The increasing number of electric cars on the road has created a high demand for EV charging stations. However, before you start investing in this technology, it is important to understand some important aspects and ask the right questions. Here are the top five questions to ask before purchasing an electric car charging station.
1. How fast will my EV charge to 100%?
To determine the charging time, you need to know:
Charging time = battery capacity (kWh) / charging power (kW)
It is also important to know the capacity of the EV’s built-in charger, as this determines how much power the EV can accept. For example, if a car has an 11 kW on-board charger and it is connected to an 11 kW charging station, the charging time will be about 5 hours. Interestingly, if we have a 22 kW charging station, the charging time in this case will remain 5 hours, since the charging speed is limited to 11 kW.
It’s important to mention that charging up to 80% is usually enough (unless you’re planning a long trip), as charging will be much slower after that.
2. What power charging station should I choose?
You can turn the question around and ask how fast you want to charge your car. For example, if you own a Nissan Leaf with a 40 kW battery and a 7.4 kW built-in charger, there is no point in buying a 22 kW station, as the charging time will not decrease from 7.4 kW. However, if you have a Tesla Model S and use the 22 kW charging station, you will be able to charge the car in 4 hours, compared to 8 hours if you use the 11 kW station or 11.5 hours if you use the 7.4 kW charging station.a
Usually, the universal choice would be a 3-phase 11 kW station at home, but it is necessary to consider individually what works out more logically in this case.
3. What if I have a limited source of electricity supply? Do I need to increase the power?
No way. While various devices in the building consume energy, adding EV charging infrastructure raises the question of whether electricity supply should be increased? This is often not necessary, as smart charging features such as Dynamic Load Management (DLM) are designed to analyze household electricity consumption and divert excess energy to the EV charging infrastructure.
Charging will be slower during the day when multiple devices are connected, but given that the days are for driving and the nights for charging, there will also be more power available at night. This way you will be able to charge your electric car day and night without changing the electricity supply.
4. Which EV charging station should I choose?
There is a wide variety of charging stations on the market, but before making a decision it is important to consider the following things:
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Socket or cable. If you plan to charge your EV, it is very convenient to buy a charging station already with a built-in cable, it will save you time and effort.
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Smart functions of the charging station. Does the charging station come with communication capabilities and support smart functions such as solar battery integration, energy balancing, dynamic load management (smart charging), remote technical support and other functions.
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Local technical support. Check if the brand representative has a local representative, this will make it easier and faster to solve problems if they arise.
5. What preparations should I make before installing the charging station?
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Choose a location (wall-mounted, free-standing, pole-mounted).
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Location parking.
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Check if there is a need to increase the electricity supply.
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Install the LAN Internet cable.
Overall, electric car charging stations is an important step towards a greener transport future. Before investing in this technology, it is important to consider all the necessary details and ask the appropriate questions to ensure efficient and safe charging.
2023-12-29 07:05:56
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