Guide to electric vehicle (EV) charging

If you’re thinking about making the switch to driving an electric vehicle (EV), you might wonder what you need to do about charging it. This is the big question every new EV driver has, considering that filling up with petrol or diesel is so easy.

In this guide to electric vehicle charging, we’ll tell you everything you need to know: 

• Where you can charge an EV

• How to install an EV charger at home

• How to find public EV charging points

• How long it takes to charge an EV

• How often you need to charge an EV

• How the three main types of EV charger work 

• Types of charging connectors

• FAQs

The good news is that as more people switch from petrol and diesel to electric, things are becoming much easier. Charging cables are easy to get hold of, and charging with an at home EV charging station is much cheaper than fueling a car. Chargers are also becoming faster, and new public chargers are springing up all over the place.

EV charging is what you do to keep an electrical vehicle on the move. EVs are powered by large batteries, and these need to be charged to give the vehicle the power it needs.

Electric vehicle charging is a fast-developing area of technology, and new EV charging technology is always emerging. As technology develops, cars get faster and easier to charge. The fastest charging cars can now be given an 80% charge in as little as 10 minutes.

However, while there is useful charging technology out there, you do need to understand how EV charging works before you go out and buy an electric vehicle.

You charge an electrical vehicle by plugging it into a specially designed EV charger that’s connected to the mains electricity supply. Then you wait for the battery to gain enough charge for you to drive it.

There are three places you can charge an electric car: At home, at work or at a public charging point.

The amount of time it takes to charge an EV battery depends on the power of the charge point, the capacity of the battery and the charging capability of the EV. The fastest chargers can charge a battery to 80% in as little as 10 minutes, while the slowest take as long as 15 hours. 

  

EV charging at home

The cheapest and most convenient place to charge your EV is normally at home. The electricity costs less than at other charging points, and you can plug your vehicle in overnight to get a full charge for the next day. A normal charge will also give most people enough charge for a whole week’s normal driving or a one off long journey.

You will, however, need to pay to have an electric car charger fitted at your house. You’ll also need to have a good location for it. It’s best if you have off-street parking, so you can plug your car in without laying cables across pavements or other public areas. It is possible to install EV chargers on houses with on-street parking, however, with a cross-pavement solution.    

 

Public EV charging

There are also public electric car chargers you can use. You can find these in a variety of places, such as public car parks, residential streets, supermarket car parks or service stations. You can use these for normal charging if you don’t have a home charger, or you can use them for charging on the go.  

There are many different types of public EV charger in the UK. They are also all operated by a variety of different charge point operators. The amount it costs to charge at a public charge point varies from point to point, although it is always more expensive than charging at home.

You can find public EV chargers on apps like Zap-Map.

 

EV charging at work

Workplace electric car chargers are great for people who live a long way from where they work or don’t have a home charger. With a workplace charger, you can plug in your EV while you’re at work and have a full charge when you leave.

In some cases, employers will provide EV charging for free. In other cases, employees will need to pay through a workplace operated system.

Businesses can claim support to install EV chargers at their premises from the government through the Workplace Charging Scheme. Businesses can claim up to £350 per unit for up to 40 EV chargers.

Most people will want to have an EV charge point at home.  

You can have an EV charger at your house as long as you have off street parking. All you need to do is find the right charge point and hire an electrician to handle the EV home charger installation.

We recommend using a suitably qualified electrician, preferably registered with the NICEIC. You must also use an OZEV-approved installer to claim the OZEV electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint grants if you are claiming them. You should also make sure your charge point is registered with your distribution network operator after it’s fitted. Usually, the installer will register the device for you.

The most common home EV charger types in the UK are 7kW AC fast chargers. A 7kW charger will fully charge most modern electric cars in around 6-10 hours. 22kW chargers are also used, although these need a three phase power supply, which most UK homes don’t have. They also need a vehicle that is compatible with a 22kW AC charger. A 22kW charger can fill up a car in 2-4 hours.

You can also use slow chargers at home. These charge at below 7kW and include 3kW and below chargers that plug in to a standard domestic three pin plug. These can take 10-24 hours to charge a car.

 

How much does it cost to install an EV charger at home?

It will cost most people around £800 to £1,500 to install a home EV charge point in the UK.

How much it costs you will depend on:

• The price of your EV unit.

• The cost of hiring an electrician to install your EV unit.

• Whether you can claim a grant – some grants are available to renters and flat owners and people with on street parking through the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint and Infrastructure Grant.

Home EV charging stations range in price from a few hundred pounds to around two thousand pounds. Devices are not cheap because they need sophisticated technology for safely supplying large electrical currents. They’re also made with smart features for more economical and convenient operation.

It’s worth remembering that switching to an EV with a home electric car charger will save you money overall.

 

Where to put your EV charging point?

Here are some things to consider when you’re deciding where to put your home EV charger: 

• Will it be easy for you to get to the unit?

Plugging your EV in for a charge will be a routine task, so you want to put your charger in a place that’s easy to reach.

• Will the cable reach the car without causing a trip hazard?

You need to run a charging cable from the unit to the car, and you need to do this without it being a trip hazard.

• How far will it be from the home’s consumer unit?

You should try to position your charger close to your consumer unit. The cost of installation might be more if your electrician needs to lay cables over a long distance.  

• Will it pick up your home’s Wi-Fi signal?

Your EV charger needs to have access to your Wi-Fi to take advantage of smart features.

