How to charge an EV
Everything you need to know
When it comes to charging your electric vehicle, there’s a lot to learn. To help make your switch to battery-powered mobility easier, we explain everything you need to know about the basics of EV charging. Whether it is at home or on the road, Ayvens provides an extensive guide for all your electric charging needs.
How to recharge your battery at home, work, or in public
Whether you’re using a home charging point or a public one, it’s easy to recharge your battery if you follow these simple steps.
Public charging
Do you need to charge on the go? Public charging networks are growing each year. Ayvens' network of partners already covers a large part of Finland. We'll teach you everything you need to know about public chargers, including charging speeds, costs and the use of payment cards.
Home charging
Charging at home conveniently enables you to wake up to a fully charged electric vehicle. Ayvens can also help you choose the right home charger. On our website you can learn more about the benefits, costs and different types of charging points, as well as how to purchase, install and manage your own charging points.
Charging speeds: How fast can I charge?
Different types of charging points offer different speeds, and your EV will be limited by its ability to receive and convert that electricity. If your car has an 11 kW onboard charger and you plug into a 7.4 kW home charger, you will only be charging at 7.4 kW. The car could take more power, but the charging point is limited. If your EV has a 6.6 kW onboard charger and you plug it into a standard, single-phase home 7.4 kW charging point, you will be limited to charging at 6.6 kW because the EV can’t take more.
7.4 kW power output
- 50 kWh EV battery7h45m
- 75 kWh EV battery10h
11 kW power output
- 50 kWh EV battery5h15m
- 75 kWh EV battery6h45m
50 kW power output
- 50 kWh EV battery53 min
- 75 kWh EV battery1h20m
150 kW power output
- 50 kWh EV battery18 min
- 75 kWh EV battery27 min
This is for illustrative purposes only and charging times may differ depending on vehicle. Typically at 80% charge battery charging speed will slow.
Fast charging
Need a boost of power fast? No problem. Just find a service station with a fast charger and you can charge your car up to 80% full within 15-40 minutes. Most public fast chargers are rated at 150 kW - much quicker than a home 7.4 kW charger - and newer ones are popping up that range to an ultra-rapid 350 kW.
You’ll find networks of fast chargers across Finland and Europe, owned and operated by different companies. The cost of fast charging varies wildly - from 25-80cent per kWh - depending on where you charge. Some public chargers will charge you per minute or have a fixed rate per session. It’s good to check out the pricing schedule in the charge app you’re using. A few points to keep in mind - EVs can be limited by their maximum DC charging rate - so, for fast charging, the faster the better. Also, just so you know, to protect your car’s battery, fast charging will charge fast up to 80% of your battery capacity, and afterwards the charge speed will drop to a lower speed.
Select a service provider for charging
For everyday driving, you can probably get by with one app to help you find a charging station, but if you're travelling abroad or even touring several countries, you might find that one app just isn't enough. In Finland, public charging is offered by ABC lataus, Neste, Virta and Plugit, among others.
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