How to Choose the Right EV Charging Station for Your Needs in Bangalore, India?

When you want to buy a charging station for your electric vehicle in Bengaluru, the offer is abundant on the market.

How to make the most of your electric vehicle? By having a charging point at your Bangalore home! Unlike cars with a petrol engine, you will never again have to waste time looking for a refueling point outside your home: provided you have suitable accommodation, it becomes possible to recharge your electric car exclusively at home in Bangalore for everyday needs. The ideal is of course to leave your car connected in the evening with a partially discharged battery, then recover it in the morning with a full tank., there are several technical solutions, the suitability of which depends on the size of your vehicle's batteries, your charging speed needs, and your budget.

Know your need to choose the power of the charging station in Bangalore

The major criterion that should guide your choice is the power of the charging station. For what? Because the sinews of war are clearly the autonomy that you need to recover with each charge, depending on the use you make of your vehicle. The power of a home charging station can be between 3.7 and 22 kW. No need to draw your own: the more power the terminal delivers, the faster the charging will be.

Here is the autonomy that allows you to recover a charging station according to its power:

• Around 20 km/hour of charging for a 3.7 kW terminal
• Approximately 40 km/hour of charging for a 7.4 kW terminal
• Approximately 75 km/hour of charging for an 11 kW terminal
• Approximately 150 km/hour of recharging for a 22 kW terminal
  

Imagine that you travel 100 km every day to and from work: a terminal with a power of 3.7 kW or 7.4 kW is perfectly suited to your needs since it allows you to recover the necessary autonomy for your trip in 5 hours (for a 3.7 kW terminal) or 2.5 hours (for a 7.4 kW terminal) of charge.

Good to know :

Fully recharging a 50 kWh battery requires 14 hours with a 3.7 kW charging station and 7 hours with a 7.4 kW charging station. These two power levels, therefore, meet the needs of most electric vehicle drivers.

In certain specific cases, a more powerful terminal (11 kW or 22 kW) – and therefore faster – may be appropriate. This will be the case for a heavy rider who needs to recharge his 100 kWh battery every day.

But before investing in such a terminal, two things to check:

• that the electrical installation of your home in Bangalore is compatible with a three-phase current system, otherwise you will have to change your entire electrical installation;
• that the desired power does not exceed the maximum load supported by your vehicle.

Good to know :

Some electric vehicles limit charging to 10 or 14 amps, single-phase only. In this case, the charging power is limited to 7.4 kW, the maximum power offered in a single phase. It is therefore useless to buy a charging station delivering higher power.

Check the power of your electrical installation

Before installing a charging station at home, it is essential to check the electrical power available. Nothing could be simpler: it appears on your electricity bill.

To charge an electric vehicle, a power of between 6 and 12 kVa is required, depending on your electrical equipment. Of course, your car will be the most electricity-consuming element, but you have to keep excess power, that is to say not used by the car, for the electrical appliances in the house: oven, washing machine, and others. household appliances, hot water tank, electric radiators… For example, a microwave oven has a power of 1 kW.

Good to know :

1 kVA equals 1 kW. The first unit corresponds to the contractual power subscribed to your electricity supplier while the second expresses the power of an electrical device. If your power is insufficient, contact your electricity supplier. If it is correct, a smart terminal can do the trick.

Determine the level of intelligence you need

Some charging stations – called smart – allow you to manage the charging of your electric car in an optimal way. The key is savings, without compromising on comfort.

How does it work? The charging station assesses the best time to charge your vehicle. It modulates a load of your car according to the electricity needs of the house (domestic appliances, heating, etc.). In short: if your home's electrical network is already under heavy load, the device will reduce the charging power of the charging station. Conversely, when household consumption decreases, the terminal will use the maximum power available to charge your vehicle.

A smart terminal can thus, in certain cases, prevent you from revising your electricity subscription upwards or allow you to benefit from advantageous electricity rates (the famous off-peak hours for example). Some charging stations also allow charging to be controlled remotely. Check that your car does not allow this before choosing this option.

How to book your charging slot via the mobile app?

As electric vehicles become more popular, it's important to have convenient and accessible charging options. Fortunately, there are now many mobile apps and online platforms that allow you to locate, reserve, and pay for charging sessions. Here's how to use them:

Download a Charging App

There are many apps available for electric vehicle charging. Some of the most popular ones include ChargePoint, EVgo, and Electrify America. These apps allow you to find charging stations near you, reserve them, and pay for the charging session all in one place.

Create an Account

Once you've downloaded the app, you'll need to create an account. This usually involves providing your name, email address, and payment information. Some apps may also require you to provide your vehicle information.

Find a Charging Station

Once you've created an account, you can use the app to find charging stations near you. The app will show you a map of charging stations in your area, along with information about the type of charger available, the cost, and whether the station is currently available.

Reserve a Charging Station

Once you've found a charging station that you want to use, you can reserve it using the app. This ensures that the station will be available when you arrive.

Pay for the Charging Session

After you've reserved the charging station, you can pay for the charging session using the app. This usually involves entering your payment information and confirming the amount you'll be charged.

Start Charging

Once you've paid for the charging session, you can start charging your electric vehicle. Some charging apps will even allow you to monitor the progress of your charging session in real time.

Using mobile apps and online platforms to locate, reserve, and pay for charging sessions is a convenient and easy way to ensure that you always have access to charging options for your electric vehicle. With these apps, you can quickly and easily find charging stations near you, reserve them, and pay for the charging session all in one place.