There are many aspects of electric car charging that you would have heard about but possibly don’t know what they are or mean. This blog will highlight the areas where these questions may occur and provide those answers.
There will be a few key areas that we will delve into detail, from fast charging to smart charging. With EV (electric vehicle) charging becoming more of a forefront thought for many, it Is important for us all to understand what this change in transportation will mean. Before investing, we should understand all the key aspects that will be important for us to know.
What does it mean by fast electric car charging?
Your average charge is at 3.6kw, which is often referred to as a “trickle charge”, often requiring approximately ten hours to charge an electric car. The charge time will depend on the EV itself determining the overall length of the charge.
Fast charging may seem obvious, but it simply means it charges faster than some existing chargers—mind blown. Fast charging is an input of 7kW and higher. Typically charging with a 22kW unit reduces your charge time drastically to approximately 6 hours or as little as 5 hours for some Tesla models. Most business and commercial outlets will offer 22kW units representing full EVs, this does not however apply to hybrid vehicles. Hybrid will have a far reduced charge time at approximately 3.5-hour charges.
The Renault Zoe charging a 3.6kW will provide a full battery in 7 hours, and 7kW will charge in approximately 4 hours, while a 22kW charge will take as little as 2 hours. Let’s not forget that the Renault Zoe is one of the smallest cars on the market.
Your average charge is at 3.6kw, which is often referred to as a “trickle charge”, often requiring approximately ten hours to charge an electric car. The charge time will depend on the EV itself determining the overall length of the charge.
Fast charging may seem obvious, but it simply means it charges faster than some existing chargers—mind blown. Fast charging is an input of 7kW and higher. Typically charging with a 22kW unit reduces your charge time drastically to approximately 6 hours or as little as 5 hours for some Tesla models. Most business and commercial outlets will offer 22kW units representing full EVs, this does not however apply to hybrid vehicles. Hybrid will have a far reduced charge time at approximately 3.5-hour charges.
The Renault Zoe charging a 3.6kW will provide a full battery in 7 hours, and 7kW will charge in approximately 4 hours, while a 22kW charge will take as little as 2 hours. Let’s not forget that the Renault Zoe is one of the smallest cars on the market.
Here is a simple breakdown of the different types of charge connections.
Slow Charge Connectors
- Type 1 3-6 KW (AC)
- Type 2 3-6kW (AC)
- 3-pin 3kW (AC)
- Commando 3-6kW (AC)
Fast Charge Connectors
- Type 1 – 7kW (AC)
- Type 2 – 7-22kW (AC)
- Commando 7-22kW (AC)
Rapid Charge Connectors
- Type 2 43kW (AC)
- CHAdeMo 50kW (DC)
- CCS 50-350kW (DC)
- Tesla Type 2 120kW (DC)
Electric car charger cable types
Electric Vehicles all require a charging cable, as we are not quite at wireless charging just yet. The chargers come in a tiered system. Tier one is home charging, where you plug your EV straight into an AC home socket. Tier two is an EV charger unit installed and wired into your home. Tier 3 is DC fast charging, usually public or workplace chargers that pack a punch. All require a cable to transport the charge, and there are certainly a few different styles available that fall under type 1 or type 2 cables.
Type 1 cables
The type 1 cables are designed with a 5-pin design. These chargers were available for the first EVs and Plug-in Hybrid Electric vehicles (PHEV) including Citroen C-Zero, Ford Focus Electric, Kia Soul EV, Nissan Leaf 2012 – 2017, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Peugeot (although these use both types), Toyota Prius, Vauxhall.
Available type 1 cables which include,
- Type 1 to type 2 cables
- Type 2 type 1 cables
- Type 1 to 3-pin plug
- Type 1 to 32A commando cable
Type 2 cables
Type 2 cables are designed with 7-pins. They have been designed for higher-capacity EVs. As EVs have evolved, a type 2 charger is found on newer models, which include Audi Etron, BMW i3, Hyundai, Jaguar, KIA, Mercedes Benz EQC, Mini Countryman, Nissan Leaf 2018, Porsche, Ranger Rover, Renault, Smart, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo XC T8.
Available type 2 cables include
- Type 2 to type 2
- Type 2 to type 2-3 public charging cable
- Type 2 to 3 pin plug gen-2
- TYPE 2 TO 3 pin plug ev home charging
- TYPE 2 extension cable
- TYPE 2 TO 32A commando gen-2
The difference between AC and DC charging
Unfortunately, we are not talking about the kickass 80’s band, but instead the two types of charging capabilities for powering up your electric car.
AC Charging
Electricity sent to our homes is always an alternating current (AC). Alternating current is electricity that can reverse its direction. What this means is that it can change direction and flow. This is the easiest way to transport electricity and flow adjustment, resulting in less energy loss. AC offers higher voltage at lower currents, perfect for supplying multiple sockets within a home.
DC Charging
Possibly seen as the opposite of AC currents, Direct currents (DC) only transmit electricity in a constant, zero frequency fashion, often referred to as “constant polarity”. DC is used to charge smartphones and other technical devices, which are converted through the plug socket or charging plug.
What does AC/DC mean for electric cars?
The main difference between AC and DC chargers is how batteries are charged. AC chargers will require the electricity to be converted via the charger itself. In contrast, a DC charger can transport the electricity straight into the battery, enabling faster-charging speeds and high kilowatts. Charge points can therefore be larger and provide fast or rapid charge to vehicles.
