THE BENEFITS OF A HOME ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING POINT
Providing a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, electric vehicles (EVs) are more popular than ever.
When it comes to charging one, most EV owners rely on a home charging point. But what is an EV home charger and what are the benefits of owning one? We have everything you need to know.
What is a home EV charging point?
There’s a common myth surrounding EVs that they’re difficult to charge. In reality, charging an EV couldn’t be easier or more convenient.
The majority of EV owners rely on a home electric vehicle charging point to give their EV the energy it needs. These EV chargers are installed at your home - usually on the side of your house or in the garage - and are connected to your energy supply.
Most EV home chargers provide charging speeds of around 7kWh – three times as fast as charging with a conventional 3-pin plug - allowing you to charge your car overnight ready for the next day.
Thanks to this convenience, they’re used by the majority of EV owners in the UK.
There are a few pieces of legislation around the use of EV home chargers in England, Scotland, and Wales, like randomised delays and default off-peak charging – you can read about the regulations here.
What are the benefits of having an EV charger at home?
Cost-effective
Once you’ve had a charger installed, it’ll automatically charge off-peak when energy can be cheaper, but you can charge on demand too. Plus, home charging costs up to 5x less than using a rapid public charging point, so you’ll be saving money with less hassle.
Faster charging
When it comes to charging at home, the only alternative to a home charging point is a standard 3-pin plug. While these can be used to charge an EV, they provide much slower charging speeds.
As charging an EV demands a high amount of current, standard 3-pin 240V plugs are not considered a safe long-term method of charging your vehicle.
Convenient
We’ve touched on this already, but the convenience of a home EV charging point really can’t be overstated.
By having one installed, you can charge your car whenever it’s idle at home. For most motorists, this would mean waking up to a charged battery every morning. Add in the fact that most EVs have ranges that far surpass the average daily distance travelled by motorists and you can be assured that you’ll have more than enough power to navigate the day.
Assured quality
By purchasing a home EV charger from Halfords’s partner Cord, you’ll be receiving a top-quality product. All the products in our range are compatible with all electric vehicles, with 7.4kWH fast home charging ans uper simple installation carried out by one of Cord's qualified electricians.
What's more, all Cord chargers come with at least a 3-year warranty to give you peace of mind.
How do I choose which EV charger to buy?
These are the key factors you’ll need to consider when deciding which charger to buy:
- Cable length - You’ll be able to choose the length of cable from the charger to your car to suit you, with various lengths available.
- Colour - Cord chargers are available in a variety of colours.
- Complete package – While you can buy an EV charger and arrange installation separately, here at Halfords we offer the complete package for added convenience. Our partners at Cord will complete a home survey beforehand to make sure things go smoothly on the day, so you don’t need to worry about checking or measuring anything yourself.
For lots more great advice about charging an electric vehicle, head over to our Electric Vehicle Home Charging hub.
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