Electric Vehicle Accessories

The basics of charging, without jargon

There are three ways to charge an electric vehicle, and they differ dramatically in time.

From an ordinary socket. The emergency cable supplied with the vehicle. It works anywhere, but it is slow — many hours for a full charge. Useful as a backup, not as a daily solution. And a caution: an old or heavily loaded domestic circuit is not designed for hours of continuous charging — it overheats.

A wallbox. The proper answer for a home. It charges many times faster than an ordinary socket and has protections a socket does not. ABB and Fronius are names that carry weight in the field.

A public rapid charger. For travel. It is not installed at home.

Before installing a wallbox: what must be checked

It is an electrical installation, not an appliance purchase. And the points that decide whether it is feasible are specific.

The property’s supply capacity. A wallbox adds significant load. If your supply is marginal, it needs upgrading — otherwise the main breaker trips when you charge while something else runs.

The board and protections. A dedicated circuit with suitable breakers and an RCD of the correct type is required. It is not optional — it is the reason a wallbox is safer than a socket.

Earthing. In older properties, earthing is often inadequate or absent. It must be tested and certified.

In an apartment building, you also need a decision on the shared installation and a way of metering the consumption.

Installation is carried out exclusively by a licensed electrician, with the relevant certification. Tell us what vehicle you have and what supply, and we will recommend equipment.

Cables and connectors

The connector is not one size for all. In Europe the standard for AC charging is Type 2, and current vehicles use it — but older or imported models may differ.

Two things to check on a cable: the current it is rated for, because a lower-rated cable limits charging speed even if the charger can do more; and the length, based on the actual distance from the charging point to the vehicle’s port — which is not always on the same side.

And a practical point: never use an extension lead or power strip to charge a vehicle. It is among the most serious fire risks in a domestic installation.

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