Safe and fast home charging of an electric vehicle.
In the last few years, interest in electric vehicles has grown enormously. Different countries also aim to largely replace petrol and diesel operated vehicles with electric cars. Charging points are popping up all around the country at e.g. grocery stores and other similar locations. However, it is likely that electronic vehicles will primarily be charged at home in the future as well, since when people are home, their vehicles tend to sit unused for longer periods.
We listed some reasons why it pays off to use an actual charging station instead of a regular power socket – even at home.
SAFETY
Schuko sockets, which are generally used in outdoor installations and garages, are not designed for repeated, long-time use with the voltage levels that charging an electric car effectively demands. If damaged, they may overheat and cause a fire.
Other high-voltage appliances, such as stoves or electric sauna heaters, cannot be simply plugged into the socket, either. They require a fixed installation, where an electrician uses cables to connect the appliances permanently to an electric board, where they are protected by designated fuses.
Always ensure that the socket is safe for use, even if you only use it infrequently. Make sure that the socket is not oxidised or in otherwise poor condition. Check that the supply cable has been installed correctly (e.g. no heat insulation on top of the cable).
SPEED
With the help of a charging station, charging is significantly faster than using a normal household socket. It is not recommended to use sockets with over 8 ampere (A) current for over two hours charging. The charging current of the mobile charging device delivered with the car is therefore often limited based on official recommendations (e.g. in Finland to a maximum output current of 8 amperes).
The charging speed is always dependent on the vehicle’s charging capacity and the capacity of the grid being used (fuse size). A 22-kW charging station is guaranteed to deliver as much power as a car can accept and the electric installation allows.
All electric vehicles are usually delivered with two charging cables: one main charging cable and another for occational charging. The second one is intended for temporary, short-term use only. The first, however, is designed for faster, more efficient charging, and is used e.g. when charging the vehicle on a charging station at home.
EASE OF USE
A charging station is specifically designed for charging your electric car. It can handle repeated long-term charging, unlike a normal household socket. The charging station can easily withstand the repeated connecting and disconnecting of the charging cable. A normal household socket, on the other hand, is not designed for this, and can break if you even hang your travel charger on it for longer periods. The travel charging station should always be supported during charging so as not to strain the socket. With a normal charging device you don’t have to worry about this either.
