How Do Electric Car Charging Stations Work? A Kid's Guide

Are you thinking about purchasing an electric car? An excellent idea, both for the environment and for your wallet. Who says the electric car, necessarily says charging station? How does an electric car charging station work? What do you need to know? How to install one at home? We answer all your questions!

What is an electric charging station?

The charging station is, as its name suggests, a terminal dedicated to charging your electric car, like a phone or laptop charger. The size of the charger and its power are not the same as for a smartphone, but in principle, the operation is the same.

When purchasing an electric car, you will need to equip yourself with an electric charging station. If you find one on public roads, near certain shops or businesses, the simplest thing is to have one at home, to recharge your car peacefully, overnight. The charging station comes in the form of a compact box, which can be installed on a stand or the wall of your garage. This charging station will be powered by your home's electrical circuit. In this sense, installing a terminal generally requires an electrical diagnosis to choose the right power. The terminal must not trip your electrical circuit, but it must have sufficient power to recharge your car within a reasonable time. On average, home charging stations range from 3.7 to 22 KW. Depending on the system your car is equipped with, it is possible to charge your car in 9 hours or 2 hours.

The different types of electric charging stations

AC electric car terminals

We speak of AC terminals to describe terminals using alternating current. Concretely, alternating current is a type of current that regularly changes direction, and which can be transferred over long distances. This is why all our outlets at home distribute alternating current, and why this type of current is used on public networks.

However, there is a small subtlety: our sockets distribute alternating current, but our devices, like the telephone or the computer, store energy in the form of direct current. Any laptop or smartphone battery is actually equipped with a converter, which transforms alternating current into direct current for storage. In the case of an AC electric car charging station, it's the same thing: the terminal emits alternating current, and the car converts this alternating current into direct current, to be stored in the battery. An efficient device, but it offers slower charging than DC.

DC electric vehicle terminals

DC terminals are terminals that directly supply direct current. These terminals are themselves equipped with a converter, which transforms the alternating current from your electrical network into direct current, before distributing it to the vehicle's battery. They therefore offer much faster charging than AC terminals. Typically, these are the terminals that you find at motorway rest areas to quickly recharge electric vehicles. Their installation cost and the electrical power required for the DC terminals do not yet allow installation in private homes. To benefit from fast charging, turn to the most powerful AC terminals.

How does an electric charging station work?

As we have seen, the electric charging station works simply: it uses the current from your electrical circuit and transmits it using a cable adapted to the vehicle, converting upstream, or not, the type of fluent. As for the terminal itself, it includes different parts:

• Type 3 socket base (national standard)
• The electrical contactor which allows the circulation of current
• The electronic card which ensures the proper functioning of the terminal
• The control buttons which allow you to put the load on or off.
• Some terminals can also be equipped with a day/night contractor to benefit from the off-peak hours of your electricity subscription.
• In some areas, a surge protector may also be included in the terminal, although all terminals are equipped with a wire that provides continuity to the ground to ensure your safety.
• Finally, certain terminals can be “connected” in order to send you information about the current charge directly to your smartphone.
  
  

And there you have it, it’s not more complicated than that! You now know what a charging station is for your electric car.