There is no question these days that electric vehicles (EVs) and a reality. Just about every major car manufacturer has announced that they will be stopping production of internal combustion engines in favor of electrical solutions. Most hybrid cars are just a temporary step on the way to fully electric vehicles.
These new vehicles need servicing by electrically trained technicians going way beyond the old days of turning a wrench â although they still have wheels!
Closer to home there is a lot of work to do for local electricians in terms of installing charges for these electric vehicles. The market leader is Tesla and they say âThe best place to charge your Tesla is at home, overnight. Plug in when you get home and wake up to a full charge for the dayâ. See more here.
Figures show that around 90% of EV owners charge their cars at home. This is partly because it is more convenient to charge your EV at home, rather than at work or a public charging station like one at a mall. Most new homes have an EV charging point installed, but most of us donât live in brand new houses, so we have to get an electrician to install one. Most people are looking for a professional to help select the best system, install it and service it.
Home charging options
Using a household socket, it will take around 26 hours to charge EVs with the biggest battery capacity. So most systems use a dedicated rapid charger to save time and can charge up to 10 times faster than a domestic wall outlet.
Most residential homes are supplied with single phase power which means the maximum charging rate is 7kW. Having a dedicated charging point inside your garage or mounted on an exterior wall makes a re-charge simple.
Charging at home also allows you to take full advantage of low, overnight utility pricing at cheaper rates. Although pricing is constantly changing, charging at home is just a fraction of some commercial locations.
Having a dedicated wallbox charging point installed in your garage or on the outside of your house makes charging easier. Electric car charging points need to be professionally installed. There are over 70 different home charging stations available made by fifteen different manufacturers, so you will definitely need help from your electrician to choose the best one for your needs.
The installation process involves wall mounting the charge point on an exterior wall or garage, near to where you park and connecting it safely to the mains electricity supply. Most installs will last for a couple of hours, depending on access to the supply and how complex the equipment is.
Having an electrician install a home charger not only saves you money by using cut-rate electricity, but overnight charging also ensures you have the maximum range so you are ready for any additional or unexpected journey the next day.