How do I charge my electric vehicle?

Where can I charge my electric vehicle?

At home

While it is possible to plug your electric vehicle into a domestic three-pin socket, we recommend that you install a home wall box. Wall box chargers can refill your car up to three times faster.

When you decide to install a charger at home, it’s best to go through an authorised installer like Pod Point. They will guide you through the whole process, from the pre-installation consultation through to the demonstration once the work has been done. They’ll even manage the grant application on your behalf, which could save you up to £350 as of 1st April 2020.

Pod Point also include a free three-year warranty and Wi-Fi connectivity* for real-time updates.

Out and about

The UK’s network of fast and rapid chargers is getting bigger by the week. There are plenty of ways to pay for them too, from pay-as-you-go schemes to subscription models. Some points are even free. Finding your nearest charging station is simple. Apps like Zap-Map point the way to Type-2 and CCS connectors for Fast and Rapid Charging respectively.

What affects the charging speed of a vehicle?

There are several factors that can affect how long it takes your electric vehicle to charge. Here are the main three.

The vehicle charging capabilities: Your electric vehicle’s maximum charge rate is set by its battery and the on-board charger which regulates the amount of power drawn from a particular source. On-board chargers usually range in capacity from 3kW to 22kW. Charge time can also be affected by whether AC or DC is being used, to find out more check out our glossary.

Power from the charging unit: Your electric vehicle cannot charge faster than the charging unit’s maximum capacity. This means if you’re charging with AC and your car has a capacity of 11kW but is plugged into a 7kW unit, it will charge at 7kW.

The size of the battery: As you might expect, the larger the battery the longer it’ll take to charge. For example an 20 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery will take around 2-3 hours to charge with a 7kW charger, a 40kWh battery would take around twice as long.