Why Electric Car charging is the future
Flying cars haven’t quite arrived yet, but for the meantime electric cars have got us talking as they are both energy efficient, and can be cheaper to run in the long term. Therefore, electric cars are becoming more popular by the day.
Electric vehicles are big business. The trend of sustainability is ever-increasing, so it will come as no surprise that people are seriously thinking about buying electric cars in the not-so-distant future , and, also the fact that major car manufactures such as Ford and Volvo are planning on only selling electric cars from as early as 2025 shows just how major business electric cars are becoming.
How do Electric Cars Work?
Electric cars, or EVs, as they’re often called are powered by an electric motor, which gets its power from a stack of batteries. In the earliest days of electric cars, those batteries were of the lead-acid variety, but modern electric cars use lithium ion batteries, which can store far more energy. This makes them more economical and with no emissions, better for the environment. Instead, of refuelling you simply just recharge by plugging in charging equipment, also known as electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE).
How long does it take to charge an Electric Car?
The length of time it takes to charge an electric car comes down to three things - the size of the car’s battery, the amount of electrical current the car can handle and the speed of the charger. The size and power of the battery pack is expressed in kilowatt hours, or kWh, and the larger the number the bigger the battery, and the longer it’ll take to fully replenish the cells.
Chargers deliver electricity in kilowatts (kW), with anything from 3kW to 150kW possible - the higher the number the quicker the charging rate. Use the most basic charger and even something like a Nissan Leaf with a 40kWh battery will require up to 12 hours for a full charge.
How to Charge an Electric Car?
If you’re thinking about getting an electric vehicle, you might be wondering how to charge it. Thankfully, it is pretty simple - you just need to plug the car into a charging point. There are a couple points to keep in mind when charging an electric car:
- It’s best to drive around with your own separate charging cable - just in case!
- EV drivers typically charge their cars when parked. That way you can get on with your errands as your car is charging up.
- Depending on where you are, start charging by either plugging in or using an app, contactless card or RFID card.
Where to Find Electric Car Charging points
Your next concern might be where to actually find electric car charging points. After all, they’re less obvious than petrol stations, so you probably haven’t noticed them so here are a few places you’ll be able to find electric car charging points:
• Place2Park – Here at Place2Park we’re knocking down barriers for EV’s. We have parking spaces that come with EV chargers, to park and charge, just check the space features on our map search and unlock the ability to switch to an electric car.
• At home - If you’re thinking of setting up an electric car charging point at home, compare different charging points so you know what’s best for your car and yourself. You can also rent out your EV charger with Place2Park To make life easier for other drivers and support the switch to EVs in your own community while making extra cash without lifting a finger.
• Public charging networks - These networks offer slow, fast, and rapid charging stations. There are a range of major networks you can choose from, such as: Charge Your Car, ESB Energy and many others.
• At work – Many organisations are now installing EV charging stations for staff and visitors as a perk, for sustainability reasons or to facilitate the switch to an electric fleet.
*. Top tip – It would be very convenient to charge at work, because, much like charging at home, your car is often parked for an extended period during the day.
Got an Electric Car Charging Point? Rent it out with Place2Park
With the major increase in popularity of electric cars Place2Park are helping make more private EV chargers available to the public so if you’ve got (or could have) a parking space or driveway with an electric charging point rent yours out with Place2Park and help us make EVs accessible to everyone, you could also even make a small fortune at the same time.
Not only will you be doing something good for the environment, you could also get rich in the process… What could be better! We make renting out your EV charger and parking space (or spaces) really simple. We manage everything for you, from bookings to payments.
Adding your parking space and electric vehicle charger couldn’t be simpler if we tried (check out our blog on Why Renting Your Parking Space is a Great Way to Earn a Side Income) and get your space and charger on a site and visible to thousands of drivers seeking parking in no time!
Thanks for reading
The Place2park Team