GUIDE TO EV CHARGING
More and more of us are looking for ways to support a sustainable future and in the motoring world that normally means one thing: making the switch to electric vehicles (EVs). Greener, quieter and lower maintenance, it’s easy to see why EVs are growing in popularity and why an electric car might be appearing on your drive in the near future.
In this guide to EV charging, we take you through the main aspects of electric vehicle chargers, EV charging at home, charger installation and more, so that you’ll be fully informed when you decide to make that switch.
How to charge an EV
There are three main ways to charge an electric car or plug-in hybrid:
- A charging point that you’ve had installed at home
- A mains three-pin socket
- A public charging station
Home charging point
For most EV owners, a home EV charging point is the best option when it comes to keeping their vehicle charged and ready. These charging points can be installed in a convenient location, are weatherproof and are specifically designed to handle the high wattage that electric car charging requires.
Here at Halfords, we offer home EV chargers from market-leading brands. Full installation is provided by our partners BOXT (see ‘Getting a charger installed’ below for more information) and their online system will walk you through the purchasing process.
Mains three-pin socket
Most electric cars will come with a charging cable for a three-pin domestic plug and, while you can use this to charge your EV, we’d advise against it. Three-pin domestic plugs are slow to charge, aren’t designed to handle high charging loads, and aren’t designed to be a long-term charging solution (it wouldn’t be safe to use them all the time).
Public charging station
There are thousands of public electric car charging points available at workplaces, supermarkets, motorway service stations and petrol stations across the UK. With it now being a legal requirement for all large petrol stations and motorway services to provide charging points, and with EVs continuing to grow in popularity, this number is only expected to increase over the coming years.
While these stations can offer a range of fast charging speeds, the downside is that it’ll cost you more to charge your car using a public station than it would at home.
It’s also important to understand that your EV won’t be automatically compatible with every public charging station out there because different stations will use different charging connectors. To find out more about this, check out our Guide to Electric Vehicle Charging Connectors.
Types of EV chargers
There are two main types of EV charger: universal (untethered) and tethered.
Universal (untethered)
Universal chargers can connect to all EVs, but require you to provide your own compatible charging cable because they don’t come with one themselves. The main benefit of this type of socket is its flexibility, while the main drawback is the fact that you need to provide the cable yourself and transport it around.
Tethered
Tethered chargers come with a charging cable attached – you simply park up and plug in. The main benefit of this type of socket is its convenience, while the main drawbacks are a fixed-length cable and the risk that you may end up needing an adaptor if you should switch to a car that has a different type of socket.
Charging speeds
Charging speeds are calculated in kWh, which is how many kilowatts of energy a charger will supply per hour. The capacity of EV batteries is also measured in kilowatts. You can easily calculate how quickly a charger will top up your EV’s battery by dividing a battery’s capacity by a charger’s speed.
There are two common charging speeds found for EV chargers.
Slow chargers
Slow chargers use alternating current (AC) and normally charge at speeds of 3.7kWH or 7.4kWh (while some go up to 22kWh, these are rare in the UK). You’ll usually find these chargers at home, in workplaces and at some public charging points.
Type 1 and type 2 connectors support slow charging.
Fast chargers
Fast chargers use direct current (DC), and the most common charging speed is 50kWh. You’ll usually find these chargers in workplaces and public locations like motorway service stations.
Type 2, CHAdeMO and Combined Charging System (CCS) connectors support fast charging.
For more information about EV charging speeds and connector types, we’d recommend reading our Guide to Electric Vehicle Charging Connectors.
Getting a charger installed
It’s easier and cheaper than you may think to get an EV charger installed in your home. Here at Halfords, installation is included in the price when you purchase an EV charger. The installation service is provided by our expert partners BOXT, and you can book an installation online as part of the EV charger purchasing process on the BOXT website.
The installation process itself should take no longer than half a day and will involve a fully qualified engineer fitting your charger, demonstrating its functions, and answering any questions you might have. In addition, you’ll get access to priority aftercare as a Halfords customer and a customer support helpline in case you might have any questions further down the line.
You can find out more about EV home charging, the installation process and our partnership with Boxt on our Electric Vehicle Home Charging page.
The cost of EV charging
There are lots of factors that influence how much running an EV may cost you and we’ve listed some of the main ones below:
- Model of car
- Size of battery
- Average mileage
- Charging speed of the car and your charger
- Electricity tariffs
- Cost of home charging points
However, as an electric car is cheaper to run than a petrol or diesel one, you can rest assured that you’ll be making a saving in the long-run and helping the environment if you make the switch.
For a more detailed exploration of the costs associated with running and charging an electric car, check out our dedicated advice article on the topic.
FAQs
An EV is any vehicle that is partially or fully powered by electric. There are three main types of EV:
- Hybrid electric vehicles don’t require charging as they use kinetic energy to charge their internal battery.
- Battery electric vehicles are purely powered by electricity and run on batteries alone.
- Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have a small battery with a limited range and their main source of power is fuel via an internal combustion engine.
EV charging stands for ‘electric vehicle charging’ and is the way that the batteries inside electric vehicles are recharged. The main methods of EV charging are via home charging points and public charging points.
This depends on the make and model of your car, the size of your battery, and the charger that you choose (for example, a 7.2kW charger will charge your EV twice as quickly as a 3.6kW charger).
