How to charge an electric car
Charging an electric car is easier than it may seem. Depending on where you park, the time available and the distance you need to travel, you can use different charging solutions.
There are four main situations:
- Charging at home
- Charging at a public fast AC charging station
- Charging at a rapid charging station
- Charging on the motorway during a long journey
Each solution meets a different need. A domestic socket may be sufficient for short daily journeys, while a rapid charging station is more suitable for quickly recovering range during a trip.
Charging an electric car at home
When you have a parking space with access to electricity, home charging is generally the most convenient and economical solution.
The car can be plugged in in the evening to recover overnight the energy used during the day. It is therefore not necessary to fully recharge the battery after every journey.
Several types of equipment can be used:
- A standard domestic socket
- A reinforced Green’Up socket
- A 7.4 or 11 kW home charging station
The choice mainly depends on your daily mileage, your electrical installation and the charging power accepted by your vehicle.
Learn more about home charging
Charging at a public fast AC charging station
Public fast AC charging stations are mainly installed in city centres, public car parks, near shops, at hotels or in company car parks.
They allow you to charge while you work, shop or carry out another activity. This is known as charging while parked.
These charging stations generally deliver power ranging from 7 to 22 kW using alternating current. At most of them, you must use your own Type 2 to Type 2 cable.
However, the power actually received depends on the on-board charger in your car.
Learn more about fast AC charging
Charging at a rapid charging station
Rapid charging stations allow you to recover a large amount of range in a short time. They are particularly useful during a journey when you cannot leave the car plugged in for several hours.
Unlike fast AC charging stations, they use direct current. The cable is attached directly to the charging station, so you do not need to use your own.
Depending on your car, the power of the charging station, the battery level and the vehicle, charging from 10 to 80% can take around 20 minutes.
The charging power generally decreases when the battery approaches 80%. It is therefore often quicker to resume your journey rather than wait for a full charge.
Learn more about rapid charging
Charging an electric car on the motorway
During a long journey, charging stops must be included in your route.
Motorway service areas systematically have rapid charging stations with several charging points. It is also possible to temporarily leave the motorway to use a nearby charging station.
Electus helps you plan your journeys by adding charging stops to your route.
To reduce waiting time, it is generally advisable to arrive at the charging station with a relatively low battery level and leave at around 80%.