Category Archives: Charging

Can you do a long road trip in an electric car?

Do I have to have a charge point fitted at home?

When’s the best time to charge an electric car?

How often do I need to charge?

Are you ready to go electric?

Want to know if an electric car is the right choice for you?

Join in with our simple online quiz to find out more.

How fast you drive affects electric car range

Driving quickly doesn’t mean driving fewer miles. So, while driving along the motorway in the fast lane might get you there quicker, you’ll also need to visit a charge point sooner.

If you have an older electric car that has a shorter range on a full charge, then you’ll go further by flicking the speed limiter to 60mph on the motorway. You can creep up to 70mph in newer electric cars because they can do 200 or so miles.

How you brake too

Use your brakes properly and you’ll save money and travel further.

When you brake, electric cars cleverly recycle power back into the battery, this is called regenerative braking. As soon as you ease your foot off the accelerator, you’ll feel the car slow much quicker than a petrol or diesel.

You don’t need to stamp on the footbrake because the car helps you slow down. So, let it roll to almost a stop at traffic lights. There’s no need for aggressive braking, you’ll be rewarded with more range and your brake pads will last longer.

Also the weather affects electric car range

Electric cars usually do fewer miles in cold weather and like all cars you’re more likely to have a breakdown in winter. But it’s not a big problem – just ask the Norwegians, who own the most electric cars (per person) in the world.

Here are a couple of top winter tips:

Set your car to finish charging just before you head out so the battery’s nice and warm, you’ll get more miles that way.
Defrost and heat your car while it’s plugged in – something you can do from the warmth of your bed using a smartphone app. No more scurrying around for something to use as an ice scraper and starting your day as an ice block.

Is an electric car
right for me?

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How electric car charging works?

Charging your electric car works a bit differently. Find out about all the ins and out of how to charge an electric car here…

Energy and Charging

Can you do a long road trip in an electric car?

Do I have to have a charge point fitted at home?

Does your driving style affect how far you can drive?

When’s the best time to charge an electric car?

How often do I need to charge?

Are you ready to go electric?

Want to know if an electric car is the right choice for you?

Join in with our simple online quiz to find out more.

Can you do a long road trip in an electric car?

How does electric car charging work?

Electric is great because you just think about where you park up most of the time and pop it on charge when it suits you. For most people that’s at home or work. A bit like sipping water throughout the day instead of glugging down a litre when you’re desperately thirsty.

Once you know how your car charges it’s easy.

You’ll need to plug into a charge point, you can do this at home, at work, at service stations and at over 55,000 public charging points across the UK (January 2024).
You need to have your own charging cable – there are two types.
Most people charge at home overnight but out and about you can park up and charge or use a rapid charger.
Depending on where you charge you can just plug in, or you might need to use an app a plastic RFID tag, or a contactless card.

Everyone’s a bit confused about charging at first. But don’t worry, once you know how your car charges it’s easy.

How do I charge an electric car at home?

You probably park at home or work most of the time. And the easiest option if you have a driveway or garage is to have a wall mounted charge point (wall box) fitted. Quite a lot of wall boxes have a cable attached so you can drive up, plug it in and you’re done. Most are about shoebox size but can be as tiny as a small saucepan and you’ll need a qualified person to install it.

If you’re looking for an energy-efficient home charge point for your electric car, why not check out Indra’s smart home charger?

Don’t worry if you don’t have your own driveway, you can ask the council to install an on-street charge point (they can get a government grant for this). There are also more community charge points popping up, and you might even have one at work. Also think about where you park up during the week as you could get a decent charge while you do a bit of shopping.

When you buy a new electric car, they usually come with the cable you need (public charging cable). But it’s worth checking as some manufacturers are more generous than others.

Electric car charging with the Indra Smart Pro

How do I charge out and about or at work?

You’ll find two different types of charge points out and about and at work: Standard charger and Rapid chargers.

Standard chargers

You’ll mostly find standard charge points, there are over 44,000 across the UK (January 2024). These are great if you want to charge while you pop into town or go to work as you’ll need to give your car a few hours to charge from empty. You might see them called destination charge points.

electric car charging at rapid charger graphic

Rapid chargers

If your car can handle rapid charging, using this speedy method takes minutes rather than hours.  Don’t leave your car plugged in a rapid charger for too long (above 80%), it doesn’t do your battery any favours and annoys other drivers who want to use the charger.

