How do I charge an electric car?
The biggest concern for PCO drivers considering an electric car is charging. But with the rapidly growing infrastructure and charging apps available - it's very easy.
Here's everything you need to know:
Different types of EV chargers.
There are 4 main types of chargers, take a look at each one:
Home 3-pin charging
Plug directly into your house's mains using a 3-pin socket.
This is the slowest way to charge.
Average cost: 23p per kWh (source).
Power: 2 kWh
Time to charge:
up to 24 hours
Public slow charging
These use the type 2 charging cable in your EV's boot.
You get the cheapest rates if you use these overnight.
Average cost: 57p per kWh (source).
Power: 3-22 kWh
Time to charge:
up to 10 hours
Home charging point
If you have a driveway, this is the easiest and cheapest way to charge.
Just contact your electricity provider and get a charging pod fitted.
Average cost: 23p per kWh (source).
Power: 3-22 kWh
Time to charge:
up to 10 hours
Public rapid chargers
This is the fastest way to charge, but also the most expensive.
Don't rapid charge more than 1-2 times a week as it can damage your battery health.
Average cost: 74p per kWh (source).
Power: 22-150+ kWh
Time to charge:
25-45 minutes
How to make your electric range go further.
Take a look at some tips to get the maximum range in your electric car:
Use heated seats when you don’t need to heat your whole car.
Avoid using the heater or air conditioner when you don’t need it.
Use regenerative braking, which re-uses energy that would be wasted.
Go easy on the accelerator.
Drive in ECO mode.
