Choose the right charger for you

Choosing the right charger for you is crucial to ensure efficient and convenient charging for your electric vehicle. Because there are several choices such as home chargers, public charging stations and quick chargers, it is important to understand your needs and the possibilities of each type of charging. This article will help you choose the best charger for your lifestyle and car.

What is your electrical installation ? : (Single phase/3 phase)

First of all, you should know where you are going to charge your car and what kind of electrical system this site has (almost every household in the EU (except Ireland) must have a standard Schuko socket (2 pin) at home or in the garage.

Depending on the country in which you live, the Schuko socket supports currents of up to 16A (this corresponds to 3.6 kW). Remember that not all Schuko sockets can withstand 16A, so you must consult your electrician in advance! For this reason, our Schuko 3.6kWEV charger has an adjustable current setting (6 A to 16 A, 1.4 kW to 3.6 kW). All Schuko sockets should withstand 10A for long-term use (2.3 kW). This is considered slow charging, but many people choose this because they already have a Schuko socket in their garage.

What is the capacity of your battery and how long does it take to charge it ?

Now comes the second factor that you should consider: what is the capacity of the battery of your car, and how much will it charge? One of the best-selling electric cars in 2022 was the Fiat 1e, which has a 24kW battery, which is 500. It is a small battery, so it does not take long to charge. With a standard Schuko charger (3.6kW), the Fiat500e will be fully charged in 7 hours (charging data will be taken from the ev database).

This is suitable for most people because they are charging their car at night (in some countries, electricity charges are cheaper from 23:00 to 7:00 for about 8 hours a night). Unfortunately, a 3.6kW charger does not allow you to fully charge a larger battery overnight. The Tesla Model Y Long Range comes with a 75kW battery, which takes 0-100 hours to reach 24%. This is a time when customers are thinking about more powerful charging options, which, as a rule, require additional installation. 1. One option is to use a more powerful single-phase charger. The 32A single phase charger has a power of 7kw. Many people rely on this option because they do not have access to three-phase electricity and are fast enough to meet their needs. To be able to use the 32A7KW charger, a 3-pin CEE socket is required.

This is one of the best-selling chargers because it's fast enough to charge a medium-sized battery overnight. The standard range of the Tesla model 3 has a battery of 57.5 kW, which is fully charged in 9 hours. This is also the maximum AC charging speed for some electric vehicles. For example, my Fiat500e (an older version from 2017) comes with an onboard charger of 6.6kW, so I don't need a faster charger. Other examples include Dacia Spring (up to 6.6kW AC), Smart EQ fortwo (up to 4.6kW AC, available with 22kW onboard charger), VW e-up32kW (up to 3.6kW AC) and Nissan Leaf (up to 6.6kW AC). And other electric vehicles.

The 3rd option for owners of electric vehicles is a 3-phase charging solution. This is certainly the fastest way to charge your car at home, but you need access to three-phase power (consult a specialist). We have 2 options for 3 phase charger: 11 kW and 22 kW. We'll use the Skoda Enyaq iV80 example to show how important a powerful charger is with a large battery. If you use a regular Schuko charger, the full charging process will take 24 hours, but the 11kW 3 phase charger will manage 8% in 0-100 hours (nighttime at electricity rates Most electric cars have 11kW on board chargers, so a 22kW charger doesn't make sense. Nevertheless, there are several models that can accommodate up to 22kW of AC, including the Renault Zoe, the Smart EQ fortwo (with optional onboard charger), the Porsche Taycan (optional) and the Audi e-Tron (optional). With a 52kW battery, the Renault Zoe will be fully charged in just 3 hours.

conclusion

Choosing the right charger depends on factors such as the charging speed, location and battery capacity of your vehicle. Whether it's a home charger for convenience or a quick charger for quick charging, there are 3.6kW, 7kW, 11KW and 22kW 4 main charging speeds. Choosing the right option ensures a smooth, efficient and reliable charging experience tailored to your needs.