Charging an electric car
Keeping your battery topped up is an important part of driving an electric car. As well as charging at home, drivers can also take advantage of the public network which has over 11,000 electric car charging stations across the UK.
There are three charger point options available:
- Slow charging - rated between 3kW and 6kW and normally in the form of a three-pin socket.
- Fast charging - rated between 7kW and 22kW, these are ideal for charging your electric car over a few hours
- Rapid charging - rated up to 150kW in selected locations, but more commonly up to 50kW, these points can charge your car up to 80% in under an hour.
Charging an electric car at home
Having an at home charging point for your electric car is essential as it's often the easiest and most cost-effective way to charge. Fitted by a qualified installer, this compact weather-resistant unit is wall mounted for easy access and allows you to plug your car in once parked. There are grants available for home charging points and after this initial cost, you just pay for the electricity you use.
Home charging points are normally 3.7kW or 7kW, which means your car will charge faster than if it were plugged into a regular 2.3kW outlet with a three-pin plug.
Charging an electric car on the public network
Electric car charging points are becoming more common at car parks, petrol stations and motorway services from a range of networks providing additional charging support for longer journeys or when you're away from home. You can use a service like Zap Map to find out where your nearest EV charging stations are, they even have a handy app for when you're on the move.
Public chargers are usually considered fast or rapid chargers and offer up to 50kW, although installation of 150kW chargers is in progress. We would recommend that you bring your own vehicle cable for charging on the network, however some rapid chargers have their own cables.
Charging an electric car at work
Having a charging point at your place of work can be convenient for both employees and visitors. If you're not yet lucky enough to have a charger at your place of work there is a government grant available to reduce the cost of having one installed.
