If you're at home for most of the day, your electric vehicle can be charged directly from your solar PV system. If you plan to charge your car at night, however, you'll need a domestic solar battery storage system to store the energy harnessed throughout the day. The Zappi charger paired with the Eddi will manage all this seamlessly.

A big benefit of installing a dedicated EV charger is being able to charge more quickly than you would by plugging into a standard plug socket. Because three-pin sockets can only draw up to 3kW of power, it could take as long as 13 hours to fully charge a car with a 40kWh battery. And with more EV models with higher capacity batteries and expanding mileage ranges hitting the market, it makes sense to have a charger installed. The most common options include:

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7kW charger – this is the standard for home EV chargers, capable of fully charging a car with a 40kWh battery in around 5-6 hours.

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22kW charger – a fast charger that requires a three-phase electricity supply. A 22kW charger may not be necessary for EV's with lower capacity batteries. But it could be something to consider if you’re getting a high performance or longer-range model.

We need to know your cost per kWh tariff and the size of the battery in kWH

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Average uk cost per kWh tariff - £0.28

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Nissan Leaf EV 40Kwh battery with a typical 149 mile range

40x0.28 =£11.20

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Jaguar I Pace full EV - 90kwh battery with a typical 292 mile range

90 x 0.28 = £25.20

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Peugeout 508 SW PHEV 11.8Kwh battery with a typical 39 mile range

11.8x 0.28 = £3.30

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Charging at commercial especially motorway stations can be more expensive similarly to petrol or diesel but electricity is still the cheaper option even in premium locations.

Yes, but not by much and you will still save money compared to the rising cost of fuel. In addition, there are a number of specialist electric car energy tariffs which can save you even more money. All our chargers can schedule your car to only charge at certain times ensuring you get the best rate to charge.

It's possible to charge your electric car with the 3-pin plug charger cable supplied with the vehicle, but it's slow and offers fewer options than a dedicated home charge point. Some of the most common reasons our customers choose to have a fit-for-purpose charge point installed included:

Safety

Charging an electric car requires a high and consistent electric current over a long period of time. It is generally considered that a standard electrical socket is not suitable for such a prolonged period of use and overheating of the socket may occur.

Speed of charge

A 2.3kW 3-pin plug typically takes more than 20 hours to fully charge an EV, while a typical 7.4kW wallbox home charging device will comfortably charge the average electric vehicle overnight (usually within eight hours). You can see typical rates of charge here or check the charging time for each vehicle.

Convenience

One of the criticisms levelled at electric cars is the amount of time they can take to charge. However, most EV owners charge overnight with a dedicated wall-mounted device, which means they wake up to a fully charged vehicle every morning. Think about it more like your smartphone - rather than waiting for the battery to run empty before you charge, it is charged regularly and usually when you're not using it. Electric vehicles are used in a similar way.

In fact, you will save time because you will no longer need to drive to a petrol station, (potentially) queue for a pump, fill it up and pay - an EV is ready for you every morning.

Plug-in EVs are the future

There is no doubt that plug-in electric vehicles are the future of motoring in the UK. By starting the process of installing an EV charge point today, you will be able to enjoy faster, safer charging now and for your inevitable future electric car.

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