Is it enough to get to the next e-charging station or charging station? Is the battery still full enough for shopping? Public EV charging involves thrills, planning and effort. Charging at home is much more convenient. It is important to pay attention to a few points.
What technical requirements are necessary?
Just plug it into the socket and you're done? This is possible, but – in the truest sense of the word – extremely dangerous. If you use an ordinary socket, you will overload it for several hours. The resulting overheating can become the cause of a fire or repeatedly blow fuses.
If you want to charge an e-car at home, you should first have a qualified electrician check the existing requirements. Often neither the mains nor the fuses are designed to meet the requirements. However, retrofitting is possible.
This must be done professionally to ensure safety and security and not create a risk of fire. How extensive the changes will be and how high the associated costs are cannot be answered in general terms.
What is there to consider when charging at home?
A wall box must be installed for charging at home. The ABB E-mobility model is particularly well known. Many car brands therefore work together with these manufacturers. So also smart, the on your website provide further information about charging with the wall box. This in turn must have protections against current faults to avoid electric shocks and fires. A separate power line to the wall box is also required.
Performance is still important. If you want to load quickly, you should pay attention to modern designs. This is particularly important when there are several journeys to be made each day or more than one e-car needs to be charged.
With the connector and connector type, compatibility with the car is the only factor to consider. Adapters are possible, but usually cumbersome.
Tips & tricks for charging the e-car
On the one hand, preparation is necessary at charging stations for e-cars, which usually consists of a registration. In addition, higher costs are incurred. Despite the initial expenses, the home wall box is therefore a sensible and long-term economical investment. The savings can be increased even further if photovoltaics are used as an add-on.
Depending on the situation, it may also be advisable to activate a public wall box and thus create a source of income. However, this only applies if your own solar system can provide enough electricity for several vehicles. The generation of environmentally friendly electricity is subsidized by the state, among other things. As a result, savings can already be made during the installation of the system.
If such power generation is not possible, it is worth comparing providers. Some already have special tariffs for car electricity, which is cheaper. Since a separate line is required for the wall box anyway, billing according to a separate tariff is also simple in this case.
The right location for the Wallbox
It should be borne in mind when Choosing the location of the wallboxthat the electric car has to stand there for several hours. It should therefore be easy to approach and offer protection for the special socket. However, there is nothing more to consider here.
How much does a home charging station cost?
There are now significant price differences between wall boxes. Simple models are already available for around 500 euros. Versions with high performance and thus shorter charging times can be found in higher price segments. Up to 2.000 euros should be planned for this.
This does not include the costs for retrofitting and laying a separate line or the installation work. It is advisable to compare prices and obtain cost estimates. The effort for this is usually comparatively low.
Charging at home – in your own home and for rent
Installing a wallbox isn’t just reserved for homeowners. The possibility can also be created for rental relationships. If the necessary protective measures are taken into account and prices are compared, your own charging station is an investment that means significant savings in the long term and can even become an additional source of income if solar power is used.
