About to get an EV? Our top charging tips!
Excitingly for Australia, there seems to be a metric ton of brand-spanking new EV owners about to receive their cars.
Many have been sitting impatiently on a Tesla 3 order for what feels like decades, while others will be zipping round in the 2019 Nissan LEAF. Whatever your BEV or PHEV, we know – like, 100% ridgey-didge positive – that the key to immediately falling deeply in love with your new EV is to sort your charging.
Yep, to love your EV the way you love Rick Springfield, Wendy James, Pat Benatar or all of One Direction (admit it!), charging has to be easy.
By easy, we mean accessible…you literally want to park your EV next to the charger, plug it in and leave. Within a couple of seconds preferably. Why? Because you’ll be doing this a LOT.
ABC…always be charging your EV
It’s a common saying in the EV community because it’s spot on. Whenever, wherever and however you can, make sure your EV is plugged in and charging up.
We’ve seen EV owners feed cables through fences, around bins and up and over walls to get a few electrons of juice in the tank. And, if you’ve got to do all that just to get to the shops, your EV experience will quickly sour.
In fact, we know there are PHEV owners out there who basically drive on the ICE. Why? Simply because charging their EV has become a difficult experience. And, when you’ve got a beautiful bit of PHEV tech and kit like an Outlander, Audi e-tron, Volvo XC90 or Hyundai Ioniq, that’s a crying shame.
You’re about to get your EV. How do you charge it up?
Well, firstly, how do you live?
If you live in a multi-occupancy dwelling, speak to your body corporate now about charging installation. And, if you’re using the charger that comes with your EV, how you will pay your share of the power? Do you even have to? Will you have to pay for installation and, if so, is your charger relocatable if you move?
Your body corporate may get on board with the idea, especially if there’s more than one EV owner in your building. If so, they’ll want a charger that can be metered & monetised, which has a whole different set of considerations.
However, if you’re a home owner with a car parking space near your electrical fuse box, then happy days. Charge points located a distance away from fuse box, or wiring that might need trenching means you should speak to us or your sparkie so you get an accurate quote.
What other EV charging options are out there?
You don’t have to use the cable charger that comes with the car. There, we said it.
Your granny cable (so called because it’s the lowest rate of charge, even though the people on the Evolution team who identify as female think it’s sexist) is slow. When you see info about your charger that says ‘can take up to 4, 10 or even 42 hours’ to charge, that’s using the cable from your boot.
There are a whole heap of other awesome EV chargers out there that will do the job better and faster. And look totes cute while doing it.
How do you choose the right EV charger?
That’s the easy bit. While there’s a load of jargon, techs, specs and, let’s face it, outright rubbish, on social media, just ask a nerd expert.
We can run you through the best options for your renewable energy, budget and type of EV. Average time from initial call to full install is around a week.
How much does EV charging cost?
As far as your energy usage goes, that’s completely dependent on the deal you have with your energy provider. But typically, it’s only a few dollars to charge up any EV currently on Aussie roads.
To install an efficient wall unit EV charger at your home or office, you can expect to invest upwards of $1000 + electrical work. When purchasing your charger from us, you can use our sparkies or your usual local gal or guy. This amount will depend on the distance between your fuse box and the prime location for your plug-and-play ABC charging unit.
Yep, we know…you’ve just forked out for a pretty costly EV, but you’ll see a return on investment for that amount pretty quickly. Faster and more efficient charging means more happy driving time and, if you’ve got a PHEV, avoiding the nearest bowser.
ABC EV charging
Obviously, like most things in this weird and wonderful life, being prepped is the key to being ready.
While you’re anxiously waiting for your EV to hit your driveway, these are the things we recommend you mull over in between deciding on the white or black interior, FSD or plain old DIY.
And, as always, if you have any questions – whether you’re an existing or new customer – give us a call or drop us a line. We love talking EVs as much as we love Zayn, Liam, Harry, Niall and Louis.