Jun. 30, 2025
Energy
While public electric vehicles (EV) infrastructure continues to develop throughout the UK, EV drivers and fleet operators must still invest in their own chargepoints as a practical matter. As useful as public chargepoints are, the growing energy demand for EVs means that many drivers can expect long queues at charging stations. Even when they are available, public EV charging stations won’t always offer the speed or compatibility that you need for your journey.
Because of this, charging your EV at home or your workplace guarantees that your vehicle is always ready to go. However, this is only true when you have an EV charger that fits your specific needs. Here are the top chargepoint model features to consider for your upcoming EV home charging point installation:
Faster charging speeds help guarantee flexibility and maximum use from your EVs. As a practical matter, faster is better when it comes to EV chargers. The most common EV charging point installation options include the following charger types:
Domestic Plug Sockets: These are the slowest chargers, typically providing around 2 to 3 kWh. These are generally only suitable for overnight charging since getting a full charge with these requires several hours.
7 kWh Chargers: These are common home chargers and can fully charge most EVs roughly twice as fast as domestic plug sockets. They still make more sense for overnight charging, but they should be sufficient for daily use in general.
22 kWh Chargers: These are substantially faster options than either 7 kWh or domestic plug sockets. These are the charger types most often found in public charging stations or homes with three-phase power, providing most EVs with a full charge within 3-4 hours and with top-ups just lasting about 1-2 hours.
DC Fast Chargers: These are the fastest chargepoints that can provide most EVs up to 80% charge in as little as 30 minutes. They are most commonly found along motorways and in commercial locations.
Tethered EV chargers have built-in cables, providing convenience and protection against cable theft. Untethered chargers require separate cables, offering flexibility and potential cost savings, as damaged or short cables can be replaced without affecting the unit. Either tethered and untethered chargers can be a good choice depending on your charging habits and future EV requirements. Whichever option you choose, be sure to have it professionally installed.
Type 2 connectors are, by far, the most common connector type in the UK and the EU. These support both single-phase (7kWh) and three-phase (22kWh) AC charging. They also feature a locking mechanism that can deter tampering, making it a great way to secure your EV while it’s charging.
If you own a vehicle that uses other connectors, however, make sure your charger supports its proprietary connector in addition to Type 2. This will ensure your chargepoint is future-proofed, if you purchase another EV.
The location of your home chargepoint can influence the lifespan of your hardware as well as your daily charging experience. Ideally, the chargepoint should be near your driveway or inside your garage in a spot that is immediately accessible to your car’s charge ports.
The cumulative effects of the elements on your chargepoint hardware should also be considered. While many chargepoints are durable and weather-resistant, providing some cover will add an extra layer of protection and longevity.
EV chargepoints need to be supported by a safe and sufficiently powerful property electrical system. EV charging point installers like Elecology can help assess your electrical system and make recommendations on upgrades. Any modifications that need to be done to your existing system should be followed to the letter to avoid any possible mishaps.
Goto Inventronics to know more.
Smart features on chargers can significantly improve your quality of life as an EV owner. Look for features such as:
Wi-Fi or Bluetooth Connectivity: Wireless connectivity lets you monitor and control your charger remotely via a smartphone app.
Scheduling: This enables you to take advantage of off-peak electricity rates, which are usually in the early morning.
Energy Monitoring: This feature can help you manage your electricity usage and bring down the cost of EV ownership.
Functionality is the first thing you must look out for. However, an aesthetically pleasing EV chargepoint will also complement your home and help improve the experience of EV ownership. When choosing between two similar options, choose whichever complements your garage’s design.
All EV drivers want is a simple EV charging experience. One of the key components to providing seamless EV charging is a great EV charging app. It’s what most EV drivers use to find a charger and make payment when they’re not charging at home or at work. The problem is, app fatigue is a thing nowadays, and people are installing and using fewer apps than in recent years . Therefore, when drivers do download your EV charging app, you’d better make sure it gives them a great EV charging experience. Here are 5 capabilities your app can provide to keep drivers charged up and happy.
