All You Need To Know About EV Charging

Before you directly dive into the topic related to EV charging, you would be curious to learn that Robert Anderson built the very first electric carriage in the 1830s. It has been over 100 years, and electric cars are in rage. With concerns regarding climatic change, air pollution, and fossil fuels, people are now more interested in electric vehicles as there are zero emissions. However, the only concern is the charging infrastructure for these electric vehicles. EV charging outlets are important to increase electrical vehicle adoption and sales. As per data, it’s suggested that there will be around 8 million public charging outlets in Europe and the US by the year 2025.

However, if you are toying with the idea of installing electric vehicle charging stations at home, then let’s look at EV charging and how it works.

What is EV charging?

The transfer of electrical energy from an exterior source to an electric vehicle for charging its battery is called EV charging. The most common kind of electrical vehicle charger is the plug-in one that plugs inside a standard wall outlet. Electrical vehicle charging is quite simple and mostly similar to mobile charging, as all you would require is a charging cable and an electrical outlet. However, EV charging gets complicated when you look into the various kinds of charging available in the market.

How does EV charging work?

There are two kinds of electrical current. One is the DC (direct current), and the other is AC (alternating current). The battery stores energy as direct current or DC; thus, the energy must be converted from AC to DC before it reaches the EV battery. 

The AC-type electrical vehicle charging stations provide AC power to the electrical vehicle, an onboard charger that is built in the vehicle adapts the power from AC to DC, which is fed to the vehicle battery. This process occurs automatically when you plug the electric vehicle into the AC-type charger. The AC-type charger is the most common method of charging adopted by electric vehicles, and most chargers that are installed deliver AC power.

When you charge from a DC-type EV charger, the AC power is converted into DC within the charger and then fed to the electric vehicle. This ensures a faster charging speed as the DC-type charging travels straight to the vehicle’s battery, bypassing the need to convert from AC to DC within the vehicle. However, not all electric vehicles utilize the DC charger.

The main problem is finding electric vehicle charging stations and connecting the vehicle with a cable. EV charging stations are still rare, and charging them is a bit complex.

How long does EV charging take?

The time taken to charge an electric vehicle depends on a lot of factors:

The type of EV charger: The time taken for the electric vehicle to charge is limited by the maximum charging rate of the charger, that is, the output power. For example, if your electric vehicle can accept AC charge rate of 11kW (three phase 16Amps) and you are connecting the vehicle to a 7kW charger (1 Phase 32Amps), your vehicle will only take in 3.7kW (one phase 16Amps), and the charging will take more time. However, if you connect the vehicle with a 11kW charger, then the charging time will be comparatively shorter.

Such a situation is relevant for European EV drivers. US and UK drivers use one-phase only AC charging. 

Vehicle battery size: The larger battery pack which is measured in kWh, the longer it would take to charge it. 

The charging state of the vehicle battery: If your electric vehicle has a battery that’s only 10% full, it will take longer to charge than topping it up from a 50% state of charge. 

Check out the EV charging rate: You can only charge the EV battery to its maximum charging rate (it’s up to what the vehicle can accept). For example, if your vehicle has a maximum charging rate of around 7kW, you won’t be able to charge it faster with a 11 or 22kW electrical charger. Same works with max acceptable DC rate. Each EV has max DC input rate. 

Temperature: The electrical vehicle packs are all lithium-based, and if the temperatures are cold, then it takes a longer time to charge, specifically when you are using DC chargers, which are considered to deliver faster charging. Internal vehicle software will deliberately reduce charge speed while the battery is cold to protect from damaging it. Expect to spend more time next to DC charger during winter time. 

In short, charging an electric vehicle can take 20 minutes to 12 hours, depending on the factors mentioned above. In fact, the bigger the car battery pack and the slower the charging station, the more time it will take for the EV battery to charge.

That’s why most electrical vehicle drivers charge whenever they get an opportunity. Instead of letting your EV battery run empty, you should use every opportunity to keep the battery topped up by charging the electrical vehicle whenever you park. Combine home charging and even top-up the vehicle battery during the day to prevent yourself from getting stranded on the road with an empty EV battery. You must rely on public EV charging infrastructures if you still don’t have home electric vehicle charging stations.

Where to charge an EV?

Try parking your car in a potential charging location. As the world is shifting towards electrical mobility, finding a suitable charging infrastructural network is getting more easy novadays. Governments across the globe are generating legislation and intensifying the placement of electric vehicle charging stations as more and more ventures are tapping into this new market.

Here are the most conevenient charging locations:

Home charging: Charging at home is most convenient as you can now peacefully wake up to a fully charged vehicle. This also ensures you do not have to pay anything other than the general electrical price.

Charging at work: Charging the vehicle at the workplace is extremely convenient as after you are done on the day, you can drive a fully-charged vehicle home without any worries or hassles. It’s super convenient as well!

Public charging stations: Local governments are investing heavily in EV charging infrastructure, and plenty of stations have been popping up in recent times.

Final Notes

It would be best and most convenient to set up electric vehicle charging stations at home. To get an estimate, you can connect with an established charging provider, Charging Shop, and we will help you determine the best solution for your needs.