Here is a simple guide about EV charging and its details, each new car has a charging system that might differ in one way or another, for instance, they could have different charging ports just like smartphones.
For instance, some cars or bikes have fast charging that requires a specific charging station for them to work. Therefore, let’s take a look at these different standards and connector types and understand why and when they are used.
Table of Contents
let’s look into Slow, fast and rapid chargers in a bit more detail.
Slow chargers
Slow chargers have a maximum of 3.6 kW available and typically take between 6-12 hours to recharge a pure electric car. Thus these chargers are ideal for overnight charging.
Fast chargers
Fast chargers are rated at 7-22 kW and usually take between 3-7 hours to recharge an EV depending on the battery size of the car. There are several models available to buy and lots of different installers who can fit them for you. It can be confusing, but all you need to do is decide what power rating you want and choose either a tethered or socketed charge point.
Rapid chargers
Rapid is the quickest (43 kW+), generally capable of charging cars to 80% in 20-40 minutes, depending on how big the battery is and how much charge it’s holding to start with, so they’re a great way to top up during long journeys. You can often find them in motorway service car parks, petrol stations, larger shopping centres and supermarkets.
Wireless chargers
Wireless charging is super convenient and allows for the transfer of energy between a pad on the ground and a compatible EV – no need for cables at all. While it’s not in India yet, Norway will install the world’s first wireless electric car charging stations for taxis.
What power rating should I use for my home socket?
For charging your vehicle at home, 3-7 kW chargers are the most popular and are widely recommended for the Indian market. Most Indian households have a single phase 220v power supply that can support 3kw of load.
For instance, If a house has a 3 phase power supply they can support upto 22kw chargers aswell.
Therefore, it’s best to check with your electrician to know whether your fuse board has enough capacity to support the load that is put on by the charging system.
You need to note that Rapid chargers offer quicker charge times, but are not advisable to be used on a daily basis as that would degrade your batteries pretty quickly.
Different type of EV charging cables in detail
- Type 1
Power rating : 3-7 kW AC | Single Phase (Slow/Fast Charge)
Approx. range per 30 mins of charging: 20Km
Charging cable features
* Only available in single phase
* Less common in modern electric cars
* Has no locking mechanism when the car is connected to supply - Type 2
Power rating : 3-43 kW AC | Single Phase/Three Phase (Fast Charge)
Approx. range per 30 mins of charging : 120 Km
Charging cable features
* Is becoming the standard electric car charging cable connector type
* Compatible with both single and three phase electricity supply
* Has an in-built locking mechanism when connected to power supply
* Tesla has a 120 kW DC version of type 2 - CHAdeMO
Power rating : 50 kW DC | Three Phase (Rapid Charge)
Approx. range per 30 mins of charging : 136 Km
Charging cable features
* Is the older type of charging cable connector for rapid charging
* Is compatible with Japanese vehicle manufacturers - Combined Charging System (CCS)
Power rating: 50 kW – 350 kW DC | Rapid Charge
Approx. range per 30 mins of charging: 136 Km to 321 Km
Charging cable features
* Is the most versatile rapid charging connector
* Likely to become the most popular DC connector standardization
* Enables a higher power rating to support larger ultra rapids chargers
Workplace EV charging points
For employees, EV charging at a place of work offers a great alternative to public charging or waiting for the charging to complete at home and is a convenient way to recharge during the day.
Thus, workplaces that offer charge point services can help to increase the interest, understanding and adoption of electric vehicles within their companies.
A simple and affordable charger like the Kirana Charzer would also suffice at individual parking spots at the place of work to charge parked employee vehicles, and, they can connect the inbuilt software with the company API to monitor Employee usage and time spent at work. Here is a list of all the charging points by kirana Charzer