The electric revolution is upon us and there are now almost 1 million electric vehicles on British roads.
This isn’t really surprising though when you consider the number of Clean Air Zones (CAZ) and Low Emission Zones (LEZ) cropping up across the country, with four out of the six located in Scotland.
However, you may be skeptical of the electric car movement and be looking for answers before you commit to a fully electric vehicle. In this article, we are going to investigate the top 5 EV charging myths and reveal the truth about EV chargers, along with our top EV charging tips.
Myth 1 – There Aren't Enough Public Charging Stations
In the UK alone, as of December 2023, there are 53,906 EV charging stations and 31,056 locations, which is a 45% increase since December 2022.
And more and more charging points are cropping up, especially at motorway service stations where multiple fast chargers are installed, meaning EV charge rage and queueing for an available charger will soon be a thing of the past.
Apps such as Charge Place Scotland and ZapMap are available on desktop as well as phones and location settings can be switched on so you can easily find the right charger for your car near you.
There are also settings on Google maps where you can show only specific charger types on your route or area.
EV Charging Tips: Having a home EV charging unit can dramatically reduce the need for public chargers, allowing you to slow charge your vehicle when not in use.
Myth 2 - EV Chargers Are Too Slow
There are many different kinds of EV chargers available such as:
- CHAdeMO
- CCS1 and CCS2
- AC
- Three-pin
These chargers come in different kiloWatts, which dictate how much power they can deliver (power being calculated as current x voltage).
The higher the kilowatt, the faster the rate of charge as more power is being generated.
| KiloWatts (kW) | Charged Miles (per Hour) |
|---|---|
| 3.7 | 15 |
| 7 | 30 |
| 22 | 90 |
| 50 | 90 (per 30 minutes) |
| 150 | 200 (per 30 minutes) |
| 350 | Over 200 miles per 20 minutes (not many cars are capable of this yet) |
Domestic properties are limited to what chargers can be installed as they are single phase, whereas the grid is three phase.
Not sure what single and three phase are?
We’ve broken them down below:
Single phase: Typically used in residential settings and for smaller electrical loads, it involves a single alternating current (AC) voltage phase, making it simpler and less costly to implement than three-phase power.
Three phase: A type of electricity distribution used for higher power demands, common in commercial and industrial settings.
It involves three alternating currents that are offset in phase by one-third of a cycle, providing a more constant and efficient power supply.
This is why you tend to see more 7kW chargers available to the public, as they are also three phase. 3.7kW is roughly half of that, so when you have two cars plugged into a 7kW charger, you get half the power.
That’s why it’s always better to choose a charger that that no-one else is using where possible.
EV Charging Tips: Slow charging is better for your EV battery and will help it to last longer. Fast charging should only be used to top up the battery on longer journeys.
Myth 3 - Charging an EV is Expensive
The cost-of-living crisis has brought energy bills to the forefront of everyone’s mind and many people assume that it is now more expensive to ‘fuel’ an electric car than their petrol alternatives.
But this is not the case.
We have detailed the average costs below for petrol and diesel fuel vs electric below:
As demonstrated, even the fast chargers are currently cheaper than petrol and diesel by between 2p to 6p per mile. And it’s better for the environment – win win!
EV Charging Tips: You can save even more money on home charging by switching to a tariff that focuses on EV charging.
Myth 4 - EVs and Their Chargers Are Not Truly 'Green'
It sounds like a no brainer: cars powered by electricity should generate less carbon emissions and be better for the planet and this is generally true.
However, the charging infrastructure must be powered by renewable energy sources to make them exclusively green.
The good news is that the grid that supplies energy for EV chargers uses a mix of renewable energy and fossil fuels, already demonstrating the reduction in carbon emissions and in some cases, chargers use 100% renewable energy, such as the Tesla Supercharger network.
EV Charging Tips: Some apps, such as Electroverse, can show you which public chargers use 100% renewable energy so it is worth using these if the source of your electricity is important to you.
Myth 5 - EV Chargers Drain the Power Grid
Using more electricity naturally means more reliance on the grid, however the impact of adding EV chargers and using the grid to power them is tiny.
In fact, if two fifths of cars are switched to electric, it would increase the electricity consumption by 10-15%, and would only need an additional 20GW for the grid to support them.
Also, any chargers built to support demand are more likely to rely on renewable energy such as solar power, meaning that there really wouldn’t be much additional strain on the grid.
EV Charging Tips: Planning your journey in advance and being aware of the locations of chargers along your route can help prevent charge anxiety or EV charge rage.
Conclusion
The movement towards electric vehicles (EVs) and the expansion of EV charging infrastructure is an exciting development in the fight against climate change.
We have debunked the top 5 myths surrounding EV charging, along with our top EV charging tips to prevent EV charge rage and hopefully persuade you into going for an electric vehicle when you are thinking of changing your current car.
The electric revolution is here, and it's time to embrace it with open arms and plugged-in chargers.
Want to find out more or have already made the switch?
Contact Green Home Systems for expert advice and information about how you can add home EV charging to your property.