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More and more motorists are
choosing to drive electric and hybrid vehicles. As such, you’ll find plenty of
charging points available across the UK, whether you’re in town, at work, or on
the motorway.
A vast number of public charging
points can be found across the UK, making charging your electric vehicle easy. Currently,
there are over 42,000 public connectors around Britain, in more than 15,500
locations such as shopping malls, public car parks and supermarkets. As such,
you’re never far from a reliable power source.
Charging your electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) at home is simple. You can either use a standard three-pin socket, or invest in a wallbox. The wallbox is a much faster solution, cutting charge times down by several hours. And with manufacturer deals or government incentives often available on wallboxes, it’s a cost-effective option too.
Many workplaces are starting to provide rapid-charging facilities for employees’ vehicles. Indeed, government help is available for businesses, such as the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS), which is provided by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEZ). If your workplace doesn’t yet have rapid charging, you can plug into a three-pin socket.
Whichever charger you’re using, the process is simple. You plug one end of the cable into the charge point, and the other into your vehicle. On some EVs, the charge socket is located where the fuel cap would ordinarily be; in others, the socket is at the front of the vehicle under the badge. Your dealer will be able to show you where the socket is on your particular model.
The time it takes to charge your
vehicle depends on the model, the size of the battery and the charging method
you choose. Let’s take the Volvo XC40 Recharge as an example, for charging from
0-100 percent:
Slow – 34 hours
Fast – 7-21 hours
Rapid- 1-2 hours
Many sources give you charge times
to 80 percent battery capacity. This is because from 80-100 percent capacity,
charging slows down. With a 7kW charge point, full charge from 0-100 percent
can be achieved in 11 hours. This reduces to seven hours with a 22kW charging
point.
If you have more questions about
driving an electric or hybrid vehicle, you can find more helpful information by
clicking the link below.