Discover the Indra Smart PRO today

Indra smart chargers let you charge your car when energy is cheapest for you and best for the grid

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All you need to know about chargers and plugs

Confused by all of the electric car charger lingo? Don’t worry we’ll help you learn your CCS from your CHAdeMO, your Type 1 from your Type 2 plugs and what the differences are between destination charge points and rapid chargers.

Indra smart pro home charger with electric bolt graphic

Energy and Charging

Do I have to have a charge point fitted at home?

Does your driving style affect how far you can drive?

When’s the best time to charge an electric car?

How often do I need to charge?

Are you ready to go electric?

Want to know if an electric car is the right choice for you?

Join in with our simple online quiz to find out more.

What are the differences between electric car chargers and plugs?

If you’re up-to-speed on the basics of how to charge an electric car and want to understand a bit more about the different types of chargers and plugs, you’re in the right place.

Electric car plugged in a rapid charge point

What’s destination charging?

A destination charge point is when you use your own cable, plug in, walk away and come back when you’re ready. That might be after a day at work or when you’ve finished shopping, for example.

While you can leave your car plugged in, it’s polite to move your car when it’s finished charging so other people can fill up. If you’re charging at a park-and-ride and you’re in the middle of town though, there’s no need to rush back. But watch out for any time limit on charging sessions.

Find chargers near you!

What are Type 1 and Type 2 plugs?

Types 1 and 2 are kinds of charging plug. A few older cars have a Type 1 socket. But they also have a Type 1 to Type 2 cable for charging when you’re out and about, so you can plug in anywhere.

Most UK public charge points have Type 2 sockets and you’ll usually use your own cable to connect your car, though some come with the cable already attached. This is known as a tethered cable.

Don’t worry too much about the differences, it’s a bit like using either petrol or diesel. Once you know what your car uses, you’ll know what you’re looking for.

Graphic of Type 1 (5-pin) charging plug and Type 2 (7-pin)

What’s rapid charging?

Most newer cars can rapid charge and it’s something you do when you’re out and about – similar to how you fill up with petrol or diesel. It’s a little more expensive than charging at home but it can be quick.

You plug your car in, pop for a coffee and by the time you come back you should have enough charge for the next bit of your journey.

With rapid charging, you won’t be leaving your car to power up for hours at a time.

Download the Osprey charging app

Osprey Public Charging stations lined-up in a row

CCS and CHAdeMO

At DC rapid chargers you’ll find two kinds of cable, CCS and CHAdeMO, these cables are always attached to the charger so you’ll know it’s a rapid charge point.

These chargers convert AC electricity to DC before it reaches your car, which means the juice goes straight into your battery so it can charge much faster.

You’ll find CHAdeMO on a handful of older cars like the Nissan LEAF. But CCS has won that format war and is what you’ll see on most electric cars.

Some rapid chargers also have a Type 2 cable for older models like the original Renault ZOE. But these won’t rapid charge most cars, unfortunately.

Graphic of rapid DC charging sockets CCS (9-pins) and CHADeMO (4-pins).

Charging to 80%

Once they’re 80% full, most cars slow their rapid charging down to protect the battery. That means 80-100% can take as long as 0-80%, which makes 80% the best time to unplug, especially if someone else is waiting to charge.

Rather than trying to reach 100% it can actually be quicker to stop for another rapid charge later on, because charging is so much faster up to 80%.

Using a public charger

To use a public charger, you’ll need a way to pay. That’ll mean either an app, contactless card or a plastic tag known as a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), depending on what network the charger is on. The key is to plan ahead – check your route and see where you’ll find chargers.

You’ll find it much less hassle to download the right apps and create accounts while you’re at home. That hassle will start to disappear, though.

The motorway rapid charger network, for example, is being replaced and all new chargers have to accept contactless payment.

Find out more about our Indra Chargers

Indra smart chargers let you charge your car when energy is cheapest for you and best for the grid.

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Charge with Indra smart pro home charger

How much does installing an electric car charger cost?

To really make the most of your electric car experience and get the best value and convenience, you need a home charger. But how do you get one? What’s the electric car charger installation cost? And what’s the cost of charging an electric car at home?

