All About Electrical Vehicle Installation
Electric vehicles are coming!!! Are you prepared? Are you thinking about purchasing an electrical vehicle in the near future? Or have you already jumped full steam ahead? Whether you are about to, contemplating it, or planning to in the future, this guide should answer some of your questions as you plan your new purchase – your new electric vehicle.
What Are Electric Vehicles?
Electric Veihicles or EV’s are coming! They are on their way. The government has just announced that from 2035 the ban of all fossil fuel cars will be active! What does this mean? This simply means there will be no more diesel or petrol cars available to buy. Of course, it will take much longer for existing fossil fuel cars to drip trhough the system – but alas, electric powered cars are replacing fossil fuel cars! So, it is really important to get ahead and onto the band wagon and get clued up to what to expect!
What Is EV Power Point Installation?
If you purchase an electric car – you will inevitably need a power point or charging point to charge your car when your car’s battery runs low or out of electricity. To combat this, you the electric car owner will need to have an electric power point installed at your home address. You probably have noticed that more and more service stations are instlling them at their sites across the country. Currently (march 2020) a typical FULL charge can power your car for approximately 120-150 miles, depending on which instaallation power point you opt for. However, charging your car can take upto 8 hours for a full charge.
What Types of Electric Vehicle Installations Are Available?
Typically, charging your car at home is probably the most convenient way of charging your car overnight. There are 2 types of charging pints 3 kW and 7 kW. Typically the larger charging point is a wall mounted device as it’ll need more power to charge your EV. However, the larger ones tend to halve the charge time when compared to the 3 kW ones.
What Type Of Property Do I Need To Have To Have An EV Powerpoint?
You will need to have off-road parking, a driveway or a garage to be able to have an EV powerpoint installed at your home address. Currently there are not many provisions to have power points installed in public places due to the nature of health and safety. However, some local districts are implementing public charging points but this can’t be guaranteed. If you rent your property you may need to seek permission from your landlord if you wish to have an EV power point installed at your home address. Or alternatively, permission from your housing association if you are a tenant of social housing.
How Do I Get An EV Powerpoint Installed?
You will need to hire a qualified and certified electrician to install your EV power point at your home address. It is not something you will be able to do on a DIY basis. Many electricians offer a set purchase price for both the charging unit and the installation of your EV power point – whether you purchase a 3kW or a 7kW at your home address. On home charging points which are typically slower charging points in comparison to service station power points, cables will be needed to be fitted to the car.
However, if you charge your car at a public charging point (upto 22kW) these types of charging points use different types of connectors. Again, the make and model of your car, its charging capabilities and kW are all crucial elements when determining which power point supply will best serve you when getting a home installation. With one of our home EV power point electrical contractors you can rest assured that their on-board advice and site check will advise you correctly based on your EV model and capabilities.
Are There Government Schemes That Will Help With The Cost?
The government is offering grants to help with the cost of home EV installation charging points (correct as of February 2020). However, it is not clear how long this will last for. Currently there is a grant of approx £500 towards installation of home charging points.
Our contractors are registered with the government scheme with the Office of Low Emmission Vehicles (OLEV) and are compliant with their Workplace Charging Scheme and Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme.
What Qualifications Does An EV Installer Have?
Currently the main provider of Workplace and Homecharge charging points are ROLEC. These are the main supplier and training programme offered to existing qualified and experienced electricians. All of the electrical contractors with Mase Electrical are fully qualified and certified by ROLEC, and are registered and approved by the OLEV scheme.
