Which Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Point Should I Buy?
With so many EV charging points available it is difficult to decide which car charging point you should install. Our step-by-step guide and online tool for selecting the correct EV charging point will help you to decide.
Under the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) there are over 300 electric vehicle (EV) charging points that qualify for the Office of Low Emission Vehicle grant (OLEV) and over 650 EV charging points that qualify for the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS). With so many charging points to choose from it can be difficult to decide which EV charging point is best for you. The best place to start is to look at your car charging requirements and ask yourself the following questions.
Do you want a smart electric vehicle (EV) charging solution?
Electric vehicle smart charging allows you to shift the time of day when an EV charges and control the rate of charge. This means that you will be able to monitor, manage and track EV charging sessions from a mobile or desktop application. EV charging points must be smart in order to qualify for the OLEV grant.
Do you want a tethered or untethered electric vehicle (EV) charging point?
A tethered charging point has a cable permanently attached; this is a convenient method for home EV charging. An untethered chargepoint has a socket which you must connect a cable to when you want to charge your car. Untethered charging points are great if you have two cars with different connectors (Type one or Type two connector), would like to change the length of cable in the future or are installing the charger in a public location.
How fast do you want to charge your electric vehicle (EV)?
The time it takes to charge your EV is dependent on which car you have and your home infrastructure. A simple guide to EV charging times is below.
8 to 11 hours (3,7 kWh)
6 to 8 hours (7 kWh) – This is the most common charging speed for homeplace installation.
4 to 6 hours (22 kWh)
The time it takes to charge your EV with a designated charging point is much quicker than it would take using a three-pin plug, which can take up to 18 hours.
How important is the design of the charging point?
There are car charging points to suit every need, from discrete EV charging solutions such as the EO Mini Pro to high-end chargers such as the Andersen A2. Take a look at our EV charging point selection tool to see what functions and designs match your requirements.
How much does it cost to install an EV charging point?
The cost of an EV charging point can vary depending on what features you would like the charger to have and how simple the installation is. The ability to start charging sessions with an RFID card, programme the charging point to use economy energy tariffs, a longer cable length, and a customised design are all features that can change the cost. To provide you with a bespoke EV charging point installation plan, we conduct a free survey of your property. The OLEV grant also allows you to claim 75% (up to £500) off the cost of the charger and its installation.
We provide our clients with bespoke charging solutions to meet their individual requirements. Offering end-to-end solutions ranging from one of installations to large scale commercial projects. Use our online EV charging point selection tool to define your requirements and we will provide you a personal recommendation on the best EV charging solution for you.