In this article we’ll answer all your questions and power up your understanding of EV home charging.

Energy and Charging

Can you do a long road trip in an electric car?

Does your driving style affect how far you can drive?

Does it take long to charge an electric car?

Can electric cars go far?

How often do I need to charge an electric car?

When’s the best time to charge an electric car?

The Ultimate Guide to charging an electric car

Are you ready to go electric?

Want to know if an electric car is the right choice for you?

Join in with our simple online quiz to find out more.

Are there any government grants to help me go electric?

Charge up your knowledge

Before we get into the details of costs and how to get a home charger installed, here are a few facts to help you choose your charger.

Charger speed

The overwhelming majority of UK homes today install the fast 7kW charger and have become the standard option as prices have reduced, and are replacing the slower 3.6kW charger. 7kW chargers are simple to install and have the benefit of being able to be used with a single-phase electricity connection, which is what most UK homes have.

You may however see rapid 22kW installers advertised, providing around three times faster charging. However, at present these are incompatible with most UK homes since they require a three-phase power supply (found more commonly in commercial buildings).

The easiest way to find out about your home’s power connection is to look at your fuse board. If you have a single-phase connection, you’ll have one main fuse, while three-phase homes have three main fuses.

image of a women charging an electric car

Tethered or untethered?

What does tethered and untethered actually mean? In short, tethered comes with a cable and untethered without.

Tethered (with cable)

Plug straight into the inbuilt charging cable
Cable wraps around charger for fast, convenient storage
No risk of losing or forgetting cable

Untethered (without cable)

Use your own connector cable
Choose the right cable length for maximum flexibility
Replace or upgrade your cable at any time

Smart charging

In 2021, the law changed and all private EV chargers needed to have smart charging functionality that enables scheduled charging and very often includes remote control via a smart device. Furthermore, other smart functions can include remote locking for when you are not at home, energy usage monitoring to provide real-time data and cost tracking to detail a summary of every charging session.

Plug compatibility

Before you choose a charger, make sure it is compatible with your electric car, by checking the plug your charger comes with and matching it with the type of socket on your car. Thanks to standardisation, this is now quite straightforward, since the vast majority of cars have Type 2 sockets.

Type 2

These sockets have been mandatory on all new electric vehicles in the EU since 2014.

Type 1

These sockets are now only found on some older models of Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi PHEV Outlander.

How much does it cost to install an electric car charger?

The cost of installation will vary depending on a few factors, including the location of your home and the complexity of the installation. So, let’s look at those in more detail.

Charger

There are lots of different chargers on the market, with different features and price-points. Which you choose will influence the cost.

Location

The location of your home will also affect the cost of installation. If your home is located in a difficult-to-access area, such as a narrow street or a gated community, the cost of installation could be higher.

Difficulty

The complexity of the installation will also affect the cost. If you have a dedicated electricity supply for your home charging point, the installation will be simpler and less expensive. However, if you need to upgrade your electricity supply, the cost of installation will be higher.

Introducing the Indra Smart Pro

Super charge your electric driving with an Indra Smart PRO home charger. Full of the latest features, this innovative charger puts you in the driving seat with cheaper, faster and more advanced charging.

Find out more

Can I charge my electric car with a 3-pin plug?

Dr Euan McTurk talks us through the pros and cons of 3-pin charging – including meltdowns, hot coils and caution.

The Basics

How much do electric cars cost compared to other cars?

The Ultimate Electric Car Guide

Electric car jargon buster

Ultimate Guide to ULEZ

How popular is electric car leasing

Are electric cars safe and reliable

Are you ready to go electric?

Want to know if an electric car is the right choice for you?

Join in with our simple online quiz to find out more.

Plugs – A modern history…

Before the modern format came in, 3-pin plugs (or granny plugs, as they’re called in the trade), were the only way to charge your electric car. In fact, in parts of Europe, they’re still using that system today.

So if you’re in the middle of nowhere and you need to charge your car, go ahead and use a 10 amp 3-pin plug. It’s certainly better than nothing.

Errrmmmm – is that it for the pros?

Really, I’m afraid it is. There are lots of very good reasons why charging with a 3-pin plug should be the exception rather than the rule.

