EV charging made simple. Electric vehicle’s are flooding into the auto market, by 2030 we are expected to have around 125 million EVs. All first time EV buyers are making the transition from filling up at petrol stations to plugging in basically anywhere with the choice of at home or EV charging stations. Below are some points to consider to get the most out of your charge.

Firstly, you need to choose which method of charging suits your daily needs. For short everyday commuting, charging at home overnight will give you more than enough range needed. This is the cheapest, most popular method.

There also is the option to top up the charge on the go, for example, while you’re at work or running errands, by plugging in your EV at a charging station. If your needs are longer road trips, planning your journey ahead of time is an essential way to make sure your drive is going to be electrifying.

Secondly, you need to learn a few more technical aspects such as charging level, charging mode, and AC/DC current. There are three charging levels, 1, 2, or 3. Each level differentiates charging to your EV based on voltage, which is the speed of energy delivery. You need to learn which charge speed, voltage, and plug and socket type is best for your vehicle and will help your get the best charge for your specific EV battery. If you are a first time electric car buyer, be sure to check for any local incentives providing rebates, tax credits, or discounts to help reduce your upfront cost.

Here are 10 top tips for EV Charging

Your everyday EV charging experience can be made easy, peasy, lemon squeezy. Since EV’s are still a relatively new concept these few methods should help your transition into going electric. Here are 10 top tips for EV charging, simplified to make your electric vehicle experience smooth and your driving full of range!

1. Download Apps

As EV infrastructure improves and electric vehicles become even more common there will be plenty of charging options around to choose from. For now, it’s best to plan your route ahead of time. There are many free apps on the market such as PlugShare, Chargehub, Chargewayand BetterRoutePlanner.

These apps make your planning easy by allowing tailored route planning depending on the electric vehicle type you own. You can mark your distance and see available charging stations on the route. The apps will show if the charging stations are already being used and if they are actively functioning. So no wasted journey is made. With PlugShare you can even list your home charging station to other drivers in your area.

2. Carry a Portable Charger

It’s always good to have a backup option. Even with perfect planning, you must leave room for the unexpected! Portable chargers are a great way to ensure you can have an extra top up if needed. Portable chargers allow charge from household sockets. A cost effective way to get a top up charge from home, or after meeting at a friend’s.

3. Travel Outside of Peak Hours

Whenever possible travel outside of peak hours. You will tend to find fewer charging points available during these times. If you do find available charging points during peak hours you’ll be paying more since the cost of electricity is more expensive during these hours: 8-11 am, 4-10 pm.

4. Keep it Cool

You should always leave your electric vehicle parked in the shade when possible. High temperatures can be damaging to the electric car’s battery life over time. Similar to how your phone would react if left in the sun!

5. Join an EV Community Platform

One great way you can stay up to date with the latest EV news and trends is by joining a platform on your preferred social media. @evchargeplus on Instagram is great for trends and up to date EV news.

Another great way to keep posted is by finding a discussion related thread on platforms such as Reddit or Facebook, to answer any questions you might have about your electric journey.

6. Look after your battery

This one sounds pretty obvious. But for the longevity of your vehicle it’s important you look after your Electric car battery. For instance, as a general rule, you shouldn’t leave your battery to drain before charging.

It is best to plan to recharge at 30%. It is also best for your battery life to keep maximum power at around 80%. However, most EV’s have a built in buffer to ensure you don’t overcharge, meaning when your charge says full it’s actually a little under. Lastly, limit your amount of fast charges. Sure, it’s fast but over time this can take away from battery life over time.

7. Safely Store your EV Charging Equipment

Store and protect your EV charging equipment. Store equipment such as car chargers and adapters safely in a protective casing, to keep them away from dust, debris, or any damp conditions. This is essential for not only the longevity of your EV and charging equipment, but also for safety.

8. Slow Down

Whoa, there cowboy! Slow down. Driving slower will conserve energy use from your battery. The faster you go, the faster you drain your EV’s battery. If you refrain from keeping your foot on the accelerator, over time you’ll increase your battery’s life.

9. Install an EV Charging Station at home

If you have the space, an EV charging station is a great investment. Home charging is the cheapest method of charge. Not only that but installing an electric car station at your home can add value to your property. When charging from home overnight, it’s essential to time your charge to make sure you don’t overcharge your EV.

10. Go Even Greener

Nowadays, you can purchase solar panels at pretty affordable prices. If installed on your roof and sized appropriately to provide for your EV charging and other household needs, you would save upwards of €1000 per year. Not to mention purchasing an electric car is already a great improvement on carbon footprint and using solar energy would make you much less reliant on nonrenewable energy.

Make the most of your electric journey with these EV charging tips. Cheers to a greener future and happy charging!

