New EV Charging Checklist for the public sector! Identify what you need to know before stepping into a project. Download it here
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EV charging stations offer ‘plug-in’ electrical charge to your vehicle through a cable, which charges the battery, enabling your car to drive and function.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations are most commonly situated at the users home, however users can also charge their vehicle on public streets, at petrol stations and at workplace charging stations.
To begin charging your vehicle at the majority of public ev charging points in the UK, you can either simply plug the connector from the charge point to your vehicle, sign into your app, use your contactless card or use a charge card. UK Public charge points will use either tethered or untethered cables to charge electric vehicles, this will usually depend on the type of charge point you want to use, such as fast, rapid or ultra-rapid charging.
Fast EV charging stations are most suitable for:
For public rapid charging, the majority of petrol station charging points in the UK offer the two most common rapid charge connectors (CCS & CHAdeMO).
Rapid EV charging stations are most suitable for:
Ultra-Rapid EV charging is the fastest option when looking to charge your electric vehicle. Ultra-Rapid charging stations are most suitable for:
Charging your electric vehicle at home requires an EV charger to be installed often to the outside of your home within charging distance of your vehicle. There are various options in regards to speed of charge with the most common EV charging option for private use being 7kW.
7kW charging points for the home are the most common options due to the fact that most homes can already support this charging option (single phase power supply). For every hour your vehicle is charging, a 7kW charge point will offer around 30 miles of charge.
7kW charge points can typically charge a standard electric vehicle to full battery overnight or in over an 8 hour period.
22kW charging points offer the fastest charging point options for home installation. However, your home must be compatible with three-phase power supply and in addition, your electric vehicle must also accept 22kW.
Although this is a faster charging option, the vast majority of home EV charging points are used to charge a driver’s vehicle overnight and therefore the noticeable difference is somewhat marginal to a user’s everyday use.
There are a few factors that could determine whether you choose a tethered or untethered ev charging solution for your at home ev charging, however for most it’s a simple choice between whether having the cable attached to the charging station permanently (tethered) or choosing to use a separate cable to attach and detach each time you start and finish charging.
Benefits of using an tethered EV charging station at home
Benefits of using an untethered EV charging station at home
Ultimately both charging units have the same purpose, but depending on how you use your charger, it’s placement, and your opinions on what will be important to consider in order to future-proof your EV charger will help determine which is best for you.
Workplace EV charging can be implemented in a variety of ways to suit the business or employees who may wish to use the workplace charging points.
Some businesses choose to offer unlimited free charging to their employees or a number of hours free charging followed by a fixed hourly rate after the threshold is reached. Either way, workplace EV charging can be adapted to suit the business’s needs.
Mer offers fast EV charging points for workplaces, which aim to charge vehicles over the course of a few hours – ideal for businesses and employees.
For more information on workplace charging, get in touch with our team.
Whether you’re part of a team choosing to procure charging installation through an existing framework, running your own tender or exploring options, this checklist will help you identify what you need to know before stepping into EV charging infrastructure project.
Download Checklist
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