AC will still be what charges your vehicle up at home up to 7.4kW on a single phase, while 22kW can be accessed in offices on a 3-phase circuit. Now DC chargers can hit heights of 500kW which will reduce charging times dramatically down to a few hours or less. It is worth noting that if you were to just rapid charge your electric car, this would decrease the battery’s life as it causes more strain on the battery, and you may need to replace it sooner than planned. Don’t fear, using DC chargers infrequently will not have an increased effect on your EVs battery’s demise.
What is a DC Boost Charger?
This brings us to DC boost charging. This is when you can really crank up the dial, delivering your vehicle 100 miles of drive in about 10 minutes of charging. This is available on all EV models at a growing number of public charging stations, saving even more money at the socket.
Tethered vs untethered leads
Tethered leads are those where one end is hardwired into the electric charger, and Untethered cables are loose and must be plugged into the car and the electric charger or home socket. There isn’t much else to compare the two.
Sadly, opportunists are always looking to profit from others, and these dishonest people are targeting untethered cables. If you charge overnight, they are often unprotected, which is when they strike. It is also known for thieves to cut the cable from tethered units, which is dangerous, so securing your unit is always advised. EV cables contain copper, which is highly desirable as it can be scrapped at a high price. However, you’re more likely to find them at car boot sales or online for sale at a much lower price than they should be. This is a red flag as they are probably stolen, and we recommend staying away from them.
The only additional factor in having an untethered cable is always carrying it around with you, not in your handbag or rucksack but in the car’s boot. Most public chargers are tethered but still not wise to leave without your charging cable. Most EV drivers will advise you to always have an untethered charger in your car, but for those requiring an untethered connection at home, just remember your wallet, phone, keys, and cable.
What is EV smart charging?
Smart charging establishes a connection between the charger and the provider. This communication allows data to be transmitted, aiding scheduled charging. Scheduling charging is where your car will charge over a selected period determined by the current strain on the national grid. There have been new legislations regarding smart charging and what it means for you and your vehicle. Check out this blog for more information.
EV battery sizes, types, costs and charge lengths
There are serval factors that determine the functionality of an EV battery. These factors will identify the cost and length of the charge. They include kilowatt hour (kWh), battery size and costs. This section will help clarify each element.
What are kilowatt hours?
The capacity of an electric car is measured in kWh. A kWh is a measurement of the consumption of kW energy a battery uses within 1 hour. As a measurement, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will consume this, it represents 1,000 watts of power used per hour if a 1kw appliance was constantly running for 1 hour. For example, having a shower on average uses 10,000 watts, it will only take 6 minutes to use a kWh. Your fridge freezer depending on how many times you open it will use approximately 400 watts, taking a kilowatt hour up to three hours to use.
When you are charging, your home charger will charge at approximately 16p per kWh. At this rate a full charge will cost around £8, resulting in just over 3p per mile of charge. If you were to charge using a rapid charger, then these operate at up to 30p per kWh. However, this charge will provide your battery up to 80%, resulting in an 80% charge costing £12 and a 6.5p per mile of charge. You are paying for the speed, convenience, and increased energy requirement for the charge itself.
As a result, Renault Zoe has a 52Kwh battery size, giving it a range of approximately 239 miles, if driven at optimal efficiency, you could get 245.
This formula is used to help determine the cost of a full charge. Tariff * kWh / 100
Currently, the average price per kWh is 28p. Using this we can find out the cost of charging a Renault Zoe,
28p * 52 / 100 = £14.56
From the stats provided, driving 239 miles will cost £14.56. This will get you from London to York on a full charge, with a few extra miles for getting routinely lost. The charging time for a 7kW charge for a full charge at home will take around 8 hours. Just remember that you are never likely to charge from zero to full. For battery longevity, it is wise to charge to approximately 80% when able to, so you don’t overstrain the battery. You are looking at 4-6 hours of charge for everyday charging.
What are EV batteries made from and how long do they last?
Like a laptop, smartphone, or battery lawnmower, the electric car battery is made from lithium-ion. Through much development, these batteries have been tried and tested over the years, and now have been scaled up for use in electric vehicles. Lithium-ion is more expensive to produce than nickel-metal hybrid or lead-acid batteries, which is why batteries are currently costly. This is the reason battery replacements can cost as much as £20,000.
Lithium-ion batteries will degrade over time, as mentioned, rapid charging can speed this process up, but for the most part, the battery after 8-12 years, will reduce to 80% efficiency. For example, the Renault Zoe has a 52kw battery that can deliver 239 miles per full charge, at 80% efficiency, this will be reduced the range of charge to 191 miles, approximately.
What are solid-state batteries?
Solid state batteries are considered the next evolution for EV batteries. According to the Brussels-based campaign group Transport and Environment, solid-state batteries could reduce a car battery’s carbon footprint by 39% compared to current liquid lithium-ion batteries.
Solid state batteries are not yet available in any consumer vehicles; however, Ford and BMW plan to trail them at the end of 2022, with mass production to go ahead from 2025.
Current batteries use more graphite and cobalt than would be required in solid-state batteries. This would help reduce the cost of manufacturing and eventually help the price of them to be reduced. The main positive factor is that if reports are accurate, they can hold twice the charge, if not a bit more. This would push the range of the vehicle to that inline of current combustion fuel engines, reducing the stresses of range anxiety.
There is no guarantee that when 2025 arrives, cars will be fitted and sold with solid-state batteries as planned, there may be hiccups on the road or further development to undergo, but they are on their way and should be established in the next phase of EV technology.
