The Easy EV Charging Guide

· Updated

Like putting on a pair of old slippers, filling up a petrol or diesel car is familiar and easy. But like the slippers, gas guzzlers are old, dirty, and running out of time (the government has banned their manufacture from 2035).

Electric vehicles are the future. If you’re thinking about making the switch, or you’ve recently taken the plunge, you’ve probably got a few questions about how you’ll charge your new wheels up.

  • Where can I charge my EV, and how long will it take?
  • What’s the cheapest way to charge?
  • Are there different charger types?

We’re here to help make your transition to electric easy.

In this EV charging guide, we’ll help you get to grips with the best ways to charge up, so you can save money and do your bit for the environment with ease.

We’ll cover the basics of public chargepoints and at-home charging.

Then – the best bit – we’ll look at the most cost-effective and sustainable way to charge your EV: solar charging. It’s what we call the ultimate setup, because it’s best for the planet, best for your wallet, and it’s where the future’s at.

Buckle in, and let’s get going.

1.The lowdown on public EV stations

Public chargepoints let you top up while you’re out and about, just like you would with an ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle.

For a while, people worried about EV drivers getting stranded on the roadside with a flat battery and no chargepoint for miles.

That’s a non-issue nowadays; the charger network has been multiplying faster than rabbits. There are now over 45,000 public chargers in the UK, spread across over 26,000 locations.

To put that into perspective, there are just over 8,000 petrol stations in the UK.

Where are EV charging stations located?

One of the many perks electric cars have over their ICE counterparts is the fact that you can put EV charging points anywhere that has access to electricity.

You’ll find so-called ‘destination’ charging stations at shopping centers, leisure centers, supermarkets, service stations, and public car parks.

Lots of workplaces are getting them installed too. Imagine asking your boss to stick a couple of pumps in the office car park!

What types of EV charging station are there?

A petrol pump isn’t much more than a hose. Chargepoints are a little more sophisticated.

The main difference to understand is charger speed. You’ll see standard charge, fast charge, and rapid charge units. You’ll also increasingly see ultra-rapid.

Standard charge

Standard chargepoints typically put out between 3.5kW and 7kW of power. They’ll take between 4 and 8 hours to fully charge a car – the exact time depends on the size of your battery. You should get a 10-25-mile top-up per hour of charging.They’re best in locations where you’d normally leave your car for a longer time, such as a train station car park or an office.

Fast charge

Fast chargers are, well, faster. They can put out up to 22kW and take 2 to 4 hours to fully charge a car. They’ll give you up to 75 miles driving per hour of charging. You’ll often find fast chargers at places like shopping centres or supermarket car parks.

Rapid charge

Rapid chargers are where it gets exciting. They can give you an 80% recharge in 25-40 minutes – perfect for a coffee break at a service station.

Ultra rapid charge

Ultra rapid is where the future’s at. They can put out over 50kW, some can hit 150 kW. They can give you 200 miles’ charge in 30 minutes. Not all EVs can use ultra-rapid chargers; the charge is just too powerful. In the future it’s likely that all new cars will. Ultra rapid chargers are moving us to that exciting point where charging your car won’t take much longer than filling up your tank with petrol. However, they do come with some warnings, which we’ll explain below.

Pros and cons of public chargepoints

Pros

  • Destination EV charging stations are convenient if you’re parking your car there anyway
  • They give peace of mind that you won’t get stranded with a flat battery
  • They’re essential for longer road trips

Cons

  • Public EV charging stations are much more expensive than home EV charging
  • You may have to queue before you get to charge (and even then, most public EV charging stations are not set up for queueing)
  • Once you find a free charger, you’ll lively have to hang around while your car tops up
  • While ultra rapid charging might fix the above issue, be aware that besides the much higher expenses, regular rapid charging can and will degrade your EV battery

2.Home EV charging questions

Only using public chargepoints is like eating out at restaurants every night. It works, but it quickly adds up. Plus, you’ve got to put proper clothes on and actually leave the house.

Only using public EV charging stations is like eating out at restaurants every night. It works, but it quickly adds up. Plus, you’ve got to put proper clothes on and actually leave the house.

