What do you need to charge an electric vehicle at home?

 

You will need off-road parking - like a driveway or garage and you need to be able to get power to it.

 

You’ll also want to get a Electric vehicle wall charging unit (also called wallboxes) installed. As more and more people invest in electric cars, with the upcoming 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars, off-road charging could increase the value of your home. 

 

Can you plug an electric car into a regular outlet?

 

You can, but you won't want to. A regular 2.4kW three-pin wall socket will mean you’re looking at very long charging times - in excess of 35 hours depending on the car. You can slash those charging times by getting a wallbox charger installed.

 

Get a wallbox charger

 

Wallboxes are available in different forms and powers. They will drastically reduce charging time compared with a regular three-pin plug.

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To get the best wall charging unit for you, you’ll now need to make a number of decisions: Tethered or untethered Type of plug Rate of power Smart or not Drive smarter and cut costs using our expert advice.

 

Untethered or tethered charger?

 

Untethered: No attached charging lead. More hassle every time you want to plug in, but allows you to swap out the lead - such as from Type 1 to Type 2.

 

Tethered: The charging unit has a power lead attached to it. It’s convenient as it means you can just pull up and plug in, as opposed to retrieving your car’s charging lead from the boot.

 

Do all electric cars use the same plug?

 

These are two different kinds of connectors for charging an electric car at home. Most likely it will be a Type 2 connector. Most cars use this type of plug as it was mandated by the EU that all plug-in cars from 2014 must have a Type 2 socket. There are some cars that have the older, differently shaped Type 1 socket, but these are rare. Type 1 to Type 2 converters are available. 

 

What wallbox (power wall charger) should I buy?

 

There is no single power option. Your typical choice is up to 7.4kW for a typical UK home and up to 22kW using a three-phase connection, more likely to be found at commercial offices and workplaces.

 

To save money on the charger, you could choose a lower power rate (such as 3.6kW). Though it will take longer to charge your car. It is possible to have an even faster charger, up to 22kW, but very few cars can actually receive a 22kW charge from an AC source like a domestic wall charger. Even if your car is capable of receiving a rapid charge of 100kW or higher, that’s the special DC charging rate, as opposed to the car’s AC charging rate.

 

It’s likely your car will have a maximum AC charging rate of 7 to 11kW (or less).

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We offer wallboxes from leading companies such as Zappi, Project EV, PodPoint & Rolec EV.

 

Can you speed up charging?

 

If your car can receive an AC charge of 11 or 22kW, it is possible to speed up your charging times. The only problem is that you need a three-phase connection, which your home is very unlikely to have. Electricity is supplied through either single phase or a three-phase supply. The difference between a single phase and a three-phase supply: a single phase network, simply put, has one live wire a three-phase network has three live wires.

 

Three-phase networks are more likely to be found at commercial offices and workplaces.

 

Can I check if I have a three-phase connection?

 

You probably won't. But the way to check your own connection is to look at your fuse box. One 100 amp fuse means you have a single-phase connection Three such fuses means a three-phase connection.

 

As the three-phase network is widespread across the UK, it does open up the possibility of upgrading your single-phase connection to a three-phase connection. If you want a higher rate of power, find out if it’s possible to upgrade by speaking to your energy supplier.

 

Do I need a smart charger?

 

Smart chargers are charge points that can be accessed remotely and will usually work via an app on your smartphone. They can allow you to monitor your car’s charging and potentially choose when your car charges. The latter could be particularly useful if you have a time-of-use tariff, such as Economy 7, when the cost of electricity is cheaper during the night. So you could set your charger to charge your electric car during those cheaper hours. However, this is offset by smart chargers being more expensive than regular chargers.

 

How much does it cost to install an wallbox (electric car charger)?

 

This depends on the type of connection you choose and whether there are any complications in finding a suitable spot for your wall box and connection to your main electricity supply.

 

The difference in cost is largely down to the amount of power it can supply. The most affordable are 3.6kW chargers; while the typical choice is 7kW for a typical UK home. 22kW chargers are the most expensive but will likely be in excess of most people’s needs (and power supply at home), but if you do have a three-phase connection, it might be considered good for future proofing.

 

Some wallboxes come with the option of a longer cable, which may be useful for some houses, but this would add costs.

 

Although, fitting a car charging point at home will have up front charges, you will earn this money back over time, with the money you'll usually save on not fueling your car.

 

Charging your car at home is usually the cheapest way to run a car