Hello, I'm Nicki Shields and welcome to Select Electric's guide to electric vehicle
charging. Now here i'm going to explain how to charge your electric car at home
and then what to do when you're out and about during the day, and finally we'll talk about
how to rapid charge your car on those longer journeys, so let's get started. Now if you're one
of the lucky ones to have off-street parking, then you're going to do most of your charging at home,
although you can charge your EV from a standard 3-pin socket, it's faster and safer
to use a dedicated charging point. They either come with a cable and plug permanently attached,
and these are known as tethered chargers, or without a cable and plug, just the socket,
and these are called untethered sockets or universal chargers. So which type is best?
Well if you have a tethered charger it means you don't need to get your charging cable out of the
boot every time you want to top up, which is quite handy if it's raining. However, on the other hand,
an untethered universal charger - it looks a bit tidier and it's more discreet on your wall.
There isn't really a right or a wrong answer to this; the choice is very much up to you.
So, you see this, it's called a Type 2 plug. Most modern electric vehicles in the UK take a
Type 2 plug for home charging. It fits into your car's socket just like this. Some EVs still take
a Type 1 plug, so double check before you order your charging point. Now as electricity is much
cheaper than petrol and diesel, pure electric vehicles called Battery Electric Vehicles,
also known as BEVs, can reduce your monthly car running costs by a substantial amount.
To achieve these savings, you need to charge your car on a cheap electricity tariff. You can program
your vehicle, or even the charging point itself, to start charging when the cheap tariff actually
kicks in. There are also apps available that can automate the whole process, so you can set it up
once and then forget about it. So how long does charging take? Well, it depends of course on how
empty or full your battery is, but for the average EV you can get about 25 to 30 miles of range into
your car after about an hour of charging using a typical 7.4 kilowatt home charging point. Now
most people charge up overnight and wake up to a nice full tank of electricity. Charging
points are popping up more and more at convenient locations such as supermarkets, shopping centres,
restaurants, gyms, hotels and B&Bs, and most of these public chargers will be untethered Type 2
chargers, so you mustn't forget to bring your charging cable with you. Generally they charge
at the same speed as a home charger. Public chargers like these are sometimes free to use;
it can just be a case of buying some groceries or dining there and then it's free to charge up,
but for others you do have to pay and you will very quickly work out your favourite locations
for a top up. If you're going on a long trip in a fully electric car, you will need to stop and
charge when your battery is running low. Now to get electricity into your car quickly you're going
to want to use a rapid charger. These are normally located at service stations along your route.
Rapid chargers typically come with either two or three different plugs attached. Depending on the
make and model of your car, you will either use the CCS plug for rapid charging, the CHAdeMO plug,
or a Type 2 plug. Now, unlike the slower charging points at the supermarkets and shops, you nearly
always have to pay for a rapid charging point. Many chargers now offer contactless payments,
others require downloading of an app, and some a subscription. Be warned, it's a bit of a minefield
so it does require some planning. After between roughly 20 and 50 minutes of charging - plenty
of time to grab yourself a coffee - your battery will normally be sufficiently charged to continue
your journey. So, top tip: if you do decide that you want a fully electric car, a BEV,
check its maximum DC charging speed in kilowatts. For example a car with 100 kilowatt rapid charging
capabilities can refill its battery twice as fast as a car rated at 50 kilowatts,
assuming that you're using one of the newer 150 kilowatt charging stations.
Finally, if you're a plug-in hybrid PHEV driver, with both a battery and internal combustion
engine, well generally rapid DC charging isn't an option, as most PHEVs don't have a rapid charging
socket. There are exceptions, though, and newer PHEV models are adding rapid charging, so it is
important to check the specs before you lease. In summary, then, the key points about charging
your EV are: at home, if you have off-street parking, get a dedicated charging point installed
and make sure you charge on a low cost tariff. If you need to charge when you're out during the day,
make sure you take your charging cable with you and get a quick boost while you're shopping,
eating or at the gym, and then for those longer trips you'll want to plan ahead to find out
where you should stop to rapid charge your car. Please get in touch with the Select Electric team
if you do have any questions about charging or leasing a car in general and I'll see you soon.