• Where and how can I charge my electric vehicle?
There are three main ways to charge your EV - at home, at work or using one of the thousands of public charging points across the country.
To charge at home you can either have a dedicated home charging solution box installed at your address, or if this isn't an option, you may use a 3 pin domestic charging cable to connect to one of your house sockets if one is provided with your electric vehicle. If you live in a flat, many housing developers are starting to install electric chargers for residents use.
Your employer may provide charging facilities at your work address which you are able to access during work hours, which is a great option when your car is stationary for long periods.
When out and about there are two different types of public charging; On-the-Road Public Chargers and Destination Chargers.
On-the-Road Public Chargers are mainly used for long journeys and can be found at Motorway Services or near major roads, either as standalone charging banks or at a petrol station. These chargers typically offer Rapid Charging outputs of between 50kW to 100kW.
Whereas Destination Chargers are usually used whilst you're doing other things such as shopping or staying at a hotel and can be found in supermarket car parks, shopping centres or hotel car parks. Destination Chargers typically offer charging outputs of between 7.4kW and 22kW.
• Which charging cable should I use?
Our electric vehicles are provided with the original charging cables as supplied by the manufacturer, usually found in the boot or under the bonnet. Depending on the vehicle, you will either receive one or two cables; a standard roadside charging cable (usually a Type 2 connector) and/or a domestic charging cable (with a traditional 3 pin plug), which are easily identified by the Europcar label attached to the cable. Alternatively, if using a public charging point they may already have cables attached (also known as a tethered cable) which you can hook up to depending on the vehicle charging sockets.
You must only use the charging cables we supply with the vehicle for recharging. If you use any other cable, you will be responsible for any damage that may arise. If you are provided with an additional charging socket that runs to a domestic socket, you must ensure the electrical installation you are using complies with any relevant standards in force and any requirements of the Vehicle manufacturer, otherwise you will be liable for any damage that arises.
• How long does it take to charge an electric vehicle?
Charge times depend on the size of the battery and the speed of the charging point. You can find further information on your vehicle's typical charge times on the vehicle information sheet.
However, a typical electric car with a 60kWh battery takes around 8 hours to charge from empty-to-full with a 7kW point. If using a rapid 50kW charger, usually found on the public charging network, you can add up to 100 miles of range in around 30 minutes.
• How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
To fully charge an electric car at home you can expect to pay around £5.
To charge an EV to 80% at a public rapid charger can cost between £7 to £15.
Naturally, this varies depending on the location, tariff, energy cost, battery capacity, charging speed and charge level, but one thing's for certain, the cost certainly undercuts fuel costs for a petrol or diesel car.
• How can I pay to charge my electric vehicle?
When charging on a public charging network you can expect to find the following types of Payment Methods:
Contactless
Contactless payments are becoming increasingly common at paid-for public chargers allowing for faster payments. In this case, follow the instructions which should be located on the charging post or on screen and tap your contactless card when instructed.
Smartphone app
Most public charger operators have a mobile phone app, which allow you to pay for the service. Some operators require you to use the app to access the charger. While there are benefits in many cases to registering an account, such as faster payment, most will allow you to “Pay as a Guest”. Download the relevant app, follow the on-screen instructions to pay and activate the charger.
RFID
Some charger operators also use an RFID card. This is not a requirement (there should be an alternative such as a smartphone app or contactless), but RFID card can make using public chargers quicker and easier and allow you to opt for a subscription based payment method or pay-per-use via your account.
We suggest signing up to our charging partner Shell Recharge Solutions. You can easily register by downloading the Shell Recharge App to your smartphone. Once registered you'll receive your RFID card in the post to begin using their public charging infrastructure of over 10,000 public charge points across the UK.