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5th October 2022

How long it takes to charge an electric car and all the factors considered.

The time it takes to charge an electric vehicle (EV) depends on a few different factors:
1. The size of the battery
2. The speed (power) of the charging station
3. The charging cable that you are using
Taking these 3 factors into consideration, charging can last from 30 minutes to 12 hours.

Home charging station

A charging station at home usually will be 3.7 kW or 7.2 kW. This means a charging point with a 3.7 kW power rate will provide about 24 km per hour of charge. However, a 7.2 kW charging point will provide around 48 km an hour.
Furthermore, when it comes to home charging you can also charge your electric car through a portable charging cable. This will provide from 3 kW to 3.7 kW of power and charging time 8-24 hours for a full charge.

Public charging station

With public charging stations, you can get from 11 kW up to 22 kW of power. This is achieved through a 3-phase power supply. This charging option will provide approximately 65 km/h to 129 km/h of charge. Although this is the ideal top-up charging speed, not all EVs can accept this charging capacity. But even if your EV can’t accept 22 kW the charging station is still compatible to use, however, it will charge slower. Not higher than the car’s charging capacity.

DC Fast charge

Rapid DC chargers are using one of two different connectors that can be found in most fully-electric vehicles today. The Combined Charging System (CCS) and the direct current charging system that is known as CHAdeMO. This kind of charging station has a 50 kW power rate and can provide 80% of charge in as little as 30 minutes. Normally you will find these stations on motorways, service stations or big shopping malls.

EV Charging Power and Time

The chart above shows approximately the time an EV will charge depends on the size of the battery and the source of power. Tesla Superchargers have an output power of 120 kW.

Finally, one of the best and most efficient ways to run an EV is a full charge at home in the night and a top-up throughout the day.

*AC – Alternative Current
*DC – Direct Current

EV Charging Stations for home, businesses or public places.

22nd August 2019

Buying Your First EV:

The popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) has grown over the last few years, but so is the chattering surrounding them. Here is what you need to know before you buy an EV.

When looking to make the transition from a traditionally powered vehicle to a fully electric car or plug-in hybrid you’ll find it’s a whole new world. Driving a battery-powered vehicle has many advantages like lower operating and maintenance costs. Whether you’re looking to buy a new or a used electric car, there is a serious consideration you need to do before becoming an EV owner.

Research

As with any type of vehicle, you will want to do some research to ensure the EV you are considering is matching your needs and lifestyle. Choose a model that fits your budget and comes with all the features you require. And always give any car you are considering a test drive to see if it drives the way you like and is comfortable. Finally, make sure there is enough cargo space for shopping, sports equipment of your favorite activities or child related gear.

Price and range

Purchasing an EV isn’t cheap. However, electricity is less expensive than gasoline and EVs are more efficient. Also, electricity prices are generally much more stable than gasoline prices. Additionally, prices of used EVs now can start from 8500€-10500€ and new from around 20000€-25000€. Best examples are the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe.

With the current generation of electric cars able to run more than 320 km on a single charge, the range also shouldn’t be a factor to hold you back from purchasing an EV. Nevertheless, you will still want to make sure a given model’s range is, at least, sufficient for your daily commute and weekend activities.

Charging the EV

Now, let’s move to the charging part. For a buyer that conceders an EV for the first time, here starts the anxiety. But no need to panic, as the number of public charging stations has grown rapidly. Besides, there is always the option to charge at home.

• Charging at home

There are two main option when it comes to charging at home. First is the portable charging cable where you can charge your EV from a main household plug, and second is a home charging station.

Using a portable charging cable, you can charge on the go, at home or anywhere you can find a main socket.

The above table shows the charging time for an EV depends on the car’s battery, the charger you are using and the power provided from the household outlet*. A car with a 30kWh battery will charge in 8 hours using a 16 Ampers cable. However, for the same car, a 32A charging cable will reduce the charging time in half.

*Europe uses 220V as standard household current

Using a home charging station makes charging faster, safer and more reliable. With the home charging stations, you will have the option to choose from a wall unit or a ground unit based on the space available.

The above table shows the charging times available based on the input and output power.
Input power can be from 1-3 phases, 16-32 A and the Output power can be 3.6, 7.2, 11 or 22 kW depends on the charging station you have chosen.

• Public charging

Whether you have your own charging station at home or planning to use the public option, you need to locate all available public charging stations.
Public chargers are typically installed in public parking garages, shopping malls, and even on some urban streets. However, with the rapid growth of electric cars, you might be surprised to find charging stations near schools or at your workplace. You can easily locate them through google maps, EV charging applications or websites.

A public charging station can offer the charging options of the Table 2 as well as the following (Table 3).

