How to Charge your Electric Car: Become an EV Warrior

If there is one thing that fills any would-be-EV-driver with apprehension, it’s the thought of public charging. Maybe it’s the thought of how to charge your electric car to begin with. Imagine, you’re down to 10 miles with 30 miles yet to go. The fear starts to set in. You begin to sweat, your eyes glaze over, the shame of it all is too much to handle. You’ve already turned the aircon off to save range. Your head is full of anxiety, what if your charger stopped working, or there aren’t any working charge points nearby? Chaos ensues behind the wheel, but you must remain calm Grasshopper. Fear not, for your Sensei is here to guide you on your journey.

First-Hand Expertise

As someone who has been charging electric cars for 8 years, you could say I’m something of a master in this field. I’ve experienced it all. Going 40mph down the M1, t-shirt soaked from sweat, aircon off to preserve my remaining 8 miles range for a 17-mile endeavour. But you see, I have a talent, a skill, a power. I have never run out of the sweet nectar that is electric miles.

You see, young one, it’s quite different with EVs. In an ICE vehicle, you already know what you’re doing. It’s simple, it’s safe, you get charged £30 for only 200 miles. It’s tradition though, it’s in your comfort zone, so you don’t complain. Well, you should break these norms; reject tradition and embrace electric. Moving to electric you will be uncomfortable for a few reasons, but they will fade away.

Your First Obstacle – Rate of Charging

Not a single charge point accepts cash, much like most shops now. The odd few charge points require apps, so you will need to be trained in the art of mobile usage. Lastly, you may encounter charge points with a European socket. Fear not, with your training, I can help you navigate these first initial problems.

Your Second Obstacle – Charging Speed

Take a Jaguar I-PACE, it has an 80kW battery. Chargers will fill this at different rates, depending on both components. Now, what is the most reliable charging you can get? At home, of course. One option for home charging is a 3-pin plug, which will charge at up to 2kW per hour. This would take the I-PACE a few days to charge fully. With your newfound patience and virtues, this is doable. However, for the daily commute, this will not do.

Overcoming These Obstacles Won’t be Easy

I lied; through our services it’s simple. You can acquire a home charge point, aided by a government grant. Alternatively, obtain a workplace charger from us, free of charge (subject to conditions). A 7.2kWh charge point will add 20-miles for every hour on charge. After resting for the night, you should have an extra 200-miles waiting for you. The cost will be around £5 on a decent tariff. You can find the very same 7.2kWh charge point at supermarkets for free. At your local Tesco, you’ll just get 20-miles for every hour you shop. But it’s free, and every little helps.

The next widely available charge point is 22kWh

This type is more commonly spotted in paid car parks. For example, I swapped my regular picture house to Resorts World at the NEC. It’s the same distance as before but has free 22kWh chargers, £1.50 for parking but that’s the same for everyone. That’s a very affordable 200-miles for me and a very pricey handful of sweets for the kids.

Venturing Out into the World

If you stray to the ways of the motor (translation: go on a motorway) you’ll occasionally be faced with a white box. It will have a green Union Jack on it. Don’t be fooled, this is an Ecotricity charger, which can be found at most motorway services with their own cables. Note that different cables will charge at different rates. You should generally look for CCS combo, or AC for the almighty Tesla.

Most CCS combos will give you 100 miles per 45 minutes you charge. They are expensive and can be unreliable. Best option? When you have 50 miles left, make your way to a service station. No luck? Just go to the next services.

Another option, you can come off the motorway and refuel your body; Harvester, Holiday Inn Express, gyms, and many other places have the same speed chargers. Get a meal whilst you’re there, the free charge essentially covers the cost of your meal.

Faster Charging

Some motorway services, BP, Shell, and even KFC have faster charging. 100kWh or 150kWh chargers, giving you as much as 180 miles in 40 minutes. They are expensive, but remember, Grasshopper, it is rare that you’ll charge publicly.

If you have a Tesla, Elon favours you. You are treated to your own sophisticated infrastructure of charge points, which are empty most of the time. The fate of which point you choose is in your hands. At the Tesla Supercharger, you can refill 200 miles in the time it takes to finish a coffee.

Mastering Anything Is Tough, This Is No Exception

After a couple of weeks, you could be a master yourself, educating your own Grasshopper on the marvels of electric cars. Apps such as Zap Map will show you all the charge points you need, by speed and cost. On your smartphone, Apple Maps now shows charge points too.

I personally, as a master in my stride, have a mental map of all the places I can charge; the free spots too. You will probably do 90% of your charging at home or work, so this isn’t a necessity to know. It always helps though, like knowing how to follow signs instead of relying on your satnav or Google Maps.

Simplicity is a Virtue

Admittedly, I am partial to simplicity and convenience, who isn’t? I have noted that for the majority of my students (EV drivers), they only publicly charge around 5 times annually. Most days, they simply wake up and take their car off charge, setting off with 200-miles of juice.

If you, like me, enjoy a level of ease with your motoring, join us. Join the Electric Revolution today.

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