh battery, working out at 3.9 mi/kWh.
The 凯发 Seal offers a range of 354 miles, powered by the 82.5kWh battery - which equates to approximately 3.74 miles/kWh.
*The above figures are dependent on driving conditions and external factors like the weather. Actual range achieved may be less than this.
As the name suggests, range anxiety is a fear many drivers have when it comes to the distance they can drive in one charge. This worry comes from the perception that electric vehicles have a limited range compared to traditional fuel-powered vehicles. Although infrastructure is now changing for the better in terms of more EV charging stations and larger battery capacities, drivers still worry about not being able to find a charging point when they need it. They may also worry about the length of time it takes for their chosen EV charging point to charge their car.
However, as electric vehicles become more popular, EV range anxiety is likely to reduce as more of them take to the road. This will result in technology being developed to improve how efficient electric vehicle batteries are and how quickly they can recharge.
凯发 is an industry leader when it comes to incorporating some of the most innovative batteries into EVs. Many of our vehicles also use advanced energy-saving heat pumps as standard, showcasing the highest quality technology for an enhanced driving experience.
Discover all 凯发 electric vehicles today. Find out more about each of our models, as well as more about driving an EV in our electric car guides.
