A Comprehensive Guide to Charging an Electric Car

Switching to electric cars is key to curbing carbon emissions and moving towards a pollution-free, greener future. As a result, people across the globe are now opting for eclectic cars, which has marked a significant growth in the sales figures in the last fiscal year. Amid this increasing demand, if you plan to buy or own an EV, learn about the procedures of charging an electric car to avoid hassles later.

There are different ways to charge an electric car, that is, at your home, workplace and in public destinations. Listed below are the procedures on how can do the same at each place:

Charging Your EV at Home

You can charge your EV in the following ways:

• You can charge your electric car with a Type 1 AC charger at home which supports charging from an AC socket.
• Besides this, car manufacturers install a wall box or Type 2 charger at your home, enabling fast charging.

Charging Your EV At Work Place

Charging your electric car at your workplace is convenient, like charging your EV at home. Here are the following procedures through which you can charge your electric car at your workplace:

• The chargers provided at your workplace offer a similar charging speed as chargers at home. Usually, the standard Type 2 sockets are available at the workplace, where you need to plug a separate cable of yours to charge the EV.
• Based on your company's preference, you may plug in the cable to start charging your electric car using a swipe card or connect via an application on your smartphone.

Charging Your EV at Public Locations

You can charge your EV when you park it in public locations such as gyms, cinema halls, and supermarkets. Charging stations at public locations provide 7kW charging, which delivers a driving range of around 20 to 30 miles per hour for BEVs.

Now, keeping the above information in mind, take a look at how you can charge your EV in public locations:

• You must bring your charging cable and may need to download the necessary mobile application on your smartphone to initiate charging your electric car. In some cases, you may not need to download a mobile application and simply plug in the cable and start charging your EV.

Charging Your EV During Long Journey or Emergencies

Avoid the risk of getting stranded in the middle of the road during long journeys by charging your electric vehicle at an electric charging station.

Mentioned below are the ways on how you can charge your vehicle on long journeys:

• Use rapid chargers available in electric charging stations.
• You don't need to bring your cable as cables are tethered to 43kW+ rapid charging units.

The price of charging an electric car at your home will depend on the state tariff on electricity. It ranges from ₹ 8 to ₹ 10  per unit.

For example, electric charging stations in Delhi charge around ₹ 4-4.5 kWh. On the other hand, domestic rates vary from ₹ 3 to ₹ 8 per unit. This implies that you will pay approximately ₹ 80 to ₹ 202 to a charging station to charge your electric car, whereas if you charge your EV at home, the cost will increase to ₹ 160 to ₹ 450.

At the same time, the cost of charging an electric car at the Mumbai charging station is around ₹ 15 per unit, which leads you to pay approximately ₹ 300 to ₹ 675.

The duration of charging an EV depends on the car model you own, battery size and how fast the charging point can charge your EV. Considering all these factors, it may take approximately 60 minutes or 8 to 9 hours to charge your EV up to 80%. However, using a rapid charger can lower this charging time by 30 to 40 minutes.

Following are the three types of chargers available to charge your electric vehicle:

1. Rapid Chargers

Rapid chargers offer high power alternating or direct current to charge an electric vehicle as fast as possible. Based on the brand and model of an EV, it charges an electric vehicle up to 80% in around 20 minutes. Further, these chargers are available in two types –

• Rapid DC – This is the most commonly used charger in India and offers electric power at 50 kW. It can charge an electric vehicle up to 80% within 20 minutes, depending on the starting state of charge and battery capacity.
• Ultra-rapid DC – This charger offers power at 100 kW to charge an EV within the least possible time.

2. Fast Chargers

These fast chargers are Type 2 AC chargers and are rated at either 22 kW or 7 kW. The charging duration differs with vehicle and unit speed. However, a 22 kW charger can charge an EV in approximately 1 to 2 hours, while a 7 kW charger can charge an electric vehicle with a battery capacity of 40 kWh in around 4 to 6 hours.

3. Slow Chargers

You can find these slow chargers in the Indian market. The power output of these chargers is 3 kW – 6 kW. These chargers take approximately 8 to 12 hours to fully charge the EV. Therefore, it is ideal to plug in your EV overnight to get it fully charged with a slow charger.

Consider the pointers mentioned below while charging your electric vehicle:

• Pay attention to the type of battery your electric vehicle is equipped with. This is because some batteries tend to catch fire easily. So, keep your EV away from flammable items while charging it.
• Avoid using fake or interchange chargers.
• Avoid charging the batteries within 1 hour of driving your EV. It is essential to allow the batteries to cool down before charging them.
• If you are charging your EV at home, keep the charger and battery in a ventilated, clean and dry area. Keep it away from corrosive items, sources of heat or fire (not less than 2 metres). Moreover, remember to unplug the charger from the battery after charging your EV.
• If you find your vehicle's lithium-ion battery is overheating during charging it, move the charger away from flammable substances and cease the power supply.
• Frequently charging your electric vehicle to full can quickly deteriorate its battery's condition. Therefore, charge your EV full only before going for a long trip.

Getting stranded in the middle of the road with zero charge on your EV's battery can be frustrating. Therefore, keep all the pointers mentioned above about charging an electric car to avoid such hassle.