Let’s start with safety.

That plug will have been designed to cope with short bursts of high power-draw. But when you’re charging an electric car, the vehicle draws a lot of power out of that socket for long periods, potentially overnight. So you’ll have significant heat being generated. If the house’s wiring is old, or maybe not done to the highest standard (which we’ve often found in garages where it’s more of an afterthought), then there is an electrical safety risk.

The car’s cable is doing its job properly – but the plug or socket could overheat and melt.

That’s really scary. Particularly if everyone in the house is asleep when it’s happening.

There’s another possible overheating problem, too, if you’re using an extension cable. The cable in your car has a sensor and, if the socket does get hot, it will probably sense that and stop charging. Your car won’t be charged, but that inconvenience is better than a fire.

But if you’re using an extension lead, then the plug that actually fits into the wall won’t be connected to the temperature sensor. And that’s the one that will get hot. It’s potentially even worse if you haven’t completely unrolled the extension lead, because extra heat will be generated by the coiled cable. You could actually melt the whole cable if you leave it coiled up.

Compelling reasons to approach 3-pin charging with an abundance of caution!

Yes. It’s fine to get you out of trouble on a one-off basis. But day to day, it’s definitely not the way to go. A properly installed, properly rated Type 2 charger (or Type 1 if you have an older vehicle) is designed to supply, say, 7 kilowatts an hour for hours and hours, safely and efficiently. It’s basically over-engineered, so it’s not going to melt!
But of course, that’s not the only benefit you get with a proper charger.

Are smart chargers faster than a 3-pin plug?

So much faster! Most people can get a 7-kilowatt smart charger installed, and that will immediately reduce their charging time by a third of using a 3-pin. If you get home on empty, and need a full charge by the next day, you’ll get that with a charge point.

With the price of electricity being what it is today, is there any cost benefit to a smart charger?

Yes. For example, if you’ve got solar panels, a smart charge point will measure what your car needs and what your house is consuming. It will then pump the difference into your car’s battery without needing to take anything from the grid. So when conditions are right, you’ll be running on free electricity from your happy free-range solar electronics.

The smart charger will handle everything automatically, ramping the power up and down as necessary, switching off if the weather becomes overcast etc. You’ll still have the opportunity to top up from the grid if you need to. If you have an electric car and are planning to install a smart charger, I would definitely say think about adding some solar panels

What if I just have a smart charger?

You can still save money on electricity. Even if your car doesn’t have a charging timer, you can get a smart charger that has one. Link it to your electricity supplier’s off-peak rate and it will only charge your car during the hours when it’s cheapest to do so.

Some very smart chargers even take it a step further – they grab maximum power in half-hour windows when it’s at its very cheapest. No 3-pin plug is smart enough, or fast enough, to match that.

Modern charge points are safe, smart, robust devices, designed to last for years and serve your electric car well. They’re a good investment that will save you money in the long run.

Dr Euan McTurk is a consultant battery electrochemist who runs Plug Life Consulting. He spends most of his time helping industry, academia, government, business and media with everything to do with electric cars. What Euan doesn’t know about electric cars simply isn’t worth knowing.

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Find out all about the benefits of Indra smart chargers today

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The Ultimate Home Charging Guide

Electric car chargers are a key part of the switch for many who go electric and charge at home. Here our ultimate guide gives you the lowdown…

Energy and Charging

Can you do a long road trip in an electric car?

Do I have to have a charge point fitted at home?

Does your driving style affect how far you can drive?

Can electric cars far go?

Does it take long to charge an electric car?

Do I need to charge an electric car often?

When’s the best time to charge an electric car?

The Ultimate Guide to charging an electric car

Are you ready to go electric?

Want to know if an electric car is the right choice for you?

Join in with our simple online quiz to find out more.

How do you charge an electric car at home?

Most electric car owners use a home charging point. These are dedicated devices that you install so you can plug in and charge when you’re at home. They’re weatherproof and are specially designed to safely charge your electric car.

Home chargers use a normal domestic electricity supply (known as a UK domestic AC single phase supply) to give speeds of up to 7kW.

How long does it take to charge an electric car at home?

If you drive a Nissan LEAF with a 39kWh battery, for example, it takes around seven and a half hours to fully charge – and that charge would give you 168 miles of range.

