A charging station in the garage, a so-called wallbox, is the most convenient way to charge your own electric car. What it is needed for, which model suits your own needs and what it costs is all written here.
If you want to charge your electric car at home, there is no avoiding the purchase of a wallbox. Refilling the battery is faster, more convenient and safer than with a normal household socket. With the increasing spread of e-mobility, the number of wallbox providers is increasing and the prices sometimes differ considerably. There are a few things to consider when buying.
Charging the electric car at the household socket should only be a makeshift solution. Because the installation is often not designed for the large amounts of electricity and the long charging time. In the best case, the fuse will pop out at some point, in extreme cases there is a risk of overheating and even a cable fire. A wallbox (in German: "wall box") protects the house network against overload. In addition, the wallbox charges the e-car much faster than a household socket. While the latter pumps a maximum of 2,3 kilowatts per hour into the battery, the wallbox creates between 3,7 and 22 kilowatts, depending on the model and connection. That multiplies the loading speed. In addition, the charging losses when refueling at the pits are often significantly lower than in other refueling modes.
In terms of price, the offers differ considerably, ranging from more than 2.000 euros for top models with 22 kW charging capacity to cheap devices such as Annies-Carparts (Simple EVSE) or Franz Röcker (Simply E. Bausatz) from the Internet for 300 to 400 euros . The ADAC warns of the two boxes mentioned: If you get an error message, do not switch off the power, which can lead to a fire or personal injury. The automobile club recently tested twelve wall boxes; the testers recommend six models between 500 and 1.900 euros. The price difference often depends on the charging power; top models with 22 kW are usually more expensive than those with less charging power. There are also differences, especially in the design and equipment, such as cable length as well as convenience and additional functions of the operating system.
For example, the BMW wallbox, which can charge 3-phase with up to 22 kW, costs 927 euros. The 22 kW wallbox from the German manufacturer Mennekes (Amtron Xtra 22C2) costs around 1.900 euros. The ADAC did not test the BMW charging station, the Mennekes box scored “very good” in the ADAC test, as did two stations in the medium price range, which, however, have significantly different charging capacities: the German's 11 kW wallbox Manufacturer ABL (eMH1, 865 euros) and the 4,6 kW box from manufacturer Keba (KeContact P30, 762 euros). Two 11 kW wall boxes (Innogy eBox, 707 euros and Schneider Electric EVLink, 965 euros) and another 4,6 kW box (Wallbe Eco 2.0, 499 euros) were also rated as “good”.
In view of the blatant price differences, you should carefully consider which features you need for a wallbox. According to ADAC, too many bells and whistles can make operation more difficult and lead to errors and failures. For use in the garage of a single-family house, for example, you don't need a box that is designed for several users. In order to avoid high additional costs, the experts always recommend integrated protection against DC residual currents.
If you have an e-car model that cannot process a charging power of 11 or 22 kW and therefore only charges at a lower speed on the fast wall boxes, you could take a cheaper solution with less power. However, if you consider a possible future vehicle change, it is better to choose a future-proof option. According to ADAC, a 3-phase 11 kW wallbox should be a good compromise for most users. You only have to register it with the local network operator, whereas all boxes from 12 kW, according to Johannes Boos, require approval from the ADAC.
A qualified electrician must install a wallbox, so connection costs are added to the price of the device. The power connection in the garage must meet special requirements: “As a rule, a direct and individually secured supply line must be laid from the main distribution to the wallbox. This supply line has to be installed and checked by a qualified electrician, ”says ADAC man Boos. How much that costs depends on the individual case, but you should at least expect a higher three-digit amount. At Innogy, for example, an 11 kW box including installation costs around 1.700 euros; the box is available individually for 600 euros.
According to the automobile club, it makes sense to leave the purchase and installation of a wallbox in one hand. In the event of a fault, competent customer service must be available quickly, and a package price may also be cheaper. Contacts are also the local electricity supplier, who often subsidizes the installation with a few hundred euros or has special electricity tariffs on offer, or the manufacturer of the respective electric car who mediates a provider.