With the current exponential growth in EV adoption, there aren’t enough chargers around yet. To spur EV adoption, both the EU and the US are investing billions to accelerate the deployment of public EV chargers. While some areas may have a scarcity of chargers, others, notably, urban areas, do have plenty of chargers for public use. The problem is that not all of them are always displayed on the EV charging app. Some service providers only display chargers in their network, and others that do show out-of-network chargers don’t display the full set o f charger details that a driver needs (like availability, plug types, and more). A good charging app should display all chargers in the driver’s area and provide enough details about them so that the driver can make the best choice before heading out.
eRoaming agreements between service providers are a win-win-win proposition. The provider with whom the driver is registered wins because they provided good service, allowing the driver to charge anywhere, and made some money doing so while fostering driver loyalty. Drivers are happy because they can charge their vehicle anywhere. And the roaming partner is also happy to make a buck. Using roaming agreements to greatly enlarge the network of chargers available to your drivers and enabling them with easy payment using their credit card (or their favorite payment app) is definitely part of the seamless EV charging experience we’re talking about.
One of the biggest problems for drivers is finding a charging station only to discover that someone else has plugged in while they were driving to it. It might “only be a frustration” if you’re in an urban area and can find another charger just a few minutes away. It’s very different if you happen to be in a rural area and the next available charger is further than your current state of charge can get you. You’re stuck waiting until the car occupying that one charger in the area moves on. Drivers ought to be able to reserve a charging station. Immediate reservations (i.e., within the next x minutes) can do away with the frustration of that charger being snagged from you as you were on the way, but longer-term reservation may also be a solution for long trips that go beyond a single charge. An EV road trip could be planned around charging stations and being able to reserve that one station when you’re 300 miles away from home may be the difference between getting stuck for hours and heading out as planned.
Road safety is a primary concern for everyone. The last thing anybody wants is to have an accident while searching for a nearby available charger. The one thing that can stop people from handling their mobile phones while driving is voice activation. Instead of having to stop by the roadside to tap “Search” on the charging app (which is also not completely safe), a driver could speak instructions such as, “Navigate to the nearest charger.” Aside from the absolute “cool factor” involved, this kind of capability can save the lives of both drivers and pedestrians. Here’s what this looks (and sounds) like on Driivz-powered EV charging apps.
Time is money. Sometimes drivers just want to charge up as quickly as possible and move on. But there are times when drivers may be happy to leave the car at the charger for a while if they can save money. In many home charging scenarios, forward-looking utilities are offering consumers lower rates for electricity used at off-peak hours. So, a driver arriving at home in the early evening hours will be happy to wait until later in the night to start charging. The EV charging app should support that and allow the driver to choose charging profiles that specify when charging should start. For example, the “Power” profile may specify that charging should begin immediately at maximum power (if there’s a rush to charge up and go somewhere), while an “Economy” profile would specify that charging should only begin later when electricity costs are at their lowest. With this kind of capability, the driver can save money on EV charging while the utility reduces strain on the grid at peak hours.
The UX of the EV charging app is central to the driver’s EV charging experience. If app features are hidden deep in an obscure application flow, that’s a sure route to frustration for drivers. An app should be clear and simple, with all (or at least most) functionality intuitively available within 3 clicks.
80% of charging happens at home, but the other 20% happens when drivers are in less familiar surroundings and more susceptible to things going wrong. These are the times when they’re relying on their charging app to get them safely to the nearest charger that’s right for their vehicle. All drivers want is to easily find a charger, drive there, and plug in. Having additional key features like easy registration, easy search for a charging station, multiple payment methods, support for QR codes, and quick and easy access to customer support can only add to the driver’s experience. It’s up to the service provider to provide them with a simple yet advanced charging app that will give them that seamless charging experience that they want.
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