It’s rare to fully flatten a battery, though, so it’s unlikely to take that long. Most drivers keep their cars at 20%-80% to look after the battery.

When is the best time to charge an electric car?

For most of us, the cheapest and most convenient way to charge is overnight. You’re at home and energy tariffs can be cheaper. This is also the time of day when more of the grid’s energy is coming from renewables – but this changes according to your energy company and tariff.

Smart chargers have intelligent built-in features to manage your car’s charge. You can set charging times and schedules. When you enter your energy provider and tariff they can charge automatically while you sleep or when energy is cheapest.

You can also check on your car’s battery while it’s charging and see your stats from a smartphone app. Some smart chargers also let you use energy from solar panels on your home, so you can use free power from the sun rather than from the grid.

Electric car chargers usually have a tethered connection. This is a permanently attached cable and charging socket.

Some chargers are ‘untethered’ so you can plug in different cables. This is useful if you have more than one electric car with different cables or if you think you might want to change your cable length.

Most tethered chargers use a Type 2 cable, which fits all new cars in the UK. It uses a 7-pin plug, often called a ‘Mennekes’.

You might sometimes see Type 1 cables, which use 5 pins. They’re getting rarer and rarer though, as they were only used on early Nissan LEAF models, the first-generation Kia Soul EV and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

Yes – there’s a grant of up to £350, or 75% off the cost to buy and install a socket, whichever amount is lower, for people living in a flat, apartment or rental property in the UK to install an electric car charger.

To qualify for the OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles) grant, you’ll need to:

show you’ve recently bought or are leasing an electric vehicle
show that off-street parking is available at your property, and
have your landlord’s permission if you’re a tenant.

Also, you can only get the grant when you buy your first electric car, and you can’t have more than two OZEV-funded chargers at the property already.

How do you install an electric car charger at home?

Once you’ve decided which charger is right for you and whether you’re eligible for an OZEV grant, it’s time to pick an installer.

To install Indra Smart PRO chargers, we partner with Plug Me In, who can install across the whole country.

Our installers will start by visiting you to check over the details. This survey means they can do the essential electrical safety checks before they set a date to fit your charger.

Sometimes you might need to upgrade your distribution board or other electrical components first, but your installer will explain the details.

They’ll also agree where to install the charger with you. They need to follow electric car charger installation guidelines and the latest regulations, as well as checking where your nearest power supply is and making sure you can park off the street.

Then on your installation day, they’ll fit your charging station and make sure the charging cable is in a safe place. It normally takes about three hours, but it’s a good idea to be available for the whole day just in case.

Before they leave, they’ll register the charger, set up your details and carry out various tests to make sure things are working properly. Then they should show you how to use the charger and how to install the app, as well as help you download the app onto your phone, tablet or computer. As it’s a smart charger, you can check it and control it with the app whenever you’re online.

Can home car chargers use energy from solar panels?

Yes they can – and it can make a big difference when the sun is shining. But you’ll need to do your homework first…

First, you’ll need a solar-compatible charger. Some just work, others need a bit of extra hardware and some don’t work at all.

Second, you’ll need enough power from your solar panels to charge your car and your house. As a rule of thumb, you should aim for about 8-12 panels facing in a direction that gets plenty of sun. This should give you enough power – for example, the Indra Smart PRO charger needs a minimum of 1.4kW/6A to charge a car.

Then – once you’ve got the right charger and you’re generating enough power – you can drive your sunlight-powered car!

This is one of the big challenges for people who want to go electric but who don’t have their own drive.

The most common choice is just plugging in to a destination charger – either near your home or at work. If you can make it work, it might be the best option.

Otherwise, some councils offer on-street residential parking – so it might be worth talking to them. Different solutions include lamp post chargers, free-standing units on the pavement, or telescopic chargers.

While you might sometimes see cars parked up with a 3-pin cable running across the pavement, we don’t recommend it.

