How to charge an electric car at home

As electric vehicles become more and more popular around the world, electric vehicle (EV) charging is becoming a daily routine for many households. However, charging an electric car at home offers more flexibility and convenience, but is very different from charging a gas car at a gas station and, like any new experience, can be challenging at first.

Summary:

This article will guide you through all the steps of the charging process at home so you can recharge.

If you don't want to read the whole article, you can click on the link below to go directly to the charging driver.

How to charge an electric car at home?

At a basic level, charging an electric car works just like charging an electronic battery with a battery. Electric vehicles must be connected to a power source that can draw electricity and charge the battery.

The easiest way to charge an electric car is to plug it into a standard outlet. It does not require any special equipment other than the charging cable that is usually included with the car. However, this is the slowest way to charge and increases autonomy by only 4 mph. It is also the least secure, since it is not protected from overloading the electrical circuits of the house with a charger and from possible damage to the network.

A safer, faster and more convenient alternative is a dedicated home charger.

The principle remains the same, except that the charging stations are installed by electricians and can handle the greater load of charging electric vehicles.Therefore, they can provide much higher power and charging speeds than household sockets.

When using special stations, charging is about three to seven times faster than in conventional sockets, but when switching to level 3 fast DC current, charging is still faster. With these chargers, the car can be charged in just 15 minutes (charger socket and car battery).

However, it is simply impossible to achieve this speed at home, as the power supply at home cannot provide the high power required for a fast level 3 charger.

Do I need to buy a home charging station for electric vehicles?

You may be wondering if I need to buy a charging station to charge my car at home?

In general, the answer is no, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

While you can charge your car by simply plugging it into a power outlet at home, it's worth considering the safety, speed, and ease of use of a home charger.

Thus, the purchase and installation of a charging station is an expense, but its efficiency and ease of daily use can justify the expense.

However, the installation of a home charger may not be possible due to lack of space, or due to the lack of suitable wiring around the parking lot, or due to the lack of parking spaces.

This doesn't mean you can't get an electric car, as there are plenty of charging options elsewhere.

Charging at home without a home electric vehicle charging station

Charging an electric car at home without a charging station is a simple matter of plugging the cable supplied with the car into a standard socket.

However, this charging method is generally very slow and does not provide protection against potentially dangerous overcurrents.

To give a general idea of charging speed, a standard 2.3kWh charge from home takes about 24 hours and charges an average electric car with a 50kWh battery (e.g. standard range Tesla Model 3) by 80%.

In addition, charging an electric vehicle is a very energy-intensive activity and, if not properly managed, can easily disrupt the home's electrical circuits.

Charging your car without a charging station can compromise your home's power supply and even create a fire hazard if you're not careful.

Charging at home with a home electric vehicle charging station

Home charging stations are specifically designed to manage energy loads and provide more control.

Home charging stations for electric vehicles can significantly increase the power and speed of charging.Charging a typical electric car with a dedicated home charger takes an average of 3-7 hours.

Home charging stations most often charge an electric car overnight, which takes at least three times as long as charging from a conventional outlet.

Five steps to charging an electric car at home

Details may vary depending on the charging station, manufacturer and even car model, but the following steps are usually required

1. Prepare the charging cable

After you have parked your car, you first need to find the charging cable. Many home charging stations have built-in cables, but you may need to plug in your own cable.

In this case, you can usually use the charging cable supplied by the manufacturer of the electric vehicle (usually located in the trunk of the car).

2. Connect the cable to the car.

The next step is to connect the car to the charger using the cable.

To do this, you need to find an outlet in the car. In many cases, it is located in the same place as the fuel tank caps on cars with gasoline engines, i.e. on both sides.

Some manufacturers place the charging port elsewhere, such as under a badge next to the front door.

3. Connect the cable to the household charging station.

If the cable is not already connected to the charging station, the next step is to connect the cable to the charger. The socket on the charging station is usually visible, but it may be necessary to remove the protective cover before connecting the cable.

4. Start a charging session

After connecting the car to the charging station, the next step is to start the charging session.

Generally, this can take two forms, depending on whether the charging station is open or closed.

When using an open station, charging starts immediately after connecting the cable, and no authorization is required. This applies to many household chargers located in porches or garages that are not accessible to prying eyes.

At indoor charging stations, users typically require authentication with an RFID card, key fob, or charging app.

As soon as the station recognizes the user and authorizes the process, the charging session begins.

Typically, as soon as charging begins, the colored LEDs on the color station change color or flash in a predetermined pattern.

5. End the charging session

When the car is fully charged, it is time to end the charging session.

During charging, the connection is usually fixed on the vehicle. This is a security measure to avoid theft and exposure to high voltage. Therefore, to disconnect the cable, you must first interrupt the charging session.

As well as starting, this happens by reading an application or a key or an RFID card. When charging stops, the LED lamp changes color (or stops flashing).

The last thing to do is to disconnect the cable from the vehicle and return it to the charging station (if available) or, in the case of a detachable cable, disconnect it from the vehicle and charger and return it to the vehicle.

Now you are charged and ready to start over!

Charging at home is by no means nuclear science, but since it may not be known to many EV drivers, we hope the above steps provide a useful overview.