Charging An Electric Vehicle - Frequently Asked Questions
From how long it takes to the different methods you can use, here's everything you need to know about charging your electric car.
August 13, 2020
Although they\'ve been around for a while now, electric and hybrid cars can still be confusing. We\'ve put together a handy guide to answer your most frequently asked questions about charging an electric car.
Yes. Your electric vehicle will usually come with a tri-plug adaptor cable which can be plugged into mains electricity at home, though this isn\'t the most efficient way of charging your vehicle. A wallbox charger will recharge your EV much quicker and get you back up to 100% much sooner. You can save money on the installation of an at-home charging station through the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS).
EVHS provides grant funding to domestic properties across the UK who wish to install electric vehicle charging points. The grant can cover up to 75% of installation costs.
We also run offers from time to time offering fully installed charge stations at a fixed price and sometimes for free, so keep an eye out on our electric car offers!
How can I charge an electric car?
There are 3 different ways you can charge your electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle:
You can charge your electric or hybrid car using your main electricity at home. Your vehicle will come with an adaptor cable to do this.
You may choose to get a wall box installed at your home for the most convenient type of charging. It’s also surprisingly cost effective and many manufacturers may offer installation for free or at a fixed rate.
Charging speeds vary depending on the power of your charge station, so be aware of this when choosing your wallbox (the higher the voltage, the faster your vehicle will regain its electric miles).
The types of electric vehicles that are capable of charging themselves are called Self-Charging Hybrids (also referred to as Mild Hybrids) and Plug-In Hybrids. Here, the hybrid vehicle will use regenerative braking technology to charge a small electric motor that will support the petrol engine.
A Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) can also be charged using a plug-in charging point and provides a sufficient number of pure-electric miles for short trips.
This depends on how and where you charge. Using a high-voltage DC charger at a public charging station, you can charge your battery from 20% to 80% in 42 minutes. Using an installed battery wall-box at home, you’ll be able to drive off with a fully recharged battery after around 9.5 hours*.
*These figures refer to a 64kW long-range battery.
You\'ll find that charging an electric vehicle is a lot cheaper than a full tank of fuel and you\'ll get more miles for your money with an electric car.
*Typical saving of £1,344 (£1,971 - £627) based on 12,500 miles per annum, fuel economy 36.7mpg (7.7L/100km), fuel cost £1.28/litre, domestic electricity cost of £0.19/kWh, an energy consumption of 16.5 kWh/100 km and all charging carried out at home.
The electric vehicle charging network has never been so extensive. With more and more public charging stations popping up at shopping centres, car parks, offices and motorway stations, there’s never been a better time to #GoElectric.
Right now, there are approximately over 33,000 charge points in the UK across approximately 12,000 locations. Just in the last 30 days, there have been 1,031 new chargers installed in the UK. Similarly, there are now over 8,000 rapid charge points spread across approximately 2,300 UK locations of which 282 rapid connectors have been added in the last 30 days.
In short, yes, you\'ll never be too far from an electric charging station!
