The Commercial Vehicle Show saw hundreds of people visit Charge and Recharge's stand to learn more about switching their company fleet over to electric vehicles.
Let's delve a little deeper into some of the most commonly asked questions at the show for people who weren't able to attend!
1) Why can't I just plug my electric vehicle into a regular plug socket?
This is a common question in the world of electric vehicles. While it is technically possible, charging from a 'normal' plug socket is not recommend for several reasons. A domestic plug socket delivers 3x less power than a 7kW charger which means charging your EV can take up to 60% longer.
EV manufacturers do not recommend using a home network to charge as the vehicle's battery life can be damaged by charging for extended periods of time. Plus, constantly charging a vehicle on a normal plug socket can increase the risk of fire when using extension leads and you may need to upgrade existing connections in order for it to be safe.
Read our full blog on why you shouldn't charge from a plug socket here.
2) How much does it cost to have a charger installed?
The answer to this question relies on many factors: choice of charger, current power availability, distance of the charger from the power source, number of chargers, future infrastructure required.
We also have grant and finance options available to make it easier for businesses to make a sustainable investment. Learn more here.
3) Why would I have a 22kW charger when my EV can't take 22kW of power?
It's all about future-proofing your company and its fleet.
Currently, many electric vehicles cannot accept an electricity rate of 22kW. So, what's the point of having 22kW chargers installed?
All EVs can charge on a 22kW chargers, but you will need to refer to your owner manual to find out what your EV can accept. Cars such as the Tesla Model S and Renault Zoe can accept the 22kW and the number of vehicles that will be able to do the same will grow dramatically as we lead up to the 2030 deadline.
4) Why isn't public infrastructure at the level it should be?
For the mass adoption of electric vehicles to occur, the UK's charging infrastructure needs to improve. Main roads need fast chargers, destinations need chargers, workplaces need chargers in parking spaces, homes need chargers for both company and personal EVs.
This needs to be advanced and pushed forward by the government and with the help of Charge and Recharge, this is in progress. We are OZEV-approved which allows your business to receive a government grant for the installation of an EV chargepoint.
For more information on this, read our article here or contact our experts.
5) How quickly can you install a charger on our business premises?
Very quickly! Get in touch today to arrange a site survey. From there, we can provide a quotation and set a start date for the works.