How long does it take to charge an electric vehicle battery?

The charging time is mainly influenced by:

• The battery, its capacity, and the level of discharge at the time of refuelling (similar to a gasoline tank)
• The charging mode (mode 1, 2, 3 or 4), and the electrical power available at the charging point (an equivalent would be the flow rate of the gasoline pump)
• To a lesser extent, the condition of the components and environmental conditions (humidity and temperature)

Besides, it must be taken into account that, to protect the durability of the battery, the supplied power is automatically reduced when reaching 80%, lengthening afterwards the charging procedure.

For example:

• A citizen connects the electric car to his Chargevite AC S at night. If its 40 kWh battery is, when plugging, at 15%, it will take 4 hours to reach 80% if the available power is 7.2 kW.
• A family who spends Saturday afternoon in a shopping mall, recharges the car in a parking place with a Chargevite DC Compact charger (18 kW). If the 50 kWh battery is connected at 20%, it will take less than 2 hours to reach 80%.
• A saleswoman stops for lunch at her favourite restaurant, equipped with a Chargevite DC Performance (72 kW available power). If the battery of her electric vehicle is 60 kWh and it starts the recharge with only 5% remaining, in 40 minutes it will already be at 80% of its capacity.

How much does it cost to recharge an electric vehicle?

In specialized articles, it is concluded that the domestic recharge of an electric car can cost, depending on the contracted rate, from € 0.9 to € 1.8 per 100 km (with an average consumption of 16 kWh per 100 km), While in a public charger a recharge of those same 100 km varies from € 4.64 to € 12.64.

The consumption of a similar diesel or gasoline car may cost between € 8 and € 12.

It must be highlighted that the maintenance cost of an electric vehicle can be half of a combustion vehicle’s during its useful life.

How can I find out where there are charging points?

There are several mobile applications and web pages where you can find the closest charging points, such as:

https://www.electromaps.com/ (Charging stations around the world)

https://placetoplug.com/ (Charging stations in Europe)

https://www.zap-map.com/ (Charging stations in the UK and Ireland)

Or simply write “Electric charger” in Google Maps (https://www.google.es/maps)

Is it true that an electric vehicle pollutes less than a gasoline or diesel one?

Of course. Researcher Auke Hoekstra and Professor Maarten Steinbuch, from the Eindhoven University of Technology, have analysed in detail the greenhouse effect emissions of the different vehicles, taking into account:

• The manufacture of batteries
• Service life of batteries and electric vehicle
• Battery degradation and recycling
• Origin of the electrical mix during the useful life of the car
• Energy consumed per kilometer while driving

The conclusions are staggering: a diesel car emits from 115% to 456% more than an electric equivalent, throughout its useful life from its construction.

They have published an online tool to compare two cars with similar characteristics, being able to choose different segments or ranges (in English):

https://www.transportenvironment.org/news/how-clean-are-electric-cars

In Chargevite, we deeply care about the environment. You can read more about our actual and future commitment here.

Which autonomy do electric cars reach today?

The technological evolution of electric vehicles in general, and their batteries in particular, is currently portentous.

By the time these lines are published, autonomy will have been significantly improved.

As in the case of combustion vehicles, consumption depends mainly on the way of driving, the orography, the condition of the tires, the weight and the objects that may hinder their aerodynamics, such as luggage racks, bicycles …

However, it can be assured that the average mid-range electric vehicle already reaches a range of 250-300 km, although the most advanced models easily exceed 600 km.

Who can install the charging station?

An electrical installation must always be carried out by a qualified and trained technician, with the appropriate tools and necessary protection elements.

It is strongly suggested to verify the legislation in force to know the local requirements.

For instance, it might be compulsory:

• To register the installation in a municipal department
• To prepare an electrical project, signed by a competent qualified technician

What is management software?

When carrying out an electrical refueling, a series of parameters must be known to guarantee a correct recharge:

• Date and time of refueling
  Available power (kW)
  Energy recharged (kWh)
• Besides, the user identity might be verified to confirm an authorised access to the charging point and, if payable service, the bill according to the agreed conditions.

Chargevite appliances, always in accordance with Data Protection Laws, manage this information to:

• Be able to balance simultaneous loads, in the event that the instantaneous energy demand is higher than the available power
• Authorize refuelling
• Fill the battery to the extent requested by the user
• Inform the user of the charging summary (elapsed time and transferred energy)
• Inform the administrator of the recharge service which user has refueled and how much energy has been transferred, in order to prepare the corresponding invoice
• Analyze technical information of the battery during service, to optimize charging with maximum performance