With most cars usually parked overnight, electric car owners rely on being able to charge their vehicles at home to ensure they are ready for use each morning. As well as being convenient for those who need to use their cars during the day, having overnight charging points at home means users have the advantage of benefiting from one of the cheapest times to recharge.
To help those looking to invest in an electric vehicle, the Government offers financial support for EV buyers so that they can install a charge point at their home. This is called the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS), which will cover up to 75% of the total costs.
With experience in all things electrical, Ecolighting’s electrical division Ecolectrical specialises in anything from additional lights and sockets through to complete new warehouse installations and is also a member of the Electrical Contractors Association.
And with the new demand for electric vehicle charging points, the company is helping people to understand more about them. This includes knowing that charging points fall into three main categories, slow, fast and rapid.
Where can I charge?
One of the main places to charge outside of the home is at a workplace charging point. These help make electric cars a viable option for business users with longer commutes whose vehicles would not be able to get to and from home on a single charge.
Public charging is also becoming easier with the network of public chargers now providing rapid charging units that can offer up to 80% charge in as little as 20-30 minutes. The network of public chargers continues to grow and as of 2017 they are available in more than 5,000 locations.
What home chargers are available?
Currently around 40 vehicle manufacturers make charging units that are suitable for residential use. Usually the charger is wall-mounted and works either with a tethered Type 1 cable which is plugged straight into the car or a Type 2 socket which works with the electric vehicle charging cable.
Most suppliers will offer two power rating options, 3kW or 7kW. As to be expected the 7kW option will cost more as it reduces the charge time significantly if the vehicle has a fast on-board charger. For example, charging a Nissan Leaf on a 3 kW unit will result in a full charge taking around 12-13 hours, whereas using a 7kW unit will see full charge in around six hours.
London City Bond
“From the first point of contact and through the whole installation process, the Ecolighting team has been efficient, supportive and produced an excellent end result. Because of our experience this time, we will certainly consider switching the lighting in some of our other warehouses, especially as the price was so competitive and has proved to be well worth the money we invested.”
Vaughan Bendall, Project Manager at London City Bond
How much do home chargers cost?
As previously mentioned, the Government funded Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) offers grants for home charge units. The scheme provides a 75% contribution towards the cost of one charge point and also its installation, and is capped at £500 (incl. VAT). If eligible to benefit from the grant, it will bring the cost of a 3kW unit and its installation cost to around £300, with a 7kW unit coming in within the region of £400.
In order for someone to be eligible to apply for the scheme, all owners of electric vehicles must provide evidence of their keepership, lease, or be named as the primary user of an eligible electric vehicle (either new or second hand), and also have off-street parking facilities suitable for a charge point to be installed.
It is also very important that the charge point is installed by an OLEV (Office for Low Emission Vehicles) approved installer. Choosing someone who is not on the list to do the work will most likely result in the homeowner incurring the full cost of the unit and installation. Another requirement is that the date of electric vehicle charging unit’s installation must not be more than four months ahead of the when the vehicle was purchased.