The Government has just announced that the UK is to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030. This is a whole decade earlier than their original commitment. This is fantastic news for the environment and the electric vehicle industry. However, the announcement has prompted lots of questions from drivers who have yet to make the switch to an electric car. In this blog post, we are going to answer some of the most common questions that we have seen online.
How To Charge An Electric Car At Home
If your home has a driveway and you can park your car beside your house, then you can plug your electric car directly into your mains electric supply.
However, the problem with this is it is slow. It can take numerous hours to fully charge a battery from empty (depending on the size of the lithium battery). It can take anything from 8 to 14 hours to fully charge a normal electric car but you could be waiting much longer if you have a bigger vehicle.
The best option is to get a dedicated home fast-charging EV charge point installed. The government currently offers grant funding via the Electric Vehicle Home Charge Scheme, from The Office For Low Emission Vehicles. This government-backed scheme currently offers homeowners a grant of up to 75% of a new EV charge point’s cost, with a maximum contribution of £350 (including VAT) per installation.
A dedicated home fast-charging EV charge point typically takes between 4 and 12 hours to fully charge an electric car.
If you don’t have a driveway at home you could find a parking space on the street outside your home and run an extension lead out to your electric car from the mains. However, you would need to cover the cables so no one can trip over them. A better solution would be to approach our local authority and ask them to install an on-street EV charge point.
Public EV Charge Points
Many local councils are starting to install on-street EV charge points for the public. These are being prioritised in residential areas where off-street parking is not available and in the middle of local towns near shops and high streets.
Many of the latest electric cars now have applications installed that will direct you to the nearest EV charge point. There are also a number of websites and apps, such as Zap-Map, which will also help you find an EV Charger.
According to EDF Energy, there is now over 30,000 EV charging station across the UK. This means there are now more public EV charge points than petrol stations. This number is rapidly increasing as more funding for EV infrastructure becomes available to local authorities and more drivers make the switch from vehicles with traditional combustion engines.
Public EV charge points are relatively easy to use. However, there are many different operators and you often need to be a member to use them. Some operators charge a flat fee for monthly access and some offer a pay-as-you-charge service.
Get In Touch
If you are interested in having an EV Charger installed or have any questions then call us on 0151 649 8350. Alternatively, you can email us at info@applegarth.co.uk. You can also apply for an EV Charger installation using our OLEV Grant application form. We install EV Charge points across Wirral, Liverpool, Merseyside, Chester, Manchester, Cheshire, the North West & North Wales.
