Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids now account for more than 23% of UK market share and are used by a huge range of people, organisations and businesses.
There are numerous types of EV charger, costing from under £800 to tens of thousands of pounds, including installation. So what are the best options according to your needs and lifestyle?
Commuters with long journeys
Even if you’re driving a fairly long way for work, each day, a standard 7.4kW domestic charger is suitable for most EVs. If you plug it in the evening, it’ll be 80% full in eight hours.
Be aware, though, that charge times for the average UK 3-pin plugs are much slower than when using Type 1 charging inlets (see pic) or – as generally fitted to European and Asian cars – a Type 2 inlet. Make sure you have one of these two options.
If you’re really racking up the miles, consider a 22kW charger, which can charge a medium EV in less than four hours. But be aware that this requires a three-phase electricity supply and most UK houses only have the much-less-powerful single-phase.
People who don’t use their car much
Households who rarely go much further than their local town centre can opt for a 7.4kW or even a 3.7kW charger, which are normally used to power plug-in hybrids. But make sure your charger allows you to access to the services of power firms offering very cheap overnight rates.
It may be tempting not to spend several hundred pounds on a home charger at all, relying instead on public ones. But these can cost between 55 and 79p per kilowatt hour versus 10p/kWh or less for private ones, so are likely to be a false economy, in the long term.
Small businesses making deliveries
A commercial EV van is unlikely to have a range of more than 200 miles. If you’re sending out multiple food orders a day, say, your charge could go pretty quickly. A shop or other small business is unlikely to be in a building with three-phase connectivity. If you can upgrade to it, you’ll be able to top up your vehicles throughout the day at between 11kW to 22kW. Dual pedestals which allow you to charge two vehicles at once at 11kW, or one by itself at 22kW, are a great option.
Big businesses with substantial delivery fleets
The sort of rapid-charging stations you increasingly find on motorways use DC power, rather than AC power, which is standard in UK homes. Using DC power allows batteries to charge quicker. Setting up a rapid-charging station at a place of work could allow you to charge EV vehicles at up to 300kW, which can be invaluable if you need to have several vans ready to go at any time. DC charging stations aren’t really an option for smaller businesses, though, as they cost from £30,000 upwards.
Secure charging for people who live in terraced houses
If you don’t have a private drive, the idea of running a lead from your property into the street might seem risky. Couldn’t someone plug it into their car and steal your power?
But an effective way around this is to use a charger with an app that means only you can start and stop it.
Sustainability
A 3.7kW or 7.4kW charger compatible with low-tariff, overnight charging, when there is less demand on the UK power supply.
Complementing your home’s power supply
Most domestic homes will be able to run a 7.4kW charger. But some larger and newer properties, designed to handle numerous appliances and devices, may be set up for three-phase connectivity and able to have 11 – 22kW chargers. It’s worth checking with your electrician.
About the author: Tom Bloor is managing director of evec, which supplies and installs a wide range of commercial and domestic EV chargers to the public and businesses. |