What You Need To Know Before Buying an EV Charger

Introduction

Buying a suitable EV charger for your Electrical Vehicle will solve half of your worries about EV charging. However, buying EV chargers is not as easy as stopping by a petrol station to fuel your petrol car. As you have rightly realised, It’s just not that simple.

Whether your concern is buying a new EV charger or changing your old EV chargers, you’re in the right space. This article contains all you need to know about Buying EV chargers and will serve you easy-to-adopt tips for charging your EVs.

Why Do You Need an EV Charger?

Your Electrical Vehicle, like most electrical appliances, has a charger. Electrical Vehicles possess batteries that perform a similar function to fuel tanks in petrol cars. The battery stores the electrical energy which is used to power the vehicle. Having a full battery is required for your EV to work.

Things To Consider When Buying EV Chargers

There are different types of Electrical vehicles and chargers. Considering essential factors before buying your EV charger is an action that leads towards one goal; to rightly determine the type of EV charger you need for your vehicle.

EV chargers are generally categorised into three types; The standard/slow, the medium/fast, and Rapid Chargers. These categories are based on the speed with which the EV chargers recharge the batteries. They are also referred to as the “Levels” of charging. Here are the things to consider to ensure you make the right purchase of EV chargers:


Type of Electrical Vehicles

Ranging from Plug-in hybrids to Battery EVs, electrical Vehicles are not of the same kind, and every charger is not suitable for all cars. Just like you do not expect an iPhone charger to work for an Android phone, your EV will determine the type of charger you need. As an EV driver, read your EV manual to determine your electrical vehicle type and the recommended EV charger specification.

Speed of EV Charger

Rapid chargers, being the fastest EV Charger, are ideal for Electrical Vehicles that are always on the move, e.g., Buses. In about 40 minutes, this EV charger accomplishes the charging of 80% of the battery capacity. If you are considering buying EV chargers for commercial purposes, as in a public charging point, rapid EV chargers are recommended. Standard EV chargers have a power rating of less than 4 KW; thus, they charge slower and are suitable for personal use.

Location of EV Charging Point

Knowing where to install your charger is essential, especially if you drive a personal EV. Do you want it in your home? If yes, you will have to consider picking an EV charger whose voltage needs can be supplied by your power source. Fast chargers, rated at about 7KW minimum power, are often adopted for use as Home EV Chargers.

Purpose of the EV ChargePoint

The EV chargepoint can either serve a domestic or business/commercial purpose. Personal EV owners require their cars for domestic purposes and may require less electrical energy and slower chargers to power their vehicles. In contrast, if your Electrical Vehicle serves a commercial purpose, the right choice of EV charger to purchase will be the fast and rapid chargers that get the job done quickly. Similarly, if you intend to run a public/commercial charge station, know that your choice of EV charger must be rapid and common in use by your customers.

Charging Plug

The Type 2 charging cable is the European-standard plug-type used by every new electric car. It features a seven-pin connection at both ends, which allows you to easily plug in to every home charging point, and majority of public car chargers.

Your EV Budget Plan

Perhaps the higher cost of powering electric vehicles compared to petrol cars is the small price we have to pay to jointly achieve the 2035 dream of a zero-emission and decarbonised UK. However, cutting your cloth according to your size, or more accurately, cutting your power use according to the source, is wise. The expense of an EV charger does not only come from the cost of purchasing but also the maintenance. Based on your charger’s capacity, your electrical energy consumption increases, which leads to an increase in electricity charge bills. For instance, can you afford the daily charges for powering a 7 KW medium EV charger?

Policies on EV Charging

The policy on smart charging capacity proposed in 2018 under the Automated and Electrical Vehicle act by the UK government, states that all charge points in the UK must have an EV charger capable of smart charging, takes effect from the 30th of June, 2022.

In simpler terms, a smart charger is a type of EV charger that can transmit information through cables. It monitors and records the energy usage of your vehicle and this information is protected by ETSI standards.

Though mandatory, smart chargers are a good choice of EV chargers, as they help reduce the amount of electrical energy used by your Vehicle, thus you can spend less on EV charging.

Safety

Due to its electrical nature, the most important thing you should consider when buying an EV charger is Safety. Choosing the wrong EV charger is putting yourself and your EVs at risk. For instance, an EV charger with a voltage higher than the capacity of your EV equipment can damage your EV. Overall, a good EV charger is a safe EV charger. This prioritisation of Safety is why you can trust us to supply your EV chargers.

Conclusion

With the recent policy enacted by the UK government, properties constructed from June 15 2022, are mandated to have an EV charging point. As a result, buying EV chargers can no longer be avoided. At best, you can only arm yourself with knowledge from articles such as this to make a well-informed purchase of an EV charger for your vehicle.

Now that you know what to consider before buying EV chargers, you will be charged up to enjoy your electric vehicle better. Its battery life depends on your choice, so know that your Electrical Vehicle can only await your decision to buy an EV charger. And your choice should in no way be less than the best.

Visit our main EV page for more information on EV Charger Installation Services.

Contact us, and let’s meet your EV charging needs today.