FAQs to answer questions like "should I install an EV charging station now or later? "
Do the batteries have a negative impact on the space available?
E-vehicles are particularly versatile and spacious. Basically, many batteries are required, but these can be found on the floor of the vehicle. This placement provides a better center of gravity and greater agility. In addition, the electric motor is much smaller than the classic combustion engine, so some vehicles can even have two trunks. In addition, there is no need for drive shafts, which normally impede the space available in the vehicle interior.
What differences does an e-vehicle have in terms of driving characteristics?
In principle, an electric vehicle is used like a classic vehicle with an automatic transmission. It has gas and brake pedals. The well-known shift lever with the modes D, N, R, and P can also be found in electric vehicles. However, an e-vehicle always has the maximum torque, so acceleration takes place almost without any noticeable interruptions. The energy recovery also ensures that the engine is used when braking and thus reduces wear on the brakes. At the moment, e-vehicles are comparatively heavy, but technical developments will outweigh this disadvantage over the coming years. By placing the batteries on the vehicle floor, e-vehicles also have an optimal balance and excellent handling.
Are e-vehicles more dangerous than conventional vehicles in an accident?
Regardless of the aggregate used, vehicles must undergo strict crash tests. Electric vehicles also do without clutches, gears, and oils and therefore have fewer components that can contribute to a failure or even a fire. In an electric vehicle, the batteries are isolated from the rest of the vehicle and are disconnected from the system in the event of an accident. Furthermore, the batteries have their own cooling and are particularly heat-resistant, so that a fire would be controlled.
How do heat and cold affect the range?
Every type of drive requires more energy in extreme weather conditions. So does an electric vehicle. This reduces the range. However, if the vehicle is charged during the cold season, the battery can be warmed up, reducing energy consumption while driving. For example, the vehicle can be heated or cooled to the desired temperature so that the energy is only needed to maintain it while driving.
The ideal operating temperature for electric cars is 25°C. Only rough reference points can be defined for the ranges at higher and lower temperatures: At 0°C the range is still approx. 70% and at -20°C approx. 50% of the normal range. If the operating temperature rises above 45°C, the vehicle only has a range of approx. 50-60% of the range under ideal conditions.
Can an electric vehicle be charged in the rain?
Of course, you can also charge the electric models in the rain without hesitation. The vehicles and sockets have several levels of protection that prevent electric shock. For example, the current will not flow until the plug is securely inserted into the socket and both the car and the socket are safe. Conversely, the current stops flowing before you have completely pulled the cable out of the socket.
How long do batteries in electric cars last?
Battery life in electric vehicles is very long. Experience from other countries shows that, depending on the technology used, the batteries retain 75 to 90 percent of their original capacity even after 200,000 or 300,000 kilometers. At the same time, with the development of electromobility, the costs of replacing the batteries are falling. Even batteries that are no longer suitable for driving a car are still very valuable and are used in community and industrial projects. In addition, recycling in this area is being advanced rapidly. Conventional lead-acid batteries in combustion engines are almost 100 percent recyclable.
Why you should buy your own charging station?
A charging station is required to establish communication with the vehicle and ensure safe charging. This basic requirement for electromobility can only be guaranteed by charging technology that has been professionally installed. One of the major influencing factors: is the loading time. Thanks to the high charging power of 11 or 22 kW, which is achieved thanks to a three-phase connection, you can charge up to 10 times faster at charging stations than at a household socket.
"Snoring" is a thing of the past and you gain a lot of flexibility in everyday life. Having your own charging station offers another advantage that many users are not aware of: the higher the charging power, the better the efficiency. This is due to the fact that additional consumers are always active during a charging process, eg battery monitoring. The shorter the charging time, the lower the unnecessary power consumption. But the efficiency is also higher since chargers have less energy loss with higher charging power. A charging station can also have a financial impact over several years.
Should you charge an electric car to 100%?
You should not charge an electric car's battery to 100 percent because this is bad for its lifespan. In daily use, it is better to limit this to 80 percent, a limit that also saves you time during charging (the maximum charging speed is reached between 20 and 80 percent). Ditto when you park the car: avoid charging the battery to 100 percent. The onboard system makes it possible to determine the desired percentage. If you want to take a long journey, you can of course charge up to 100 percent. But that should be an exception.
How to Choose a Home EV Charger?
When choosing a charger, consider the following aspects given below:
- The charging power-Find out how much AC power needs to be used to charge your electric vehicle. It should correspond to the maximum power of the vehicle's onboard charger. To charge most of the cars available in our market currently, a power of 3.7 or 7.4 kW has been used. However, before purchasing a charging station, you should find out these figures.
- Check load of the household power supply- It has been determined that there are enough connection points in the power grid to ensure optimal charging of the electric vehicle, since, of course, the load on the network will increase significantly. For comparison, the load when charging an electric vehicle corresponds to the load of 4-5 microwave ovens when operating simultaneously. Be sure to invite a professional to calculate the allowable load.
- Choose the correct plug for the charger-The plug of the charger needs to be selected in correspondence with the charging socket installed by the manufacturer. The Type 2 plug is suitable for European cars, Type 1 for Japanese cars, and all. It is noted that all carmakers are gradually starting to install Type 2, which meets European standards.
- Safety-Make sure the charging equipment you choose has built-in DC detection and overload protection. If the charging equipment does not have DC leakage protection, then the facility must have a type B leakage current protection device, the cost of which varies from brand to brand. In addition, the site needs to be fitted with an appropriate fuse for the load and a standard RCD.
- The remote equipment control and payment options-To connect the charging equipment to any remote control system for equipment or payment system, for example, Electrum, or e-Mobi, the charging equipment must have a built-in OCPP communication protocol and the ability to connect an Ethernet cable or SIM card for data exchange. The integration process for untested hardware can be difficult but not impossible because hardware settings are customizable for successful integration. In addition, charging equipment must have a built-in MID-certified electricity meter.
- Communication with the car-The charger must comply with the MODE 3 communication mode, which, in simple terms, defines how the charging equipment communicates with the vehicle.
