Refuelling Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles can take as little as a few minutes. This makes it extremely efficient, simple, and fast.
Recharging an EV, however, can take as long as 12 hours with a slow charger and this can be impactful if you forget to complete a scheduled charge and need to do a top-up.
So, is there any way you can speed up an EV recharge?
Choose the right type of EV chargers
With EV chargers, the lower the wattage, the slower the charger. This will then increase the number of hours a full charge will take.
When it comes to recharging your EV you have two options, using your domestic 3-pin electricity supply and a Type 2 to 3-pin charging cable, or a purpose-built, EV charge point.
Using the 3-pin domestic plug to charge your EV
The slower option of the two, using a domestic 3-pin charging cable is an option for recharging your EV.
Due to the wattage of the domestic electricity supply, 3-pin sockets charge between 2kW- 2.3kW at a maximum, so is the slowest option available.
To speed up this method of charging you can implement a selection of top tips, which you can find below, but the biggest change you can make would be to get an EV charge point installed on your property or use less convenient, public EV chargers.
Using an EV charge point to charge your EV
EV charge points are the faster way to recharge your EV and will fit into different speed categories depending on their wattage.
So-called ‘slow chargers,’ commonly charge at 3kW per hour, ‘fast chargers’ will recharge at 7kW per hour, and ‘rapid chargers’ run at 22kW per hour.
In this instance, the higher the wattage of your EV charger, the faster your car will charge. So, if possible, when purchasing your EV charge point, you should aim to purchase the fastest you can afford to shorten charge durations by as much as possible.
Tips to decrease EV charge time
While unlikely to make as much an impact as upgrading to an EV charge point, following these top tips should help decrease the charge time of your EV.
Charge your EV when it’s warmer outside
Cold temperatures will impact the battery’s electrochemical reactions, making recharging slower.
To get around this you can charge during the day during the colder months when the sun has risen and had a chance to warm up the environment.
However, this will be when energy tariffs are usually higher than charging at night, so you should consider this.
Charge your EV with the right charging cables
EV charging cables will be suited to a particular wattage and therefore charge speed. However, your car will recharge using the wattage of the charging cable, not the EV charge point if the cable is attached to it.
This means that if you only have access to a ‘slow’ 3kW charging cable, it will not be able to charge as fast as it should if using a 7kW ‘fast’ charge point.
As such, you should ensure that your cable can charge to the same speed as your charge point to ensure your car charges at maximum capacity.
Speed up EV charging cables with the experts in EV charging
Using a domestic EV charge point and the correct capacity charging cables is the fastest way to recharge your EV with the minimum of fuss.
From type 2 to type 2 charging cables for use with a huge range of charge points, to type 2 to 3-pin charging cables for domestic charging, and type 2 extension cables, we are sure we have the product for you from our wide range.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact our charging experts here at EV Cable Shop on 01744 886 305 or fill in our enquiry form and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Alternatively, buy cables online and use our secure online payment portal to take advantage of our price match guarantee and free next working day delivery on all EV Cable Shop products.
