Electric mobility is quickly transforming from a far-fetched futuristic concept to a ceaseless reality. With Electric Vehicles (EVs) quickly normalising clean commute, the buzz around EV charging has surged more in recent times than ever before. On that note, let’s try to understand some of the more commonly referred subjects around EV charging.
In essence, smart charging aims for a bidirectional flow between the charger and the EV, and engulfs features like Dynamic Load Balancing and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G)..
Makes sure that the power drawn by the EV charger is receptive to energy usage changes in your electrical circuit. By intuitively assigning power to appliances that need it most, it ensures that the power use never crosses a upper limit. Reaching maximum capacity can mean reduction of EV charger’s output or a temporary pause in the session.
allows for EVs to effectively push power back into the grid so as to stablise supply fluctuations. Such two-way flow of energy also makes it a viable substitute for fuel generators in times of a power cut. Moreover, solar energy can be efficiently stored in EV batteries and supplied out on demand, making it disruptive when deployed at scale.
The costs vary from country to country based on the electricity tariffs. In the United States, a kWh costs 15 dollar cents on average while the EU average falls at about 24 euro cents per kWh. Extend these charges to a standard of 50 kWh EV battery, and it can cost you around 8 dollars or 12 euros to get a full charge at home. This price can surge drastically at public stations where they usually mark up the electricity tolls. In Delhi, the domestic power tariff ranges from INR 3 to 8 per unit and the cost at charging stations stands at INR 4 to 4.5 per kWh. This essentially means that you’ll be spending INR 80 to 200 for a charge at the station but this price goes up to INR 160 to 450 when charging at home. Similarly, the INR 15 per unit cost at charging stations in Mumbai amounts to spending INR 300 to 675.
The charger’s capacity depicts the amount of power it can provide.
deliver around 2.3 kWh (or a range of 6 to 8 km per hour), and are generally the slowest type.
output at least 7.4 kWh or 11 kWh, with higher versions capable of up to 22 kWh, thereby adding ranges of about 40 km, 60 km, and 120 km per hour respectively. The high charging speeds demand professional installation expertise in commercial and residential setups.
(DC or fast chargers) can supply upto 350 kWh, with lower outputs like 50 kWh, 125 kWh, and 150 kWh being used more commonly. They can charge EVs up to 80% in less than an hour, but require hefty transformers that make it cost-ineffective for residential installations.
The charger’s capacity depicts the amount of power it can provide.
● Not all EVs are designed to handle 350 kWh fast charging outputs; some stick to lower regions in between 100 kWh and 150 kWh. The car’s charging capacity plays a major role in the charging duration, as some cars might only use 7.4 kWh or 11 kWh of the complete 22 kWh slow AC charging being offered
● The battery’s state of charge affects an EV’s charging time. Due to internal chemical compositions, charging from 20% to 70% takes way lesser time than charging it from 70% to full. Moreover, the car battery’s size also dictates charging duration.
● Weather conditions hugely impact charging speeds of EVs. When the mercury hits the extremeties, EV batteries use up some energy to regulate (heat/cool) internal temperature, thereby increasing charging duration. In general, batteries host a slim optimal operating range at around 21°C.