Charge an electric car at home or at a charging station? What you need to know

If the car's battery runs out, the car will stop. At least if you only have electric power. That's why it can be good to know where to find charging stations for your electric car if you're going on a long trip. Fortunately, there's plenty of help available online and in various apps you can download. Here's some help along the way.

The number of electric cars on the roads is increasing rapidly. It is estimated that there will be around 2.5 million electric cars on Swedish roads by 2030. As the number of electric cars increases, we are also seeing more and more charging stations being installed, both in cities and on the roads. This makes it easier for those of you who need to charge your electric car to find a charging station.

More and more networks and companies are entering the industry and offering road users the opportunity to charge their electric cars. E-ON, Cirkle K, OKQ8, Recharge Infra, Vattenfall InCharge, Ionity, Laddkoll, Easy Park are some examples, alongside a number of local energy companies.

In many places you can even charge your car completely free of charge. But how do you find a charging station for your electric car?

Where are charging stations near me?

Maps with information about where charging stations are located can be found on a variety of websites. They also offer several additional features, such as:

• Filter by vehicle and contact type

• Route planning

• Available charging points

• Reviews

• Food and shopping options nearby

• Find free chargers

Some examples of the largest websites are ChargeFinder , Uppladdning.nu and ChargeMap . There you will find all the information you need to plan your route in the best way.

There are also a number of apps to download. Some examples:

• Plugshare – over 300,000 charging stations

• ChargeMap – one of the leading apps for electric car owners

• ChargeFinder – comprehensive map for electric car charging

• It is common for you to pay for charging directly in the app, and you can see in most apps which ones offer free charging.

Fast car charging – this is how it works

Charging a car requires converting alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). And there are both AC and DC chargers on the market. The main difference between the two is where the conversion to DC takes place.

The most common type of charger is an AC charger. When you charge with AC, the conversion to DC takes place inside the vehicle's own converter. A vehicle's converter can deliver a charging capacity of between about 1.4 kW and 43 kW.

A DC charger, on the other hand, converts alternating current into direct current in the charger itself. This allows the car's battery to be charged much faster - up to 350 kW. So if you often need fast charging, a DC charging station is the one to use.

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

The lower the capacity a charging station can deliver, the longer it will take to charge your electric car. It also depends on the size of your car battery. Here is a table that shows approximately how long it can take with different types of charging stations.

*For the latter two, the figures apply to charging up to 80% of the battery.

Install a charging station at home?

Installing a charging station at home is entirely possible, but it is common for these to be installed at businesses, housing associations and parking lots. Setting up a charging station at home is not really recommended, mainly because of the price.

There are charging posts and there are charging boxes. Charging posts usually require ground work as well as the supply of electricity, while a charging box is mounted on, for example, the garage wall at home, which is usually cheaper.

Charging post – cost to install

The price of a charging post with installation is between approximately 13,000 and 55,000 SEK, while a charging box is significantly cheaper, between 12,000 and 25,000 SEK. This usually includes the installation of the charging equipment and the supply of electricity. You can currently (2022) receive government support, called the Green Technology Tax Reduction, to install a charging post or a charging box. It covers half the cost, provided that you buy both equipment and installation from the same supplier. The tax reduction is a maximum of 50,000 SEK per person and year.

Can you charge an electric car in an engine heater socket?

You can, but for safety reasons you should not do so except for very short periods. You should also keep an eye on the equipment, as cables and other components are not designed to charge for several hours via the engine heater socket.

Charging the electric car in an engine heater socket can lead to overloading both the electrical socket and the electrical panel. And in the worst case, it can start a fire. In addition, it is not certain that the ground fault circuit interrupter will react, unless it is specially adapted for charging electric cars.

We therefore do not recommend this method except in extreme emergencies. And DO NOT use power strips or extension cords if you do.

Charging box with three phases

There are many companies that offer three-phase charging boxes, and more and more electric car owners are choosing three-phase charging boxes to future-proof their solution for the day they get a new electric car. Three-phase provides up to 22 kW, compared to single-phase which provides an output of 3.7 – 11 kW. There are also portable three-phase charging boxes.

In your wall socket you have 230 volt single-phase lines, although it is actually standard to draw three-phase from the electricity grid to properties. In a three-phase line you instead get 400 volts, and stoves and washing machines often run on three-phase. 3-phase charging boxes are suitable for most European cars. All cars can charge on single-phase, but not all can handle three-phase, so they charge on single-phase even if you have a charging box with three-phase. Some examples of cars that can handle 3-phase are Tesla's models S, X and 3 , Audi e-tron , Renault Zoe and BMW i3 .

Best charger for electric car – which one should you choose?

There have been many tests to find the best charger for electric cars. And you will find different winners depending on where you look. One site has the Wallbox Pulsar Plus, another says that the Zaptec Go is the best charger for electric cars. A test at Laddsmart from January 2022 gives the following results:

1. Easee Home 22 kW: Rating 5. Justification: Most affordable and packed with technology.

2. Wallbox Pulsar Plus: Rating 4.5. Justification: Small and intelligent.

3. Zappi V2 22 kW: Rating 4. Justification: Best option for you with solar cells.

New electric car chargers are launched regularly

However, developments are happening at a breakneck pace, and today's range is significantly larger than it was just six months ago. The one that is considered the best today may not even be on the top 10 list in a few months. More and more charging stations now also come with the option to let others pay to charge their car in your charging station.

So what should you look for when choosing a charging station for your electric car? We list 6 things that may be good to keep in mind before you choose.

1. Effect. Most people do well at 3.7 kW, which uses 16A. These can be used without problems in most homes, as a household fuse is usually 20A or 25A.

2. Price. There is a wide range in prices for charging boxes. Everything from about 6,000 SEK to over 25,000 SEK. Functions, number of outlets and design are some of the things that affect the price.

3. Does the charging box have load balancing? Load balancing is a feature that protects your electrical grid. It adjusts consumption so that it is not overloaded. Some have the feature built in, others it is an option.

4. Number of outlets. An important detail if you have more than one electric car, to be able to charge both at the same time.

5. Features. Today's modern charging stations are equipped with various smart features, such as charging when electricity is cheapest, connecting to WiFi and RFID tags - a protection against intrusion.

6. Design. Some manufacturers focus heavily on design. For many, it is an unimportant detail, but for others, it is important that it fits into the home environment.