With the arrival and increasing democratization of electric vehicles—whether cars, motorcycles, or trucks—questions began to arise about the safety of charging, and above all, about the ease of the process and the availability of the charging network. In this article, Help Flash will briefly debunk some myths and explain the various solutions available.
Charging an Electric Car at Home
The simplest and most practical way to charge a 100% electric car or even so-called plug-in hybrids (vehicles that combine a combustion engine with one or more electric engines powered by a battery) is to do so at home, using a standard domestic socket (Schuko).
However, charging times are long. Keep in mind that household outlets charge at an average of 10 amps, which means you'll need to charge between 6 and 8 hours to get the equivalent of 100 kilometers of range.
While a plug-in hybrid, which travels an average of 60 to 80 kilometers in EV mode, is perfectly capable of recharging its charge overnight, in a 100% electric car with batteries larger than 40 kWh, this overnight stop period may not be sufficient.
What is the best solution for home charging?
The best way is to install a so-called Wallbox. These are usually 3.7 kW or 7.4 kW (type 1). To install an 11 kW or 22 kW charger, your home's energy meter must already be three-phase and have a higher power rating than the charger.
That is, if you install a 3.7 kW wallbox at home, the contracted power must be at least 4.6 kVA / 5.75 kVA. For the 7.4 kW wallbox, the contracted power must be 10.35 kVA single-phase; for the 11 kW and 22 kW wallboxes, the contracted power must be 13.8 and 27.60 kVA three-phase.
Always keep in mind that the home solution you choose will have to take into account the vehicle you want to charge. If it only has the capacity to charge at 7.4 kW (Type 1), it doesn't make sense to buy an 11 kW wall box, as the charging speed won't be faster because it has a charging zone capable of supplying more power.
Charging an Electric Vehicle Outside the Home
If you decide to charge at a public gas station, you'll need a card with RFID ( Radio Frequency Identification) technology. This RFID card uses a remote communication protocol that allows data to be stored and retrieved on various media. It's very common in cards or key fobs used to charge electric cars.
There are different types of charging stations, and the charging power is also different. Standard charging stations are those that allow an electric vehicle to charge up to 22 kW on public roads or in private spaces.
Rapid charging stations are becoming increasingly popular, not least due to their speed. They charge with direct current and have two types of plugs: CHAdeMO or CCS Combo. Some gas stations allow DC and AC charging, in which case there is a third type 2 plug (Mennekes). The most common rapid charging stations have a charging power of 50 kW, but there is a general trend toward increasing their power, and there are now rapid chargers capable of charging up to 150 kW.
And Tesla? Well, the American manufacturer has its own solution: a network of rapid charging stations around the world where only Tesla vehicles can charge. These stations, called SuC - Tesla Superchargers, with stations that can charge up to 150 meters. kWh .
It's worth noting that, in addition to the Supercharger network, Tesla also has stations (Tesla Destination Chargers) that offer a dedicated charging outlet for Tesla vehicles and another outlet (Type 2/Mennekes) for other electric vehicles. The equipment in this network can be found in public places or in private, publicly accessible spaces, such as food and beverage parks.
What is the Charging Time?
Calculating the time required to charge an electric vehicle is relatively easy. This can be done by dividing the battery capacity by the charging power. Charging time (hours) = battery capacity (kWh) / charging power (kW). For example, an electric car with a 40 kWh battery, with a charging power of 3.7 kW, will take about 11 hours to fully charge.
However, it's important to keep in mind that charging times don't only depend on the vehicle, the station, or the type of plug. Other factors can influence an electric car's charging speed. For example, the temperature of the batteries and even their charge at the time of charging can affect their efficiency and speed.
For now, some car manufacturers already include functions connected to the navigation system that predict the arrival time at the charging station and manage the battery temperature so that it's ready to start charging. Furthermore, the charging speed is not linear, as the last 20% (starting at 80%) is much slower, a solution adopted to optimize battery performance and extend its lifespan.
A Proven Solution
At Help Flash, we understand that having enough battery power in our electrical devices is essential, which is why we've simplified the charging process for our devices to the maximum and adopted an even more reliable solution: a standard 9V battery. This solution has the advantage of being easy to replace, not dependent on the charge (most car breakdowns are due to electrical problems), and having a lifespan that can exceed 36 months. And if you're not sure whether it's time to change the battery in your Help Flash, it has a battery status indicator function.