As a rough benchmark, here’s how long it would take a 7.2kW charger to fully charge the following car models:
- Toyota Prius: approx. 1.5 hours
- Nissan Leaf: approx. 5.5 hours
- Tesla Model S: approx. 13 hours
Have a look at our Electric Car Home Charging Guide for more information about charging times.
While charging speeds and associated travelling distances depend on your make and model of car, here’s a general guide to the different levels of EV charging*:
At home:
- Slow (3.6kW charger): Up to 15 miles on a 1-hour charge
- Standard (7kW charger): Up to 30 miles on a 1-hour charge – this is the most common type of charger
- Fast (22kW charger): Up to 90 miles on a 1-hour charge – this type of charger is uncommon as it requires a different phase of power
Away from home:
- Rapid (50kW charger): Up to 90 miles on a 30-minute charge
- Ultra (150kW charger): Up to 200 miles on a 30-minute charge
*Please note that not all EVs are compatible with charging at every level. Check your vehicle handbook to find out what rate your EV can charge at.
No, although it might be more cost-effective for you to do so. Some energy suppliers offer reduced rates for overnight EV charging, which means you can charge your car while you sleep while paying less for your kWh than you would during the day.
We recommend our partners at EDF Energy, and you can see the options they offer and easily change your tariff when you purchase your EV charger.
Charging an EV is a little bit like charging a smartphone. Your EV itself will have a charging socket and so will the charging point you want to use, and a cable is needed to connect the two together and carry the charge.
There are several different socket types and two of the main ones are known as type 1 and type 2. Type 1 sockets are an older version that you’ll mostly find on Asian cars, while type 2 sockets are the new European standard for car manufacturers. Most charging points will also have a type 2 socket, so you’ll need to ensure you have a cable that has the correct type of connectors on either end in order to connect your car to the charger.
For more information about the different socket types, including CHAdeMO and CCS, check out our Guide to Electric Vehicle Charging Connectors.
- Charging your vehicle with a specific home charging point is convenient, safe and eco-friendly.
- A home charging point provides a faster charging time than a domestic three-pin plug (7kWh rather than 3kWh) and is a safer long-term charging method.
- Home charging via a specific charging point is the most cost-effective way to charge your vehicle, especially if you have an energy tariff from a company like EDF Energy, which includes reduced rates for overnight charging.
- All of the charging units that we sell have been tested to the highest standard, gaining third party certification.
- We offer a 3-year warranty on all of our range, and a 12-month warranty on workmanship.
- You can book an installation appointment online, on a date and at a time that suits you.
- All our home charger installations are carried out by qualified electricians from our trusted partner BOXT, a company that has a reputation for excellence in the EV charging field. This provides peace of mind that the chargers are fitted correctly and weatherproofed to a regulated standard.
Most chargers on the market that support the government OZEV Grant have a minimum technical specification that’s been approved by the Department for Transport. It’s then a case of choosing what brand, build quality and extra features you’re looking for.
The best and easiest solution is to buy a mid-range, 7.4kW unit that’s OZEV approved and to capitalise on special tariffs with your energy supplier.
The EV chargers that we offer are from award-winning manufacturers and include both OZEV-approved and non-OZEV approved units. All have a charging speed of 7.4kWh and the main differences between the units are their added features. The purchasing process on the BOXT website has further information and will help you to find the right option for you.
In the unlikely event that you experience a problem with your EV charger after installation, you can contact the BOXT customer support helpline on 0800 193 7777 or email them at customerservice@boxt.co.uk for further assistance.
You can take your home charger with you if you move house, but you’ll need to arrange for it to be un-installed and then installed at your new property – so, it may be more cost-efficient to choose a new charger instead. You can contact BOXT customer support on 0800 193 7777, or chat to an advisor on live chat through the BOXT website, to find out more.
If you change your car, you can continue to use the same at-home charger. You might just need to invest in a new charging cable if, for example, the socket type on your car has changed from type 1 to type 2.
The home chargers that we offer have the highest quality build rating (IK10), are completely weatherproof, and can be turned on and off from your phone.
You’ll also have the option of turning off the dedicated power circuit from your home charging point to cut the power entirely, which is ideal if you’re going to be away from home for any period of time.
All of the charging points that we sell benefit from a manufacturer’s three-year warranty on all parts.
Manufacturers recommend only charging EVs to 80%, as this helps to prolong the life of your battery and will still provide you with plenty of driving miles.
The one exception to this is wintertime charging. As it takes battery power to heat up a battery to the optimal operating temperature, staying plugged in will extend your driving range during cold weather.
A little bit, but it’s nothing to worry about. Electric cars can handle extended periods of inactivity very well, even better than combustion-powered engines, and will only lose a minimal amount of charge.
Prior to installation, customers need to provide images of the installation site to BOXT. This gives BOXT an opportunity to assess any technical aspects of the installation and helps make the installation process as smooth as possible.
Installation can then be completed in as little as 3 days of these images being provided.
O-PEN protection is technology built into home charge points that ensures the unit is connected to the electrical power supply safely and, in the event of a fault, automatically disconnects the unit from all live conductors. Not only does this give you piece of mind that the unit won’t affect the other electrics in your house, but it also means there’s no need for an earth rod when installing the unit.
Our range at Halfords includes units with O-PEN protection technology.
Shop EV chargersNo, the expert electricians from BOXT will ensure the unit is fitted securely and safely.
This includes using a consumer unit or built-in O-PEN protection to earth the charger so that it can't give off electric shocks or interrupt other circuits within the house.
10/22