Insurance cost

It is true that insurance costs for EVs tend to be more expensive than the ones fo internal combustion engine cars. This is because servicing and parts for electric vehicles are currently more specialised.

As electric cars operate differently to, they do present some unique issues for insurers such as:

• Costs of specialised parts.
• Repairs by specialist mechanics.
• Expensive batteries.

However, is important to keep in mind that the insurance rating of a car is not only one factor taken into account. When insurance companies calculate your insurance quote, a key factor is the risk profile of the driver of the car.

What about plug-in hybrids?

Plug-in hybrids are a great solution if you are worried about the range of a fully electric car. They work in much the same way as regular hybrids, but they have larger batteries and can be plugged into the charging station. They’re a compromise between conventional hybrids and battery-only electric vehicles.

That said, no matter if you are buying a plug-in hybrid or a fully electric car, make sure you do your research and you are ready for the change. Driving on electricity is not only cleaner than driving on gasoline, it’s also a total blast. Prepare to never want to go back to gasoline-powered vehicles as you cruise on the smooth, silent power of electricity.

EV Charging Stations for home, businesses or public places.

27th June 2019

Electric Bikes

The United Kingdom has seen a huge surge in demand for electric vehicles over the last four years. From plug-in cars to plug-in bikes, more people in the UK are now enjoying the benefits of switching to electric vehicles including reduced emissions and huge savings.

Electric bikes are fast becoming a favourite in the UK with 5% of all adults saying that they are likely to buy one in the next 12 months. At least 50,000 bikes are also sold in the UK every year and with an increasing interest in this alternative mode of transportation, this number is expected to rise over the next few years.

But like any other electric vehicle, riding an electric bike may also come with these three challenges that you should be prepared for:

Sensor failure

This is perhaps the most common problem that you’ll encounter with your electric bike, but it can be easily fixed, especially if you diagnose the problem early. You might notice that when you charge the electric bike, the indicator says it’s charging and prompts you when it’s full.

The display and lighting may also be functional, but the pedal and throttle may not work properly. If this happens, you can unplug the sensors to see if the motor regains power. If it does, then you might just need to adjust or replace the defective sensor, shifter or lever.

No Power

There are instances when you will not see any display on your cycle analyst once you turn on your electric bike. This could happen if the battery’s not plugged in properly or if it has any damages. The battery may also be drained or there is damage on the controller.

If this happens, try to test the battery with a cell checker if there is any voltage when you plug the electric bike to a charger. If the voltage reading is less than 40V, don’t charge the battery and seek professional help instead. You should also make sure that there are no loose ends on the connection to avoid any shortage once you start charging.

Faulty battery

Like a regular car or bike battery, an electric bike’s battery also has a limited lifespan, which is determined by the number of charge cycles, proper storage and age. The first sign of a faulty battery is the diminishing range of your electric bike, and if not addressed right away, this could progress to a complete failure.

So, if you’re starting to notice any problems with your battery or it’s already been a few years since you bought it, then it might be time for a replacement. While your battery is still in good condition, you have to keep it that way longer by making sure that your battery is completely charged before using the bike and never waiting until it is drained before plugging it to a charger. It’s also very important to make sure that your charger is fully functional to avoid any shortage when charging.

Owning an electric bike is definitely a practical yet fulfilling choice. And if you know exactly how to take care of your bike, you can enjoy it longer than expected.

EV Charging Stations for home, businesses or public places.

27th May 2019

Not many years ago, the choices for electric vehicle charging equipment where few. But, what to do now, when the choices are many and the confusion is high? We offer you simple and high quality solutions to charge your EV at home easy and safe.

Ways to charge your EV at home

Portable charging cable Type 1 or 2 to schuko

This equipment allows you to charge the car from a standard household outlet (mains). Almost every electric vehicle sold today comes standard with a 120V portable charger. However, Europe uses 220V as standard household current. Therefore, a charging cable with 230V output power will charge your EV faster. This type of charging will deliver between 9 and 12 km of range per hour to a typical electric car. But, that depends on the current available.

Home Box

The EV Charging Station – HomeBox is designed to be a simple and cost-effective solution for fast, up to 22 kW EV charging. However, how fast the EV will be charged depends on the maximum charging capacity of the vehicle and the house’s current.

Charging station for home

The EV charging station – City Charge Mini is well-suited for any private or even public location. The design would perfectly fit your garage, inside or outside. Is classified as fast Mode 3 charging station with the ability to provide up to 22 kW of power using Type 2 charging socket.

The following tables show all possible options to charge your EV.

Having your own charging station at home makes charging faster, safer and more reliable. Finally, on the EV Specification page, you can find the maximum charging capacity of many electric vehicles.

When considering buying an EV, do your research and verify all data.

EV Charging Stations for home, businesses or public places.

23rd February 2019