There are currently more than 40500 charge point connectors across the UK in no less than 15064 locations – which means there are now more public electric vehicle charging points UK than there are petrol stations!
How long does it take to charge an electric car?
If you are used to a petrol or diesel car then you will be used to being able to fill your car up in a few seconds – however electric vehicles can take much longer. However, it can actually be more convenient, as you can charge them when the car is not in use – such as when you are at work or asleep at home at night.
How much you need to charge your electric car will change depending on factors such as how often you like to charge it? You might be someone who waits until it is nearly empty to charge it, or someone who tops up each day rather than waiting for it to get low.
Another factor that might influence how often you charge your electric car is temperature! Lithium-ion batteries, for example, perform better in warmer weather – which means you may see a drop in the range your electric car can do in the winter as compared to the summer months.
What types of electric vehicle charging stations are there?
When it comes to electric vehicle charging station UK there are four main types:
Slow – these tend to have a maximum of 3.6kw available and can take six to twelve hours to charge a pure electric car
Fast – these tend to be anywhere between 7 to 22kw and can take between 3 and 7 hours to charge a pure electric car depending on the car’s battery size
Rapid – rapid chargers are quicker than fast as they are around 43kw or more and are capable of charging electric cars to around 80% in 20 to 40 minutes (depending on how big the battery is and how much charge it has to start with
Wireless – this is not available in the UK yet, but it is likely to appear over here in the future – so watch this space
If you are interested in purchasing an electric car, and want to find out more about electric vehicle charging UK then please get in touch with the D-ENERGi team as we can not only help you with electric vehicle charging but also make sure your energy tariff is the lowest it can be too.
Read Article
In the past, the sales of electric cars have struggled for two main reasons: a lack of places to charge them and worries about electric car charging cost UK. Does the UK now have the electric car charging infrastructure in place to support the more widespread use of electric cars and how practical would an electric car be for you? And what about charging costs?
Where to charge your electric car
Most electric car owners charge their cars at work or at home as most cars are parked for hours outside offices or homes and so this is the perfect way to make sure your battery is fully charged ready for when you need it.
A modern 7kw car charging unit will take around four hours to fully charge a Nissan Leaf from a flat – which seems achievable in an average working day or during an overnight charge at home. If you don’t install a charging point and just charge from your normal home electricity supply, however, this will take significantly longer and will therefore end up costing you more.
With this 4 hours fully charge information in mind, this can make a 200-mile round trip in an electric car a more feasible prospect, plus it will only cost a few pence in electricity compared to pounds in diesel or petrol.
The stumbling block, therefore, comes when you need to go further than 200 miles. How can you get a top-up when you are out and about, and what about electric car charging points cost uk?
Well, there is good news and there’s bad news. The good news is that there are now around 40500 charging devices in the UK spread over about 15064 locations and these numbers are increasing by the day. The bad news is that these chargers are going to cost you money, as networks want money in return for you using their electricity. The hidden bonus from this though, is that you will no longer see cars using the charging point that doesn’t really need to – people will only use them when they absolutely need to!
The UK’s electric car charging network
If you have previously driven a petrol or diesel car then you will be used to the convenience of stopping at a petrol or service station to fill your car up. And these seem to be aplenty. However, although you will have to factor more time in to fill up your electric car, the actual process isn’t that dissimilar, as there are plenty of charging points situated on major trunk roads and convenient locations throughout the UK.
If you are interested in an electric car but are worried about electric vehicle charging point cost UK, then please get in touch with the D-ENERGi team as we can not only help you with electric vehicle charging but also make sure your energy tariff is the lowest it can be too.
Read Article
Whether you are looking to buy an electric vehicle or already have one, considering electric car charger home cost UK is going to be important.
Some people may prefer to use their electric vehicle for a while before they go down the route of installing an electric car charger at their home address while others will want it installed before they even have the car delivered. Whichever of these types of people you are, it is important to realise that being able to charge your electric car at home is going to be critical, as more than 90% of EV car owners charge their car at home.
If you are thinking about having an electric car charger installed but are worried about electric vehicle charging cost UK then read on to find out more about how it doesn’t need to be expensive and it really isn’t that complicated either.
How much does an electric car charger for the home cost?
A recent report by the RAC revealed that the average cost for a home charging point for an electric car is £800 – however, this can be significantly increased or decreased depending on the type of charger that you go for. If this seems like a lot of money don’t panic too much, as the UK Government is currently offering a grant of up to 75% or £350 as a maximum, towards the cost of new charge points.
So, technically, you could end up paying as little as £100 to have a home charging point installed, with the average cost being somewhere around £450. If you think about the savings you will make in terms of fuel over the coming months though, you will soon recoup that cost.
How much power will a home electric car charger use?
You may be interested to learn that the power used by electric cars is measured in kilowatts, which is the same measurement we use for electricity. Electric car batteries vary in capacity but can range from as little as 17 kWh (for something like the Smart ForTwo EQ) right up to 100 kWh (for something like the Tesla Model S).
To work out how much power you will need to fully charge your electric car, you should divide the battery capacity by the speed of charging. To work out the cost of a full charge, just multiply your battery capacity by the amount you pay for electricity. You can also talk to us about the possibility of swapping to an energy tariff that is aimed at electric car drivers, which can cost as little as 5p per kilowatt during off-peak hours.
If you are interested in finding out more about electric vehicle charging UK then please get in touch with the D-ENERGi team as we can not only help you with electric vehicle charging but also make sure your energy tariff is the lowest it can be too.
Read Article
In this article, we will take a look at everything you need to know about electric vehicle charging, including how to charge an electric vehicle and how much does an electric vehicle charging installation cost?
Charging an electric vehicle at home
If you want to charge an electric vehicle at home then you need to have a home charging point installed, so that you can hook your electric vehicle up to it when you park it. If you don’t have a charging point installed yet, you can use an EVSE supply cable connected to a 3-pin plug socket as a backup occasionally.
Most electric vehicle owners choose to have a home charging point installed as it has built-in safety features, and is a much faster way to charge the car. A home charger tends to be a weatherproof unit that is mounted to a wall and features a connected charging cable or a socket for plugging in a portable charging cable.
Electric vehicles have either Type 1 or Type 2 connectors, so you will need to make sure you choose the right home charger which is compatible with the type of connector you have on your vehicle.
Cost of installing an electric vehicle charger
When it comes to electric car charger installation cost UK, this normally starts from around £449 – if you take advantage of the UK Government’s OLEV grant. If you are an electric vehicle driver you could be eligible for a £350 OLEV grant towards purchasing and installing an electric car charger at your home.
Once you have installed your electric car charger, you then only need to pay for the electricity you use to charge the car – which will vary depending on your supplier. It is good to know, though, that the average cost of driving an electric car is between 2p and 5p per mile, which means you could save around £1000 a year more than petrol or diesel car drivers.
How fast can you charge your electric vehicle at home?
Charging speed for electric vehicles is measured in kilowatts per hour (kWh). Most home charging points offer you charging speeds of between 3.7 kWh and 7 kWh giving you between 15 and 30 miles of range per hour of charge. However, the maximum charging speed may be limited by your vehicle’s onboard charger, so it won’t matter if you have a 7-kWh charger if your car only allows a 3.7 kWh charge.
If you are interested in an electric vehicle smart charging consultation, then please get in touch with the D-ENERGi team as we can not only help you with electric vehicle charging but also make sure your energy tariff is the lowest it can be too.
Read Article
Call for free 0800 781 7626 to speak to one of our friendly Customer Services team directly and reduce your business energy costs!