Ev Charger Installer Near Me
There are three levels of EV chargers, but before you
choose your charger type, it is critical to first ascertain the power that is
available to the property in which you’ll be installing the charger.
It is worth keeping in mind that not all properties in
Queensland will have the capacity to run a wall charger at full capacity due to
power supply limitations to the property. Fortunately, most wall charger
manufacturers have selectable settings where the charging output can be turned
down to suit the property’s power availability without needing any additional
upgrades. Following are types of EV Charger one
of that would be Suitable for Your Property
Level 1 Chargers
This
is the most basic charger that usually comes standard with an electric vehicle
to provide around 2.4kW of charging power. They literally plug into any of your
home’s regular 10 Amp power points – the same as any other appliance in the
home (phone chargers, toasters, etc). Whist these chargers are convenient, they
only offer what’s referred to as ‘trickle charging’, meaning a slow charge that
can take up to 48hrs to fully charge the vehicle. These are more suited for
hybrid vehicles, or EV’s that are only driven a few times a week.
Level
1.5 Chargers
There’s
a small improvement available to the Level 1 chargers (that CM Electrical Qld
like to call Level 1.5), and that is to install a power point with a 50%
increase in power delivery to around 3.5kW. The installation of a dedicated 15
Amp power outlet is quite often the best option available to homes that do not
have the available power supply to install a Level 2 charger.
Level
2 Chargers
Level
2 chargers are dedicated wall boxes, or HPWC’s (High Power Wall Connectors)
that provide a faster rate of charging to your EV. As there are 2 different
types of power supply in the world – Single Phase and 3 Phase – we’ve broken
the charger descriptions down, because while they may look the same their
performance and installation requirements are very different.
Level
2.0 Chargers (Single Phase)
Level
2.0 chargers greatly improve the charging power from 10 Amps up to 32 Amps – or
around 7kW. These chargers reduce charging times considerably, with the
majority of EV’s being able to go from completely flat to fully charged in
under 12hrs. However – as mentioned above – to install a 32 Amp charger you
must first determine if your home or business has the power supply available.
In our experience, 95% of homes do not have the available power to install
these chargers, and an upgrade to the property’s power supply is required.
It
is also important to note that in Queensland, the power supply authority
(Energex) stipulates that Single Phase EV chargers over 20 Amps can only be
connected via an economy or controlled tariff, where the charging unit can only
charge your EV during off-peak times – or a maximum of around 18hrs per day.
If
you want 24/7 charging available to your property, your only option is to
install a 3 Phase charger, which may mean upgrading your property power supply
to 3 Phase.
Level
2.5 Chargers (3 Phase)
Level
2.5 increases your charging power from around 7kW to a considerable 22kW,
meaning that 10 minutes of charging can yield up to 22km of travel, or 130km in
just 1 hour. As noted above, unlike Single Phase chargers this charging
capability is available 24/7. If your property has more than one EV, this could
be the ideal solution for you.
Level
3 Chargers
These
chargers are strictly public DC chargers – or what’s commonly referred to as
‘Superchargers’. These chargers are essential in making EVs viable for driving
long distances with minimal charging times. Charging capacity ranges from 50kW
on a rapid charger up to 350kW on an ultra-rapid unit. At the lower end, this
method will add up to 150km of range per hour plugged in; at the upper end,
this method can recharge some electric vehicles from zero to 80% in under 30
minutes. Due to the huge power requirements of these charging stations,
significant infrastructure upgrades are necessary, with close coordination with
local government offices and power authorities.