All your questions about EV Chargers answered
An electric vehicle runs on completely electricity. EV’s have a electric motor so there is no engine, which means it does not require petrol or diesel. With them running on electric you are able to charge at home or at an electric car charging point.
EVs have far lower carbon emissions than traditional petrol and diesel engines, which means they’re better for the environment. They can even be zero-emission if they’re powered by 100% green electricity.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEVs) have lower carbon emissions than traditional combustion engines, but they’re not as green as EV’s.
Most new EV’s have a range of around 130 miles, although some can go up to and over 300 miles on one charge. As EV technology advances this will only improve.
- This will depend on the size of your battery and the charger you use.
- Slow chargers (up to 3Kw) Best for over night charging as these can take typically between six to 12 hours.
- Fast chargers (7Kw to 22Kw) Usually take between three to four hours to charge.
- Rapid Chargers (43Kw to 50Kw) These can charge an EV to 80% in around 30 minutes.
The battery life of an EV will vary depending on the make and model of the vehicle. Most manufacturers offer an eight year or 100,000 mile warranty for their EV batteries.
You can charge your EV easily at home, workplace or at any public electric charging points.
A plug-in hybrid vehicle, or PHEV, works by combining a traditional petrol or diesel engine with an electric motor. This means that PHEVs can be plugged in and charged from mains power, just like EVs – but they’ll need petrol or diesel to run for long distances.
Manufacturers have already built in precautions so you cannot overcharge, over-discharge, or overheat your electric vehicle.
Electric cars are cheaper to maintain, no oil to change, no gaskets to replace, etc. Electric vehicles are generally more reliable if only because of the fewer moving parts. It means much lower maintenance costs.
Since an electric motor is able to slow itself down and regenerate some power, the use of brake pedals is reduced and brake pads and discs last longer.
The average cost of charging an electric car at home is just £4 for 100 miles of charge – and you can use the Highway charging points for approx 30p per kWh.
You still need to register your EV for road tax, but you won’t have to pay anything because EVs don’t give off any exhaust emissions.
If you drive an electric car in London, you don’t have to worry about paying congestion charges because electric vehicles are exempt.
