With the performance, battery life and range of electric vehicles always increasing, more and more drivers are switching to an electric vehicle. As the majority of EV charging happens at home, finding a cost-effective, efficient way to charge an electric vehicle is at the front of people’s minds.
Although an electric vehicle can be charged using a standard domestic socket, this can be a slow process. EVs with larger battery capacities can take up to a day to fully charge. Installing a dedicated EV charge point is the best way to speed things up.
Most commonly, EV charge points are rated 3.6kW, 7kW or 22kW – each will provide customers with its own benefits. Most homeowners are opting for a 7kW charger, which offers charging speed twice that of a standard plugin socket and single-phase compatibility.
Homeowners benefitting from a solar PV installation can charge their electric vehicle for free. Charging your EV from excess solar energy replaces grid demand, offsets running costs and minimises fuel bills.
By diverting surplus solar energy directly into a car’s battery, customers can save up to £1,000 on the annual running costs of their vehicle. The best thing? Smart EV charging systems can divert excess solar generation automatically.
Don’t own solar yet? PV can be installed during, before or after an EV charging point with all the same benefits.
The OZEV grant (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles) provides homeowners buying and installing a home charging point with a one of payment worth up to £350. The OZEV grant aims to incentive the uptake of electric and low carbon vehicles.
Ts & Cs apply, but the OZEV grant is available to anybody who has purchased a new or used electric vehicle on or after 1st October 2016. The OZEV grant is simple to claim with an application made post-installation.
Read our OZEV Grant blog post for more information on the scheme.
The Zappi is one of the most advanced EV charging points.
More than just a traditional EV charger, the Zappi’s Eco Modes allows it to charge an EV with only electricity generated by a solar array. It can also charge with part solar supply and part grid supply. At the same time, the Zappi complies with EV charging standards.
With the Zappi’s Eco Mode, charge power is continuously adjusted in response to surplus solar generation and household load, with additional power being drawn from the grid when required.
Controllable by an app, the Zappi can be programmed to charge an EV at set times. As a result, this maximises the benefit of off-peak and dual-rate electricity tariffs.
Read more info on the Zappi on our Zappi webpage by clicking here.
The Ohme intelligent EV charger finds the best charging times and prices to make charging an electric vehicle even for sustainable and cost-effective.
The Ohme Platform is a collection of connected devices. Customer benefits by combining their EV charger with an agile energy tariff that enables point-of-use charging to charge their batter during times of excess supply.
The Ohme EV charger allows fast charging at 7kW with a 5m, tethered cable, and is OZEV-approved.
Untethered, Project EV’s 7kW EV charging unit is compatible with any electric vehicle on the market and offers simple and effective charging. The 7kW can increase charging speeds by as much as 30 miles an hour.
In addition, Project EV’s app allows drivers to schedule charging to meet both their driving tendencies and to make the most of smart energy tariffs.