DOUBLE CHARGE Can you charge two electric cars at home at the same time?
AS electric cars grow increasingly popular, a number of households now own one or more of the environmentally friendly vehicles.
But can you charge two electric cars at home at the same time? If you're part of a multi-EV household, here's everything you need to know.
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Electric vehicles can be charged using a charge point installed at your home
Credit: Alamy
The answer to this question will entirely depend on your own individual situation.
But the good news is, there are a number of options to allow EV owners to charge two electric vehicles at home at the same time.
A home charge point is a type of charger you can have installed at your home.
It’s fitted to the wall on the outside of your house and can provide charge to your EV battery at a quicker rate than standard chargers that plug into domestic sockets.
Here's how you can charge two electric cars at home at the same time.
The first option available to electric car owners is to install two charge points at your home.
There are a number of options on the market for drivers to choose from, including the Easee One which is designed with multi-EV charging in mind.
When purchasing an electric car, most come with a three-pin plug adapter that allows owners to use in a domestic socket.
Therefore, if you have a home charge point installed one vehicle can be charged using that supply and the other can be charged using a three-pin plug adapter.
There are a number of home charging products that offer a “dual-socket” setup - allowing two chargers to be plugged in at once.
By choosing a set up like this, EV owners will benefit in a number of other ways - including less maintenance, less space is used, and the costs are considerably reduced.
As of October 1, 2022, under the Energy Price Guarantee that was introduced in September, drivers fully charging a vehicle with a 64kWh battery can expect to pay £22.22.
Although the cost has risen since September 2022, when drivers could expect the cost to be around £18.37 - if the Energy Price Guarantee had not been put in place, the cost would be considerably more.
Without the Energy Price Guarantee drivers of electric cars would have seen the price of charging at home rise to £33.80.
Charing a vehicle with a 64kWh battery between 0-80% will cost around £17.87.
For larger vehicles, that achieve 3.0mi/kWh, drivers will pay 11p per mile if they charge at home but can only reclaim 5p.
Charging at off-peak times (over-night) will also be considerably cheaper.
The time it takes to charge an electric car depends on the size of the battery and the power output of the charger.
One way to calculate the time it will take your electric vehicle to charge is by taking your battery size (kWh) and your charger power (kW) and dividing them both.
This will then provide you with a calculation of how many hours you can expect it to take to charge your EV at home.
Using the Renault Zoe as an example, Pod Point provide these estimates to give EV users an insight into how long it could take depending on the power of your charger.
According to the RAC, 80 percent of electric car charging takes place at home.
So, how do you get an electric charger installed?
The good news is, getting an electric charge point installed at your home is a relatively easy process - especially if you own your home and don’t need to seek landlord permission before making these changes.
However, if you don't own your property, make sure to contact your landlord before installing a charge point.
All you have to do is find a supplier that is right for you - you can do this by searching online or contacting suppliers directly.
Once you've found a charge point that suits your needs and budget, suppliers will then arrange for the home charge point to delivered to your address.
Once you’ve received your home charge point, your installer will drill through the exterior wall to allow the box to be connected to the electrics.
It’s then wired to the household mains.
Energy device owners must then ensure that the installation contractor has notified the distribution network operator (DNO) of the installation.
It is the energy device owner’s responsibility to ensure that the DNO has received this notification.
The government also offers grants to help with the costs of home charging point installations.
The EV chargepoint grant provides funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing electric vehicle smart charge points at domestic properties across the UK.
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