BATTERIES & CHARGING
THE BASICS
Like a mobile phone and other common devices with a lithium battery, a battery electric vehicle needs to be recharged regularly which might be daily, twice weekly, once a week or less according to usage and type of vehicle.
Charging is usually done at home overnight using a domestic socket or recommended home charge point for fast, convenient charging. Learn more about home charging.
There are two main types of charging carried out at home or the work place; slow charging (up to 3kW) using a domestic plug socket and standard fast charging (7-22kW) which can fully recharge most models in around 4 to 5 hours and is also
commonly used at home, the work place and public places. (Can't find a public charge point near you? Ask your
local authority to install one)
In addition, there are rapid charging units (43-50kW) found across the UK, often in high traffic locations
ie. motorway service stations, superstores and large hotels etc. These are able to provide an 80% charge in
around 30 minutes and always have tethered leads due to their high power output.
REMOTE CONTROL CHARGING
Every road legal electric vehicle should come supplied with a charging cable, either a domestic charge cable with built in charger or a fast charge cable for use with a home charger or public charge point, the latter is recommended for most charging. A domestic charging cable should be treated as an emergency back up. All European vehicles are fitted with either a type 1 (Yazaki) or type 2 (Mennekes) connector.
Most new models come with a climate control timer which allows a vehicle's onboard charging system to commence
at a set time to take advantage of low economy electricity tariffs. Climate or comfort control can be also be set to
allow the vehicle's cabin to be warmed up or cooled down ready to use at a preset time before you drive away.
In addition, an app can be activated to remotely control the charging and climate control so you can set the heating
to start from the comfort of your living room
When the vehicle is charged, it will automatically switch off and the LED light will switch to blue.
BATTERIES
The current generation of electric vehicles nearly all use lithium ion batteries except for a few very low range
vehicles. Lithium batteries are high density, long lasting and widely used across a range of industries.
New electric vehicle models have sophisticated battery management systems which ensure the vehicle is running
as efficiently as possible.
Some vehicle models are available to purchase outright and some with battery leases. The latter reduces the purchase price and provides warantee cover for the life of the vehicle. With a battery lease, you never own the battery but lease it on a monthly basis for a relatively low cost. In the case of owning the vehicle outright, the battery will normally be guaranteed for 5 years or 100,000 miles. (Terms vary according to manufacturer)
After the end of their vehicle service life, lithium ion batteries can begin their second life as storage energy systems for home or work for example in combination with solar power. Battery storage systems are increasingly being deployed around the world together with renewable energy systems to store power during times of low demand and help regulate the provision of energy, especially wind and solar power.
Type 2 connector
Rapid charge point