A guide to EV charger types
“When it comes to charging an electric vehicle, there are three categories of charging speeds: Slow charge, fast charge, and rapid charge…”
If you just purchased a new EV and you’re trying to figure out your charging options, it can be more than a bit confusing to fully figure out the meaning of all the key concepts, like RPH (range per hour), V2G (vehicle to grid), single-phase or three-phase power, or even the right type of connector to use (Type 1, 2, 3 etc).
When it comes to charging an electric vehicle, there are three categories of charging speeds: Slow charge, fast charge, and rapid charge. Here’s a guide that we know hope will throw more light on what you might come across when choosing a charging system for your EV:
Slow Charge
Slow charge can take an average of 6-12 hours to charge up on a charging point rated 3kW and are the bestsuited for overnight charging. Slow charge can be done using any of these connector types: 3-pin charging plug (3kW), type 1 chargers (3-6kW AC), type 2 chargers (3-6kW AC).
Fast Charge
Fast charge can take up to 4 hours to charge up fully on a charging point rated 7-22kW. It’s generally observed to be the most common connector type in the UK. They are usually installed for places where electric cars are parked for long periods of time, like retail stores, supermarkets, leisure centres and general car parks. Fast charge can be done using any of these connector types: type 1 chargers (7kW AC), type 2 chargers (7-22kW AC).
Rapid Charge
Rapid charging can take up to an hour to fully charge up on a charging point rated 50-120kW. They are super quick and are usually installed at drive-through places like motorway services; allowing you to charge your car while you pop in for a quick cup of coffee or a bite to eat. Rapid charge can be done using any of these connector types: type 2 (43kW AC), cHAdeMO (50 kW DC), CCS (50-350kW DC), Tesla type 2 (150kW DC).
So which charger should you choose?
This would depend on the model of your EV and the strength of its in-built charger. Some EVs have low capacity in-built chargers and can only process 3.6kW/h no matter how much higher the power supply from the charging point, whereas others that have high-capacity battery chargers, could charge faster with a higher charging cable.
WBEV can advise you on the best EV charger, and charging point power supply requirements for your electric vehicle.
