As the advent and increasing democratization of electric vehicles, such as automobiles, motorcycles or trucks, questions begin to arise regarding the safety of cargo and, above all, the ease of the process and the availability of the cargo network. In this article, Help Flash will, in a succinct way, demystify some myths and explain the different existing solutions.
At home
The simplest and most practical way to charge a 100% electric car or the so-called plug-in hybrids (vehicles that combine a combustion engine with an electric car powered by a battery) is to do it at home, in a common domestic version (Schuko).
However, and as will be easy to understand, loading times will necessarily be long. It is not outlined that domestic charging takes an average of 10 Amperes, or that it requires 6 to 8 hours of charging to obtain the equivalent of 100 kilometers of autonomy.
If a plug-in hybrid, which runs an average of 60 to 80 km in EV mode, is perfectly possible to charge during the night, as in a 100% electric car, with batteries above 40 kWh, this period of nighttime immobilization may no longer be enough.
What is the best solution for carrying out household cargo?
The best way to install a wallbox is. These are normally 3.7 kW or 7.4 kW (type 1). To proceed with the installation of a 11 kW or 22 kW charger, the domestic energy meter must be three-phase and have a power higher than the charger.
For example, if a 3.7 kW Wallbox is installed in the house, the contracted power must be 4.6 kVA / 5.75 kVA, no minimum. For a 7.4 kW Wallbox, the contracted power must be 10.35 kVA single-phase; The Wallbox of 11 kW and 22 kW requires contracting powers of 13.8 and 27.60 kVA three-phase.
Always pay attention to the selected domestic solution and always pay attention to the vehicle you intend to carry. If you only have a charging capacity of 7.4 kW (type 1), it is not worth purchasing an 11 kW Wallbox – since the charging speed will not be higher due to a charging area capable of drawing more power.
Out of home
If you choose to carry a public post, you will have a card with RFID technology, associated with a CEME – Electricity Marketer for Electrical Mobility . In practice, all (or any) standard energy marketing companies have solutions of this type, but also some automotive brands and other entities.
In Portugal, the payment network for access to carriers is standardized and indicates which card you have available, this will be oil at all points. The exception is the Tesla chargers which, in Portugal, are still not accessible to other electric vehicles.
There are different types of charging stations, meaning that the charging power is also different. The normal charging stations are all that allow the charging of an electric vehicle, on public roads or in private spaces, at 22 kW.
The network of posts available in Portugal can be consulted through various mobile APPs, such as the Miio or the ACP , for example. It is possible to consult the type of tokens (if only type 1 or type 2/Mennekes), depending on the availability of the operator of each post.
Increasingly in vogue, at the speed that we offer, these so-called fast loading posts. These are loaded in a continuous stream and have two types of tokens: CHAdeMO or CCS Combo. There are positions that allow loading in DC and AC and, in this case, there is a third Type 2 card (Mennekes). The most commonly used fast charging stations have a charging power of 50 kW, but there is a general trend to increase the power of these and there are fast chargers with a charging capacity of 150 kW.
And to Tesla? Well, the North American builder has a solution of his own: a network of fast charging stations, all over the world, where only branded vehicles can be loaded. Estas estações, chamadas de SuC – Tesla Super Chargers, have positions that allow charging up to 150 kWh .
It should be noted that, in addition to the Super Charger network, Tesla also has stations (Tesla Destination Chargers) that make available an exclusive charging socket for Tesla vehicles and an additional socket (Type 2/Mennekes) for the remaining electric vehicles. The equipment of this network can be found in public locations or in private spaces with public access such as parks of restaurant or hotel establishments.
Loading times vary greatly
The calculation of the time required to load an electric vehicle is relatively easy to do. 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 around 11 hours to arrive with a fully charged battery.
However, keep in mind that loading times do not depend solely on the vehicle, the location or the type of vehicle. There are other factors that can influence the charging speed of an electric car, for example. The temperature at which the batteries are and the charge that they themselves present at the height of the cargo can vary their efficiency and speed.
At this point, some car manufacturers have included functions attached to the navigation system that predict the charging time at the charging station and regulate the temperature of the batteries so that they are ready to start charging. Also, the charging speed is not linear, since the last 20% (two 80% for the top) are much slower, a solution provided with the intention of optimizing battery performance and prolonging its useful life.
Uma solução corrovada
In Help Flash we simplify the process to a minimum and adopt a simpler solution: a common 9V battery. This solution has the advantage of being easy to replace, not being dependent on charging (most car breakdowns are caused by electrical problems) and having a useful life that can exceed 36 months. If you do not know if you are at the point of replacing the battery with your Help Flash, this has a function to indicate the status of the same.
