Charging electric cars

Everything you need to know

When it comes to charging your electric vehicle, there's a lot to consider. Whether you're at home or on the road, Ayvens offers you an extensive guide for all your EV charging needs.

How to charge your battery at home, at work or in public

Whether you use a home charging point or a public one, it’s easy to charge your battery if you follow these simple steps.

Home charging

Charging at home almost always allows you to have a fully charged electric car. It’s not possible to install a home charging station at all homes. If home charging is for you, you’ll need to know about all the advantages and benefits of using household electricity. You’ll need to consult an expert to learn about the different types of home charging stations and how you can install your own one, if that’s feasible.

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Public charging

The number of public charging stations is growing every year. You no longer need to worry about finding an available charging station while on the road, as the network is growing. If you opt for public charging, you’ll need to know the different types of stations you can find since they differ in speed, cost and usage method.

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Charging speeds: How quickly can I charge my vehicle?

The answer is - "it depends".

How quickly an EV charges depends on various factors. 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 the vehicle. Typically at 80% charge battery charging speed will slow.

Rapid charging

Need a boost of power fast? No problem. Just find a petrol station with a rapid charger and you can charge your car up to 80% full within 15-40 minutes. Most public rapid 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 rapid chargers across Europe, owned and operated by different companies. The cost of rapid 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 (country-specific). A few points to keep in mind - EVs can be limited by their maximum DC charging rate - so, for rapid charging, the faster the better. Also, just so you know, to protect your car’s battery, rapid charging will charge fast up to 80% of your battery capacity, and afterwards the charge speed will drop to a lower speed.

Make the most out of electric charging

When, where and how regularly you charge an electric vehicle can make a difference in the benefits you gain from using an electric car. Proper planning can further maximize the benefit of using an electric car compared to a car with a conventional engine.

Visit our blog to learn more about charging electric vehicles.

Charge your electric car at home

By charging your electric car's battery at home you can reduce your annual cost of travel by up to 60%. To further reduce the cost of charging your electric car, you can combine this with the use of solar energy at home. Charging your electric car's battery using the sun is not only super green; it's almost free!

Choose the best app

While out and about during the day, you may need more than one app to charge your electric car. Using an app with information about all chargers is recommended to help you find the charger/app that best suits you based on your destination.

Free charging locations

Imagine driving to work, or to a restaurant for dinner, or to a store for some shopping, then returning to a car with more charge than when you left it - for free! There are a number of free charging locations you can use.

Ready to choose your electric vehicle?

EV charging FAQs

What are the different ways to charge an EV? You can charge your electric car at home, at work, or at a public station on the road.How can I charge my EV at home? If you've got a parking space at home, you can install your own charging station. If you live in an apartment building or in a residential complex, you’ll need to talk to the building manager, the owner of the property, your other co-owners or other tenants before installing one. If your home doesn't have a parking space, you should be able to easily find a public parking space nearby. How can I charge an EV on the road? Public charging locations are one way to charge your electric car wherever you are as you take a break. To find out where public charging stations are located, you’ll need to install certain apps on your mobile phone.What happens if my EV runs out of battery? It’s not recommended to allow your EV battery run out of charge while on the road. Once you spot that your battery is getting low, we do recommend you find a charging station. However, if your battery has died, then there's not much you can do. You’ll need to call roadside assistance and have your car towed, just as you would if you ran out of petrol or diesel.