A Guide to EV Charging Stations

The number of electric vehicles (EV) in the UK is rising every day. There are approximately 178,000 plug-in cars and 6,100 plug-in vans on the road as of September 2018. EV charging stations at home, work or public areas have become a vital part of car ownership. Motorists must consider power, connector type and the model of electric vehicle. Here at Orbis Engineering, we’ve put together a small guide to EV charging stations.

EV Charging Stations Explained

Electric Vehicle charging stations can be of three types: Rapid, Fast and Slow. The three core charging types represent the power output and charging speed of the electric vehicle.

Rapid: Rapid EV charging stations are the fastest way to charge your EV. Most typically found in services stations or other locations close to the main road. The chargers supply high power to recharge your vehicle to approx. 80% in 20-40 minutes. Rapid charging is only suitable for vehicles with rapid charging capabilities.

Fast: Fast EV charging stations are rated at either 7kW or 22kW. The charging time varies between the unit speed and electric vehicle. A 7kW charger will take between 3-5 hours and a 22kW charger will take 1-2 hours. Fats chargers tend to be found at supermarkets, car parks, shopping centres and other public locations where cars will be parked for an hour or more.

Slow: Slow EV charging stations are rated at 3kW with a full charge taking around 6-12hours to charge fully. Slow chargers are the most common method of charging EV. Due to the longer charging time, slow chargers are most commonly found but not restricted to home and workplaces. Slow chargers at home most often find themselves qualifying for the EV Homecharge Scheme, this gives buyers money off on an installed charging unit.

We install all types of EV Charging Stations

At Orbis Engineering, we install all types of charging stations for every vehicle. If you would like more information about our EV charging stations, please get in touch with our team today.