Get set up for home EV charging, however, and it all becomes so easy, convenient, and affordable.

Pull up, plug in, chill out.

The next time you need your car, you’ll have a full battery and be ready to take on the day. No need to factor in that annoying pre-journey trip to a public charging station or, dare we say it, a petrol station.

Home EV charger types

Home chargers are pretty straightforward, but there are a few variations to get your head around.

To tether or not to tether

While movie buffs debate whether The Godfather Part 1 is better than Part 2, EV buffs wrangle over tethered and untethered EV chargers.

What’s the difference, and which one is right for you?

In a nutshell, a tethered EV charger has a cable permanently attached to it. An untethered charger uses a detachable cable.

Most EV chargers come with a tethered cable. It’s simple and convenient. The cable is always in situ, ready to plug your car in. You don’t need to buy a separate cable when you buy the charger.

The drawback of a tethered charger is its lack of flexibility. You have to use the cable that’s supplied.

Often that’s not a problem, but some setups require a different cable. For example, if you intend to park more than 5m from where your charger is installed, you might need a longer cable. And if you’ve got an older EV, you might need a cable with a Type 1 connector (modern EVs use Type 2 connectors, which almost all tethered chargers are supplied with).

Untethered EV chargers are also future-proofed. If, at some point in the future, a new connector type comes out, you just need to upgrade your cable rather than the whole unit.

On the whole though, tethered chargers are most common and they’re less of a faff. They’re the best solution for most scenarios.

Smart chargers

A smart charger has a data connection that allows it to communicate useful info like charging status and how much electricity it’s using.

The opposite – a so-called dumb or ‘granny’ charger – is essentially a simple plug socket that takes an EV charge cable.

Smart chargers are the smart choice. In fact, the UK government has ruled that all chargers must be smart, to help manage the nation’s electricity demand. It means all chargers can switch to off-peak charging only or delay charging if demand across the network is too high.

Those are just the basic features of a smart charger. Top-drawer models can do so much more.

The best chargers allow you to control your car’s charging with an app. You can toggle charging on and off and schedule by when you need your battery topped up, all with a few swipes of your smartphone.

If your charger is paired with solar panels (more on that later), a smart charger can automatically switch on when the sun comes out. So, you can make the most of the free solar energy.

They’re also set up to analyse how you use electricity – such as the time of day you tend to charge up – and choose the cheapest electricity tariff for you based on your lifestyle.

Smart home EV chargers take all the hassle out of charging your car, quietly managing everything in the background while you get on with your day.

Installing a home EV charger

You need off-street parking to install a home EV chargepoint, otherwise you’ll need to run a cable across a pavement, where it could get damaged or trip somebody up.

If you live in a flat or apartment, you’ll likely need your own parking space. Check out our article on EV charging for apartment block residents for everything you need to know.

Hooking up your charger is usually a simple job. It connects into your existing electricity system and will be installed by a qualified electrical engineer. A standard installation typically takes between 2 and 3 hours.

The charging unit is mounted either in a garage or close to a driveway or private parking space. Modern chargepoints tend to look sleek and cool, and they could even add value to your home.

Do you need planning permission?

In most cases, the answer is no.

An EV charger on your own property is generally covered by permitted development rights. There might be exceptions if you live in a listed building or in a conservation area – you’d need to check locally. Plus, you need to make sure the charger doesn’t face directly onto a public highway.

How much does home charging cost?

The amount you’ll pay varies on your electricity tariff and the size of your EV’s battery.

Choosing a tariff that suits your charging routine will help you save money. For example, lots of people like to charge their car overnight, so a tariff that offers cheaper electricity during off-peak hours is best.

Public chargepoint directory website Zapmap has a handy home-charging calculator. It shows that charging a Mini Electric on a 7kW home charger would cost about 7.6p per mile, using the UK government’s average home electricity cost.

Home charging pros and cons

Pros

  • It’s much cheaper than using a public EV charging station
  • It’s super convenient
  • You don’t need to think about where to charge
  • It extends your battery lifespan as most provide slower charging options and you can regularly top up to keep your car within a certain state of charge (SOC) range

Cons

  • You need off-street parking

3. EV charging with solar panels

That’s the basics of public and standard at-home charging covered.

