Charging

If you drive a fully electric car you will need to recharge your vehicle when your battery storage (range) drops.  Vehicle batteries are measured in kilowatt hours (kWh) and the size of the battery indicates the energy storage which is available in the battery and therefore the number of miles you can drive before you need to recharge. For example, the MG ZS EV has a 72.6 kWh battery which equates to a range of 273 miles while the MG 5 Long Range EV has a 61.1 kWh battery which equates to a 250 mile range.

To charge your electric vehicle you have the option of charging while you’re on the move at a public charging station or you can charge your vehicle from your home before you set off on your journey. In addition, many employers are now providing charging facilities in their workplace car parks.

Home Charging

In the UK a standard plug has 3kW of power and if you choose to recharge your vehicle battery using a standard plug point it will typically supply up to 8 miles of range for every hour it is plugged in. However, some manufacturers advise customers against frequent charging from a standard plug point as it can cause overheating. Therefore it is advisable to consult an electrician beforehand and extension leads should never be used with electric vehicle connectors.

Due to the relatively low 3kW output from a home socket, many electric vehicle owners choose to install a faster home charging unit instead. Usually these range from 7kW in power up to 22kW in power which means that with the more powerful units you can charge your vehicle up to 10 times faster than with a standard socket. The average cost of installing a home charging unit is around £1,000 but you may be eligible for a grant to help reduce this cost. For more information on grants and approved providers of home charging points please visit OZEV Grants

Charging on the Move & Connector Types

The Government is continually investing in the network of charging points across the UK and there are currently almost 16,000 public charging locations around the country and over 43,000 individual connectors. To view a map of all the UK’s public charge points please visit Zap Map 

Public charging points are split into two types – fast charging points and rapid charging points. Fast chargers work with a power source between 7kW and 22kW which is similar to the home charging units mentioned above. Rapid charging points are more powerful and work between 43kW and 50kW which means you can get an 80% charge in as little as 30 to 40 minutes depending on the size of battery in your electric vehicle.

The most common connector plug in the UK is the 7-pin Type 2 plug and almost all tethered public charging points will have a Type 2 plug. An additional benefit of a Type 2 plug is that it can be locked to the car to ensure it is not disconnected by anyone while the car is charging. All MG electric vehicles are fitted with a Type 2 plug.

For rapid charging a heavy duty 2-pin Direct Current (DC) socket is used. Almost all new electric vehicles are now fitted with a Combined Charging System (CCS) which includes a 2-pin DC socket for rapid charging as well as the 7-pin Type 2 socket. At a rapid public charge point the tethered CCS connector fits onto both sockets but it’s only the 2-pin element that is used to transfer the electricity directly to the battery. All MG electric vehicles are fitted with a CCS system.

Cost of Charging at Home

To calculate the cost of recharging your electric vehicle from home you will need to look at the cost of your electricity in pence per kilowatt hour. In simple terms, you should multiply the size of the vehicle battery by the electricity cost per kilowatt hour. If you recharge your battery from your home you can do this overnight to take advantage of reduced electricity rates.

If you have the facility to charge your vehicle from home this is undoubtedly the cheapest option.

Costs of Charging from Public Charge Points

Although some hotel and shopping centres offer complimentary charging, the majority of public charge points incur a fee. Most up-to-date public charge points are now app-enabled. This means you can use a free to download mobile app to pay for your charge via your app. With a number of larger operators such as Chargemaster, Pod Point and Ecotricity you may be required to set up an account or there may be a limit to the amount of time you can charge your vehicle. If you have an account you will pay either a yearly or monthly subscription and you will usually receive a reduced price per minute for charging.

Rapid chargers which are much faster to use are often found in motorway service stations and tend to be more expensive to use with a typical cost of around £22 for a 30 minute charge (approximately 100 miles).

Benefits of Electric Cars

There are numerous benefits to owning an electric vehicle. In driving terms an electric vehicle is very similar to driving an automatic vehicle with very rapid acceleration. There is a myth that an electric car will be slow or sluggish but actually the opposite is true. As there are no gears, an electric vehicle has 100% torque which means the car will be quick, smooth and responsive.

In financial terms, the running costs of an electric vehicle are significantly lower than either petrol or diesel vehicles as there are no fuel costs to pay. On average an electric car driver will save around £1,000 on fuel costs each year. Electric vehicle drivers are also exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (if their vehicle costs below £40,000), company car tax and the London congestion charge.

As electric vehicles produce zero exhaust emissions they do not emit any harmful gases into the air which means they are the most environmentally friendly cars you can buy. They are also very quiet to drive and as there are fewer moving parts, maintenance costs are also significantly reduced.

If you'd like more information about the benefits of electric vehicles please contact our Sales Team on 01665 602202.