Before purchasing an EV Charger, there are a few points to consider that many people don’t know about or think about.
Check your EV plug type
Is your EVs plug Type 1 or Type 2 and make sure you order the right charger with the required plug type.
Is the EV charger suitable for your vehicle?
Some EVs or PHEVs have a low charge rate of 3.4kW, so purchasing a 7kW or 22kW
charger could be overspending on something you don’t require. This is generally found in early-model EVs. In this case, a 10amp or 15amp plug-in portable charger would be best suited for you unless you want a wall charger, plan to update your vehicle soon, or want to use solar-only charging.
Look at your EV’s specifications and find out its charging capabilities. If it states 7kW, 11kW, or 22kW, that is the maximum charge rate your EV will accept with an AC charger. Purchasing a charger above the EVs maximum charge rate will not provide faster charging and will be overspending.
Installation Location of the Charger
Selecting the location where you want your new EV charger installed is important for both the user experience and the installation cost.
Look at where the charging port is on your EV and where you park your EV for charging.
Ideally, you want the EV charger as close as possible to the vehicle’s charging port without creating a trip hazard for yourself and others. The general standard cable length of an EV charger is 5 metres, with some manufacturers offering optional 7m and 10m lengths at an additional cost, keeping in mind that you will lose about 1.5 – 2 metres of the cable as it drops to the floor from the charger and the vehicle’s charge port. The longer the charging cable, the more prone it is to being damaged and becoming a trip hazard.
The closer you position the EV charger to your switchboard, the cheaper the installation will be. Some home switchboards are on the opposite side of the house from the garage, which will increase the installation cost as the EV charger’s electrical circuit will increase.
If your charging location is detached from your home, you will most likely need underground wiring installed, which can be expensive, especially if concrete cutting is required
Is Your Home EV Compatible?
Make sure your home electrical supply can handle the electrical demand of an EV charger. Some people may need help with this, and if you’re unsure, engage with an electrician before proceeding with purchasing an EV Charger. The best and cheapest way to find out is to email an installer on our directory with a clear photo of your switchboard showing all circuit breakers and the main switch amperage rating.
If your switchboard has a main switch rating of 40-45amps it would be highly recommended, you:
- install an EV charger with load management like the EVNEX E2 charger or similar.
- Have the EV charger connected to an off-peak supply
- Schedule the EV charger to only charge outside of your homes high electrical demand periods.
- Install solar panels to reduce the demand on your homes electrical grid supply.
Connectivity to the Internet
If you want to install a smart EV charger or the charger you are looking at has the ability to update its firmware over the air you will need a good WiFi signal where you are installing your charger. A good WiFi signal is two bars or above.
Some smart EV chargers have GSM (mobile phone signal) and WiFi capabilities for communication with a smartphone app and firmware updates.
WiFi and GSM signals can be hard to obtain in underground garages and in steel-frame homes and may require a booster or an ethernet cable connection. If you are in one of these situations check that the EV charger you are looking at purchasing has an RJ45 port and expect an additional cost to your installation.
EV Chargers Kilowatts to Amps Reference Guide
7kW EV Charger – 32amps single phase
11kW EV Charger – 16amps per phase, 3 Phase
22kW EV Charger – 32amps per phase, 3 phase