There are a few questions you should ask when you’re choosing which charger is right for you:

How smart does it need to be? Not all smart chargers are the same: some use simple timers you need to set while others (like the Indra Smart PRO) have advanced features like smart scheduling and continuous updates.
Tethered or untethered? Tethered chargers have a cable permanently connected, which makes it much simpler to plug in when you get home. Untethered means you can remove the cable: either to swap it for a longer or shorter cable or for one with a different socket.
Do you have solar panels? If so, carefully check that you choose a compatible charger.
How does it look? Most drivers want something subtle, especially if it’s on the front of their house, but you can choose from plenty of different styles, from the mild to the wild.

Why choose an Indra Smart PRO charger from ElectriX?

The Indra Smart PRO charger is designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK. It’s one of the smartest on the market and it works with all electric cars. What we really like about the Smart PRO is that it helps you charge from home when it’s cheapest – and it can charge quickly at speeds of up to 7.4kW.

We offer a complete home charging solution with Indra, a leading British EV charger and smart energy technology firm – and we can get your charger installed for you too.

Our customers love how reliable and efficient the Smart PRO is, while also including smart features like personal charging schedules, solar matching compatibility, a quick boost function, automatic software updates and patented home fuse protection. It has a five-year warranty as standard.

You can also check your status, update preferences and track your home charging history directly from your phone with the Indra app.

What’s included with an Indra charger from ElectriX?

We also offer a straightforward installation programme with our nationwide installation partner, Plug Me In.

If you buy from ElectriX, your charger will include a site survey and installation, with up to 15 metres of mains supply cabling. You’ll also get a 5-metre charging cable. You can connect it via Wi-Fi, 4G or an ethernet cable.

There’s a bit of price variation but you should budget about £1,000 for a quality charger like an Indra Smart PRO.

What does that include? First of all, it should include a well-built and well-designed smart charger – plus a site survey, standard installation and VAT. It’s also worth checking whether you’ll need to pay extra for things like internet connections and integration with a home solar system.

You might also have to pay for any extra electrical equipment you need. Before they do anything, your installer will check with the electricity company that runs the energy network to your home. If they insist on adding or changing anything like an isolator switch or distribution board, that will add to the bill too.

There are a few ways you can check. Your car can tell you how much juice it has on its dashboard display, as well as how much range that gives you – and plenty of other details about your battery. Most modern cars have an app, too.

You can also check your charger. A good quality charger will have a display or indicators on it, while the most advanced smart devices will have a companion app.

How much does it cost to charge an electric car at home?

It depends on your tariff but you can charge for as little as 2p per mile.

A lot of electric car drivers choose an off-peak tariff which is cheaper at night (though more expensive during the day). That’s because there’s less demand for energy in the middle of the night, so it’s much cheaper to buy. And if you’ve got a smart charger you don’t even need to turn your charger on or off during the night: it just happens automatically.

They’re not very popular yet, but some energy suppliers also offer variable tariffs. These use smart technology to change your prices depending on how much demand there is.

Can you power your home with an electric car?

Using a car to power your home is called ‘V2H’ or ‘Vehicle to Home’ technology. This promising new technology lets you use your car’s enormous battery to power your home.

As well as being very useful during power cuts and unexpected outages, it also lets you store up either solar power from your roof panels or off-peak electricity you’ve bought cheaper at night.

There have been several trial schemes already but it hasn’t yet come to market.

couple-ev-charging-at-home-with-Indra-charging

Do home chargers have any common problems?

According to the experts at Indra, there are two common problems. The first is when a charger’s internet connection isn’t good enough. The charger will still work but you won’t be able to use the charging app. In this case, they recommend running a cable to your charger for internet.

The second is ‘nuisance tripping’, when the charger keeps turning off – normally because of something happening with your home’s electricity supply. Advanced chargers like the Indra Smart PRO have technology to deal with the problem.

Get a smart home charger

Top up your car at home with a smart charger.

Smart charging – schedule charges when you need them and when energy is cheapest
Easy installation – book an appointment with approved installers
Advanced charging tech – we’re working with smart charging experts

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How often do I need to charge an electric car?

How often you need to charge an electric car depends how much you drive and what type of electric car you have, but most people only need to power up about once a week.

Energy and Charging

Can you do a long road trip in an electric car?

Do I have to have a charge point fitted at home?

Does your driving style affect how far you can drive?

When’s the best time to charge an electric car?

Are you ready to go electric?

Want to know if an electric car is the right choice for you?

Join in with our simple online quiz to find out more.