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Electric Vehicles (EVs) are increasingly in demand, which is no surprise considering the rising petrol costs. However, there's the question of how to charge an EV. You cannot rely on regular petrol stations after all. This post will consider your EV charging options and explain how EV chargers work.
With Australia already transitioning its fleets of gas-driven buses to electric buses, there's an increasing priority on green energy charging solutions. This post contains EV guides for charging an electric vehicle. You can learn about electric car chargers, EV charger types, plugs, and charging networks.
How EV Chargers Work
Much like your mobile phone, charging your EV is as simple as plugging the EV into a power source. As such, you would require a power point or charge station and a cord of appropriate length.
Meanwhile, you must ensure the charger matches your car's make and model. This is because you can only use the appropriate electric vehicle charging stations that match your car type. Otherwise, you need an adapter that fits your vehicle's battery pack.
EV charging process for electric cars
• Before this time, you should have researched your car's needed charge point type and the payment terms of public charging stations.
• Likewise, you should already have a charging cable or adapter if required.
• You can top up or fill up from empty when you want to charge your EV. If you use free-charge stations or home wall chargers, you only need a safe lock with the EV battery before the electricity starts pumping.
• The exact charging process depends on the charging station and payment type. You may use a dedicated card, a specific downloaded app, or a standard payment debit or credit card. You will usually see the preferred payment type displayed near the charger.
• You can get an idea of the progress of EV battery charging from the dash lights or heads-up displays.
• Note that it is best to undercharge rather than overcharge your battery. This will provide better durability and reliability. As such, disconnect the charger from the power source promptly when you have reached maximum charge.
• You may need to be patient and courteous when using public chargers.
What are EV Charging Stations?
EV charging stations are more appropriately called Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). EV charging stations are hardware devices that help deliver energy to charge your EV battery.
AC to DC power conversion of home chargers
You are likely connecting to Alternating Current (AC) power if you are using a standard power point for your home electricity. However, your EV battery uses Direct Current (DC). The onboard converter must convert the current from AC to DC power.
This naturally slows down the amount of available energy. This is why many people prefer to go for specific Level 2 or any Level 3 EVSE to take advantage of the ability to supply DC directly to the battery for fast charging.
Types of EV chargers
Charging station types are of three categories:
Level One
These portable EVSEs power up slowly using the usual household 10-Amp standard AC plug. It is a minimum EV charging option, as most car companies provide. It is undoubtedly best to have access to DC fast charging infrastructure if you're looking for shorter EV charging times.
Different EV types have other charging times, depending on your vehicle's battery capacity and the KW of your charger. As such, a Nissan Leaf's 40kWh battery will have different charging times on a Level 1 charger than a Tesla Model S 100D 100kWh battery.
Level Two
You can consider Level 2 charging stations to be wall chargers. They are dedicated fast chargers that are appropriate for private homes. Although Level 2 AC chargers are fast, you will require a professional electrician to install your Level 2 EV charger.
It uses a DC power delivery option for your EV battery and is compatible with solar charging. This gives you the benefit of being able to charge with free energy from the sun.
With Level 2 EV chargers, EV cars charge at convenience. You simply keep them locked in your garage while you charge them up. A 240-volt charging outlet can provide you with a 30 to 45 km driving range per hour.
Level two EV charging stations can fully charge different types of electric vehicles within some hours or overnight. Public car parks and the parking lots of shopping centres are also some locations where you can find Level 2 charging stations.
Level Three
Level 3 chargers are also called rapid, DC fast, and Tesla superchargers. They are high-speed public charging stations that deliver high volumes of charging electricity.
As such, the maximum charge level is 80% of your EV battery capacity.
Generally, a 30-minute to 2-hour charge can last between 250 to 300 kilometres of driving range per hour. Therefore, level 3 (DC chargers) are public AC and DC chargers that make EVs viable for your long-distance trips as they provide fast charging rates with little downtime.