 

Choosing between a tethered or untethered charging system

You need to decide whether to have a tethered charging system or an untethered one. A tethered charge point is one with a cable permanently attached to the charger. With an untethered charge point, you remove the cable from the charger when your EV is charged.  

Tethered electric car chargers are more convenient because you don’t need to get the cable out to charge your car. On the other hand, you need to keep the cable tidy in its location. You also need to match the connector to your car, and you might need to change it if you change your car.  

You need to get your cable out every time with an untethered charger, but the big benefit is that you can use any car with the charger.

 

Important things to consider before installing an EV charger

Here are some important things to think about before you install an EV charger at your house:

1.      What power charger do you need?

You should pick a charger with the right power for the EV you will own, taking into account the size of the battery and the amount of time you’ll need to charge it.

Remember that you only need to be able to charge your battery in a way that suits your habits. Most people will be able to plug their EV in for a long overnight charge. Also, remember that you need three phase electricity for 22 kW chargers.  

2.      What smart features do you want to have?

Think about what smart features you’d like your EV charger to have. Smart features can be very useful, helping you to better manage your EV charging and save energy. There is a wide range of features, and you should do your research. One essential smart feature for solar panel owners to have is solar panel integration.

3.      How much will it cost?

You should also think about how much you want to spend. EV chargers aren’t cheap, but it might well be worth a few extra hundred pounds on a good EV charging unit if it will suit you well.

You can find public EV chargers of all types in the UK. You’ll find them in car parks, supermarkets, service stations, on the side of roads on lampposts or in other locations.

Public EV charge points are run by charge point operators that run large networks of chargers. These companies have different approaches to how their chargers are accessed. Some simply allow users to pay using a contactless credit or debit card. Whereas some are more complicated, requiring you to register on an app or use a subscription service, for example.

It can be confusing, but regulation changes are making things easier. As of November 2024, all new chargers outputting over 8kW of power and all existing 50kW chargers have to offer a contactless payment method.

Not every charge point will be compatible with every car, and costs and charge speeds vary as well.

There are mobile apps you can use to find EV chargers in your area or on your route if you are travelling a long distance:  

• Zap-Map 

• PlugShare 

• Google Maps 

• WattsUp

Mobile apps will also find a charger on the right network and with the right connectors and charging speed.

The amount of time it takes to charge an EV depends on how powerful the EV charger is, the size of your EV’s battery and the charging capability of your EV.

The power of a charger is measured in kW, and the capacity of a battery is measured in kWh. You can make a rough calculation of how long it will take to charge an EV by dividing the capacity of the battery by the power of the charger. For example, a car with a 40kWh battery on a 7kW charger will take just under 6 hours to reach full charge.

There are, however, limiting factors.

First of all, EVs don’t charge at full speed for an entire charge. The rate of charge is slowed in the last 20% to preserve battery life. Also, because electric vehicles only accept a certain amount of charge, you will only be able to use the full capacity of a charger if you’re vehicle has the capacity. Other factors like weather can also affect charging times.

Note that EVs can charge with either AC or DC, and they have two maximum charging rates: A maximum AC rate and a maximum DC rate.

How often you’ll need to charge your EV depends on the number of miles you do and the capacity of the battery. Most electric vehicles have a battery capacity between 30 kWh and 100 kWh, with the average capacity being around 40 kWh.  

Nowadays, most electric vehicles can do around 200 miles before they need a charge, which is more driving than most people do in a week. It should be noted that the range of a battery also depends on factors like driving style, the weather, hilly terrain and your use of in-car accessories.

There are three main categories of EV charger used in the UK: Slow, fast and rapid/ultra rapid. EV charger types are categorised according to the amount of power they supply to a vehicle (measured in kW).

One thing to know when you’re learning about charger types is that rapid and ultra-rapid chargers tend to use DC, while fast and slow chargers tend to use AC. Your electric vehicle will also have separate maximum charge rates for AC and DC.

In this section, we’ll guide you through EV charger types. 

 

Rapid and Ultra Rapid EV chargers

Rapid and ultra rapid chargers use DC to supply electricity to an EV as fast as possible These are normally found at places like motorway service stations.

• Rapid charge points provide 50-149 kW.

• Ultra rapid charge points provide 150 kW and over.

Rapid charging can only be used on vehicles with rapid-charging capabilities. Most modern EVs will accept at least 50 kW DC, but it tends to be more high performance EVs, like Tesla EVs, that will accept charges over 150 kW. Rapid and ultra rapid chargers normally take less than an hour to charge an EV. The fastest take as little as 10 minutes.

Remember that you don’t have to fill the battery. If you’re on the move in an EV, you can always plug in for a quick top up.  

 

Fast EV chargers

Fast chargers operate with power between 7kW and 49 kW and work with AC. You can find fast chargers on public networks, and you can also find them on people’s houses. Fast chargers are what EV charging is done with under normal circumstances.  

The most common home EV charger types in the UK are 7kW AC fast chargers. You will also find houses with 22 kW chargers, although these need a three phase electricity supply. Not all EVs will accept 22 kW AC power as well. A 7kW charger will charge most modern electric cars in 6-10 hours. A 22kW will normally take 2-4 hours.

 

Slow EV chargers

Slow EV chargers charge with powers below 7 kW, and they use AC. Slow chargers used to be the normal way to charge an EV, although they’re steadily becoming unused.

Slow chargers include chargers that plug in to a standard UK domestic socket with a three pin plug. Often, these are low powered 2.4 kW chargers, although powers vary. These normally take around 12 hours to charge a small EV, and they take much longer to charge a large EV.