I'm buying an electric car, what electrical power should I contract for my home?

If you are thinking about buying an electric car, you should ask yourself this question: what electrical power should I use at home? Keep in mind that by doing some small calculations, the investment could be much lower than you think.

More and more car manufacturers are introducing into their ranges fully electric cars But these vehicles have to carry their loads; either in public chargers or in private chargers installed in the owners' own homes.

Now, I'm buying an electric car, but what electrical power should I contract for my home? Although there are more and more public charging points that can be found on the roads of our country, it is recommended that charging takes place at home since, for the moment, ultra-fast charging has not been standardized that allows drivers to recharge their car in just a few minutes in a so-called electric station.

It is important to differentiate that a fast charge is usually DC, CC, and is usually available in various powers that fall between the 50 and 100 kW. When it occurs 150 kWh is called super-fast charging while when it occurs at 350 kWh is classified as ultra-fast charging. In addition, semi-fast charges are in alternating current, CA, and vary between the 11 kW and the 22 kWAlthough in much of Europe they are standard powers, in Spain, for the moment, it is not so common.

What electrical power should I contract if I have an electric car?

Now is when car brands are betting on the development of electric cars and with them the increase in capacity of lithium-ion batteries. This increase may cause the market to be filled with vehicles with batteries with a capacity of approximately 65 kWh, that is, around 400 kilometres of real autonomy. This figure translated into charging times can be around 6 hours with an 11 kW charging station and 3 hours if the point is 22 kW. If fast charging were available, the vehicle could be charged in one hour and twenty minutes with a power of 50 kW, forty minutes at 100 kW, 25 minutes at 150 kW and 10 minutes at 350 kW.

If we take into account daily journeys, studies claim that we only travel an average of 30 km/day by car, so if we charge at home and at night, we would achieve the same battery with plenty of autonomy available and no need to resort to public chargers. 

Before making the decision of what power to hire at home to charge the electric car It is important to know that most of the electric cars currently on the market They can only charge at a maximum of 7,4 kW with a single-phase socket. This means that you can contract the type of power that best suits your needs. The most common are 2,3 kW, 3,45 kW, 4,6 kW, 5,75 kW or 6,9 kW, but it is important to remember that each user can contract the exact power they want.

As a tip, it would be advisable to hire a power of 4,6 kW or even 5,75 kW, but you can always opt for the 6,9 kW which will make it possible for the vehicle with a 65 kWh battery to be fully charged in about nine hours.

What requirements are needed to install a charging point at home?

Electric cars can be charged from any socket that has a certain technical characteristics (starting with grounding), but there are some minor considerations to take into account. The faster we want the charge to be, the more we have to delve into technical issues.

If we have a single-family home with a private garage, we will surely have a socket with 10 amps, which would give a maximum of 2,3 kW of powerElectric cars can have either a small charger for occasional use, or specific connector for charging points designed for this purpose. In some cases, the occasional-use charger is sold separately and is not included in the equipment.

El Occasional charger is not as fast as the specific one, and it can run really slowly. For example, if it runs at 6 amps, we would need 12 hours to get to 16 kWh. Depending on the installation, more or less work and modifications to the electrical circuit will be required. The thickness of the cables, for example, is a factor to take into account. The regulation that governs all this is called TC-BT-52, from the Low Voltage Electrical Regulations, approved last year. All installations must be carried out by qualified staff. Fast charging points and superchargers They are not intended for home users due to their high cost. Their purpose is to solve specific mobility problems, they are not for regular and continuous use.

We can Install a charging point in a public parking space, informing the president of the community in writing, as defined by the 19 / 2009, of measures to promote and speed up the rental process and the energy efficiency of buildings. In the event that a secondary meter is required, the approval of the community of owners is also necessary.

Depending on each case, a separate counter or a line will be derived from the main counter to the charger. It is advisable to seek advice from a qualified electrician, because this type of installation can only be carried out by them. The cost depends on what needs to be done in each case.

In no case will the community of neighbors assume these costs. On the other hand, it is necessary to consider the cost of the charging point itself, depending on their power, safety measures and types of connectors. The most basic ones have a connector Schuko, others have European connector It's heavenly and others the Yazaki. The indicative price would be between 500 and 1.500 euros, but the so-called has just been approved MOVES plan, which will provide aid for the installation of a charging point, as well as for the purchase of an electric car.

On the other hand, electric companies have a tariff designed especially for electric cars, whose technical name is Tariff 2.0 DHS, and is designed for a maximum power of 10 kW, which is what was previously known as Super Valley Rate. Although the Royal Decree 216 / 2014, of March 28, which established this rate, regulates the way of calculating voluntary prices for the small consumer, these are free and are established every hour. We can consult it in the Transparency Portal of the Spanish Electricity Grid (ESIOS).

This rate allows you to save money by charging your car during times when there is less demand for energy, i.e. at night. As you can see, there are many factors involved in the decision to choose an electric power to charge your electric car at home.