As we go about our day, we are bound to see either an EV Smart Charger or an Electric Vehicle at least once. This is because more and more smart charging points are popping up around the country and electric vehicles are growing increasingly popular.
During May 2022, the country saw a staggering increase of BEV’s (Battery Electric Vehicles) on our roads by 17.7%. For every eight cars joining the road last month, one of them will have been a BEV.
Recent studies from Zap Map Statistics have reported that as of May 2022, there was 32,312 charging points across the UK, with 805 charging devices installed in April alone!
More and more charging points are being installed each month to keep up with the high demand and ever-growing popularity of Electric Vehicles.
We have compiled an in-depth guide to EV Smart Charging with everything you need to know and more. From the difference in charging points to the future, which is becoming more electric and more eco-friendly, we have it covered!
What Is The Difference Between Standard EV Charging And EV Smart Charging?
As a whole, both will charge your electric vehicle and help you get from A to B, but the difference between the two all comes down to the cloud and forever evolving technology.
Charging your car with an EV Smart Charger offers you a vast range of benefits as opposed to a standard charger. This is due to the smart charger being able to store all the information in the cloud.
By having a smart charger, you can directly manage your EV charging station from your smartphone and controlling most aspects of the process.
Due to the chargers being connected to the cloud, everything can be monitored remotely. This includes charging scheduling, monitoring of the performance and time taken, as well as reducing the amount of time and when your car is charging to reduce energy wastage.
One great thing about a smart EV charger is the times which you can programme it to run. Choosing to have your smart charger operating in peak hours could see you paying more for your electricity and the charge taking much longer than usual.
Charge your car in off-peak times to reduce your costs and the strain on the National Grid.
The Price For EV Smart Chargers
If you are looking to install an EV home charging point, you can be looking at between £700 and £1,500 depending which model and installer you choose. On top of purchasing and installing your home charger, you will have the running costs and charging fees alongside.
To give you an idea of how much charge your car requires to go from 0% to 100%, you will need to divide your battery capacity by the speed your charger produces. Many home charging points provide 7kWh, but there are slower or faster ones on the market.
For example, if your battery capacity is 100kWh and your charging speed is 7kWh, your charging time will be roughly 14 hours and 29 minutes. To work out how much it will cost to fully charge your vehicle, multiply the amount you pay for your electricity by the size of your battery.
If you are paying 28p per kWh and your battery capacity size is 100kWh, you can expect to be paying £28 each time you fully charge your vehicle.
There are companies such as Octopus or Ofgem which can provide you with an EV tariff. These can be particularly beneficial for households which use little electricity during peak times and use higher mileage on your vehicle.
If you decide to charge your vehicle in a standard 3-pin plug, you can expect the charging period to take much longer.
Our standard home sockets typically provide 3kW per hour which means that you could expect a 100kW battery, which usually takes 14 hours and 29 minutes, to take 33 hours and 30 minutes for a full charge.
Whilst all of the above relates to home charging, there may become a point where you require a public charging point whilst out and about.
According to Zap-Maps, 15% of public EV Charging points across the UK are completely free of charge. That’s 5,430 free chargers for you to use!
The Many Models Of Electric Vehicles
Across the UK, there is estimated to be 480,000 electric vehicles with an expected increase in years to come. Last year was the biggest annual increase for electric vehicles with more than 395,000 registered. This was a 92% increase since 2020.
At this current time, there are around 20 different car manufactures creating Electric vehicles with 40 different models to choose from.
With Tesla, BMW, Chevrolet, and Audi all providing us with electric models, it won’t be long until many more manufacturers follow their footsteps.
We can expect to see more cars turning electric by 2030 when the new regulation is put into place. Whilst this was originally planned to be set in place in 2040, the government have brought this forward 10 years.
All new diesel and petrol vehicles are being eradicated in an attempt to prevent further damage to global warming and reduce effects of climate change.
Whilst the government are introducing this new regulation, you can still drive your petrol/diesel vehicle after 2030. Fuel will still be available but after 2030, but you will not be able to purchase brand new fossil fuelled vehicles.
According to Confused.com, many companies are introducing a scrappage scheme. This can help you save money off your new electric vehicle by scrapping your petrol or diesel car. Be sure to read up on their terms and conditions prior to going ahead.
We can also expect electric vehicles to become more affordable with a £582 million grant being given to kickstart this new regulation, which should last from 2022 to 2023.
From July 1st, all electric car charging points which have been installed with the Official Homecharge Scheme must be fitted with smart features in an attempt to reduce costs for our drivers. This includes all business and home installations.
Once this regulation has come into place, it is expected to help the national grid keep up with the increasing demand from EV Vehicles across the UK along with encouraging drivers to charge their vehicles with a smart charger as opposed to charging during peak hours.
By changing to electric vehicles, we can help improve our planet for the better and for many years to come. Our EV’s produce no carbon dioxide whilst running which means that air pollution and the effects on global warming are both reduced dramatically.
It has been reported that changing our cars will not be enough to make a significant impact on global warming.
For us to make a difference, we must also turn our heads to public transport. We have begun changing our trains with 38% being electrified and electric buses becoming popular across China and Europe.
In years to come, we can hope to view a world with more electric vehicles and hopefully, a healthier, happier environment.
