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When it comes to charging an electric vehicle, there are a number of different options when it comes to places to charge your EV. Whether you have a home charger installed or you’re out and about, you’re likely never far from a charge point to keep your car topped up. Here we’ll go through your options for charging your electric car whether you’re at home, work or on the road.
Public chargers, as the name would suggest, are chargers that are available for anyone to use in public spaces. These can be found in various car parks from supermarkets to shopping centres, as well as in dedicated charging stations that will likely start to replace petrol stations as the UK moves towards all-electric vehicles. You may also find on-street chargers available for use too.
Making use of a public electric vehicle charge point can be handy if you’re out on the road or in the middle of a long journey, giving you the chance to top your car’s charge up – or if for some reason you can’t access a charge point at home. However, it’s important to take note of what charge point you’re using, as there are different networks across the country that might be accessible via different methods, such as an app or RFID card. An RFID (radio frequency identification) card is similar technology to bar codes, and can make it easier to pay for charging your EV. Simply tap your card against the reader, which identifies you and initiates the charging process.
The likes of BP Pulse, Osprey, Pod Point and more all have charging stations up and down the country, but you’ll need to ensure you have the right tech to use them. Most will also let you pay via contactless too. Public charging points can also offer different charge times, depending on the power and speed of the charger itself. Most networks will offer a mix of slow, fast or rapid chargers, while some will focus solely on rapid charging.
The majority of public charging stations will have a set price per kWh, but in some locations you might find that EV chargers at supermarkets are free. There are a number of handy online maps to help you locate the most convenient or cheapest EV charger, such as Zap Map.
Charging at home is by far the most convenient and usually cheapest way to charge your electric car, but if you don’t have a driveway you might find this tricky, so keep this in mind.
There are two main options when looking to charge your electric car at home. Firstly, it is possible to charge your electric car using a 3-pin plug socket, with the right adapter. However, this is typically a slow way to charge your vehicle. Most homes will have a wall box installed to the exterior of the property, which enables you to easily access a charge point and charge your car on your driveway. While you should expect an upfront cost to have the wall box installed, it’s a one-off fee that will benefit you in the long run, allowing you to take full advantage of having an electric car. If you rent your home, you should seek permission from your landlord first.
You can choose from different wattages for your home EV charger, which will determine how fast your car will charge. This can include 3.6kW, 7kW or 22kW, but you should check which charger your home can accommodate. Once installed, your home EV charger is straightforward to use – simply park your car where the cable can reach comfortably, and plug the cable in! Some chargers also use an app, which allows you to check your charge and even set a schedule.
As electric vehicles become more widespread, businesses are looking to implement chargers available for employees to use. With the government offering the Workplace Charging Scheme to incentivise businesses to offer charge points, it’s likely to see more options to charge your EV at work. Coupled with an increase of employees returning to traditional office working, being able to charge your electric car at work can make a huge difference to your commute.
These workplace chargers must provide a minimum of 3kW as per the scheme, which might give your car the boost it needs to get home after a day in the office. However, the most common charger is a 7kW EV charger. The ability to charge your EV at work could make the difference in making an electric car a viable option for you. What’s more, some workplace EV chargers are also free to use, although you should check with your employer what the charging policy is.
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