Best EV Home Chargers : Choosing the Right EV Wall Box
If you are buying an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle and your property is located near a driveway or car park, you will need a home electric vehicle charger to charge the battery.
Before you buy your first electric or hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), think about where and how you're going to charge it. But even if you live in an apartment or house with no street, there's plenty of parking along the street. Street. Load. The solution. However, for drivers who do not park on the street (e.g. in a driveway or garage), charging at home is often the best solution. Experts on public charging networks in the UK agree In-home charging will still dominate.
Of course, electric cars need to be charged to keep going, but PHEVs can only run on electric motors when the battery is dead. However, to get the most out of your battery and minimize fuel consumption, you need to charge it regularly.
With so many companies offering EV home chargers, it can be difficult to choose just one. We're here to help, backed by the results of our annual Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. We asked EV and plug-in hybrid owners to share their experiences and find out the best home chargers.
How do you charge your electric car at home?
So how do you charge an electric car at home? A standard three-prong plug draws up to 3kW, which is too slow for most EVs to fully charge while in use. Even if you leave it overnight, having a wall charger at home will shorten the charging time and make owning an electric vehicle more sustainable.
What is a home charger?
A home wall charger is a device that sits near, in, or outside your garage. Connect to your home network. Almost all of these charge your vehicle faster and safer than a standard 3-prong plug.
It has more advantages. Access to the house does not require dangerous wiring. The Wallbox is windproof and can be used in all conditions. Some devices are "smart" and can be controlled remotely using an app on your phone.
What types of home wall hangings are there?
There are several companies that offer home wall rental services. Factors to consider include price, ease of installation, charging speed, connection and cable type, compatibility with your home, and even the look of your wall outlet. In 2014, the European Commission required all charging stations to be Type 2 compatible. That's why modern EVs and PHEVs come with Category 2 cables and cables, and most home wall mounts are suitable for vehicles with Category 2 cables. Some manufacturers use separate wall mounts. So it's a good idea to make sure you can get one installed in your home at a discounted price as part of the deal.
You can choose whether to bind the wallbox or not. A tethered signal means the wallbox comes with a charging cable that connects directly to the vehicle. You might think this is more future-proof than a wallbox with a plug-in, but the adapter is still available for purchase at a later date.
Unconnected wallboxes have standard plugs and must be connected with their own cable. These come with the car, but if not available they can be purchased for around £150 from suppliers such as Chargemaster. But the upside is that if the vehicle is retrofitted or equipped with new charging technology, the cable will need to be replaced.
What is your loading speed?
The simplest home chargers typically start at 3 to 3.7 kW, with more advanced devices offering 7 kW and the most expensive going up to 22 kW. Of course, as the powerband shifts, so does the price of the charger. The 3.7 kW Wallbox fully charges a standard 40 kWh Nissan Leaf he battery in about 13 hours. This gives a range of 268 miles (168 miles) at night. A 7kW plant, on the other hand, is completed in less than six hours. Charging with 22 kW of power takes less than two hours. Think about your daily mileage and your driving needs. If you drive only a small amount each day and come home with a fully charged battery, the 3.6kW charger alone can slowly charge your vehicle overnight. If you drive a lot, often come home with a very depleted battery, and need to use your car regularly during the week or weekends, a faster charger may be for you. If you're likely to own an EV with a high capacity battery in the next few years, stronger chargers are also on the horizon.
The maximum charging speed your home can provide depends on the type of power source you accept. Buildings and factories tend to have stronger phase connections. Talk to an electrician to see what you can expect at home. Just in case you buy a heavy-duty outlet and find it doesn't work right.
How long does it take to install a wall box?
Most charging point providers will have home wall boxes delivered and installed within a week, but during times of high demand it can take time to reserve slots. Many sellers include installation in the purchase price, and installation is performed by trained technicians.
However, this may not always be the case. In some cases, a separate installation fee may be incurred, but it is very rare and this percentage may gradually decrease depending on the prevalence of automobiles.