How to Get Your Electrical Vehicle Charged
Regarding safety, convenience, efficiency, and reliability, you may choose the home DC charging or workplace charging option. This involves the installation of a dedicated DC charging wall charger in your garage at home or your workplace.
You can charge at your convenience and not wait in queues. Level 2 EV chargers, therefore, provide you with a cost-effective and fast home or commercial EV charging solution. You may also need to revisit Level 2 charging stations in public spaces to top up more frequently if you do not have a DC charging option at home.
This is in addition to the constraint of EV drivers having to bring their charging cable to public charging stations. Meanwhile, Level 3 DC EV charging cables help you with high-speed rapid EV charging appropriate for highways. However, they are costly.
However, you should know the AC charging capacity of your EV's onboard charger. Your EV can only charge at its maximum rate regardless of your EV charging station's power or electric vehicle charging levels.
Types of Fast Charging Plugs in Australia
The types of electric car charging ports in Australia include the following:
• Type 1 standard AC plug (SAE J1772): It is expected to be a charging port on pre-2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs.
• Type 2 (Mennekes) plug: These are meant for alternate current (AC) charging. The charge ports are an AC-demanding standard in Australia.
• Combined charging system (CCS2): You can use these for direct current (DC) charging. It applies to AC and DC chargers.
• Charge de move (CHAdeMO): This option is for DC charging. Tesla models can use a CHAdeMO through an adapter. Many electric vehicles can be rapidly charged using a CHAdeMO connector.
Public EV Charging Stations in Australia
Many Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are available in Australia. As such, there is a need for easily accessible public charging infrastructure. This will ease the uptake of electric vehicles in Australia and make charging an electric car easier.
The majority of public EV charging stations in Australia are level 2 charging stations. There is, however, an increasing number of level 3 charging stations on major highways and urban centres.
Meanwhile, the number of DC Superchargers in Australia is up to 40 and counting. While being the fastest chargers, the charging networking is restricted to only Tesla vehicles.
Electric Car Charging Networks in Australia
Here are a few EV car charging networks in Australia:
Chargefox
Chargefox offers many level 2 and DC fast charging stations, which are available in Australia. This makes them one of the largest EV charging networks.
Electric Highways Tasmania
Electric Highways Tasmania has level 2 charging stations that EV drivers can use for free. They are located throughout the state.
Tesla Superchargers
Only Tesla drivers can use this network of DC fast charging stations. They can charge your Tesla vehicle's battery up to 80% capacity within 30 minutes.
NRMA
NRMA offers a pay-as-you-go option for non-NRMA members. However, members of this motoring and transport organisation can use the network of EV charging stations for free.
Range of Charging Time for Charging Equipment
On average, the charging time range is from 15 minutes to over 20 hours. However, this depends on the battery capacity, EV model, and other factors. Charging speeds also differ according to EV models. If you are using Level 2 charge points, you can expect a delivery of 40 to 100 km driving range per hour.
On the other hand, Level 3 fast chargers can deliver up to 70 km of charge for every 10 minutes of charge time. Remember that electric car charging of some EVs, such as plug-in hybrids, has a low acceptance rate that may be unsuitable for Level 3 charging.
Maximising the efficiency of home EV chargers
Installing a home EV charger makes sense when it powers your car up to 2 or 3 times faster than standard Australian sockets. You can begin to recoup installation costs and even reduce the cost of charging your EV by implementing a few charging basics.
Set up your home EV charger so it charges at off-peak electricity times. This is useful if your electricity plan is on a time-of-use tariff. Home solar power and battery management systems can help you maximise solar energy for charging your EV. However, you may need an electrical panel or switchboard upgrade.
An Electrical Contractor Can Help with EV Chargers
This guide on how EV chargers work has covered how EV chargers work and the charging process for electric cars. You also know more about the types of EV chargers and the range of charging times. Getting things right when looking for an EV charging solution is essential. An expert electrician can provide the solution to meet your current and future needs.