Public charging is good to get you out of a jam, or if you’re on a long road trip. For all other occasions, home charging is the most convenient.

But even with home charging, it still costs a bit and you’re vulnerable to fluctuating energy prices.

And, depending on your energy tariff, you might still be burning fossil fuels (unless you’re on a 100% renewable tariff, at least some of the electricity you buy will be generated by a gas- or coal-fired power station).

That’s where the ultimate EV charging setup comes in. Combining your home EV chargepoint with solar panels allows you to charge your car with free, clean, and abundant solar energy.

Solar charging is the most cost-effective way to run an EV

In the UK, the average car drives 142 miles per week, and modern EVs can typically do 200 miles on a charge. With a bit of forward thinking, it’s usually possible to avoid public chargepoints for day-to-day driving.

With solar panels powering your home charger, you can easily enjoy free juice for your car, and free yourself from the up and down of electricity and fuel prices.

How does it work?

Solar panels feed power into your home’s electricity supply. During the day, whichever appliances and gadgets you’ve got running will use solar energy. If you generate more electricity than you use, it’s sold back to the grid for a few pence.

If you’ve got an EV charger connected, the solar energy will be fed straight into your car’s battery.

How many panels do you need?

To generate enough power to charge a typical EV, you need about 8 to 12 solar panels on your roof.

Sunny weather is best. The panels still generate power when it’s overcast, just not as much. On cloudier days you’ll probably use a combination of solar and grid electricity.

Check out our Guide to Buying Solar for your EV for the full lowdown on getting solar for your EV charging.

Solar EV charging with a smart home energy system

A smart home energy system can help you make the most of your free solar energy by setting your car to charge at the right times.

Say the weather forecast is mixed; a typical British summer, in other words. A smart system can automatically ramp up the charge rate when the sun comes out, making sure the free juice is finding its way to your car. When it clouds over, the system can dial it back a bit, so you’re not eating into grid electricity.

Smart systems can also analyse what devices you’ve got on elsewhere in your home, and avoid charging when it’s too busy. For example, if the washing and dishwasher are on and hogging the solar energy, the system will automatically switch off EV charging until the chores are done.

Clever, huh?

A home battery means you can top up with solar energy overnight

It’s not always convenient to leave your car charging during the day when the sun is shining. Perhaps you’re out at work or busy with other things.

If you have a home battery, you can tell your smart system to divert the day’s solar energy to the battery. Then, when you get home, you can draw the power from your home battery and put it into your car.

It means people with busy lives can still make solar charging work and enjoy the cost savings.

How much does home charging with solar cost?

It’s hard to put a figure on how much it costs to charge with solar. It depends on the weather, the solar setup you have, your electricity tariff, and the car you own.

During the summer, you could easily be driving for free. During the winter, when the days are shorter, you’ll probably be charging with a mix of solar and grid electricity. 

But it will still be significantly cheaper than charging 100% off the grid, and a heck of a lot cheaper than charging at a public charging station.

Home charging with solar pros and cons

Pros

  • It’s the best option for the planet
  • It’s by far the cheapest option
  • It’s the future

Cons

  • There’s an upfront investment cost – but you’ll miminise the payback period with savings on EV charging

Embrace an EV future

We’re all on a journey to move away from fossil fuels, adopt more sustainable lifestyles, and embrace clean technology.

From the government’s ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles to car manufacturers’ investment in electric vehicle technology, the direction of travel is one way.

Driving an electric car that doesn’t pollute and charging it with renewable energy is the cleanest option out there. It’s the future. It’s less harmful to the planet, and it’s easier on your pocket too.

About Powerverse

We’re industry experts in home energy management. Our easy-to-use app is built for your future electric home. It will effortlessly sync your solar, battery, heat pump, EV charger and more, helping you cut costs and your carbon footprint on your way to becoming energy-independent. Curious to know more? Talk to one of our experts. 

Also, if you’re considering installing solar panels, we’d be more than happy to recommend several trusted partners who can provide and install them for you.