How to Choose Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
A buyer’s guide to electric vehicle charging
Choosing your Home Electric Vehicle Charger
Most electric vehicle and hybrid car owners choose to buy a charging station for their home, and in this we article will help you to select your own home charging station. There are several factors to consider such as charging speed, installation, location, power adjustment, capacity and size. As well as other important considerations like ease of use and cost.
Charging Speed
Generally, there are two levels of chargers that are used in residential settings. These levels directly relate to the amount of electricity each delivers to your vehicle.
Level 1, Mode 1 chargers
0 - 1.9 kW offer the lowest level of electricity, about the same as a standard home socket, and take the most time to fully charge your car. Most Level 1 chargers cannot provide a full charge even when plugged in and charging continuously overnight. For example, a typical Level 1 EV charger adds about 4 - 8 km of range per hour. That means it will take 15+ hours to completely charge a Renault Zoe.
Level 2, Mode 2 chargers
3.7 kW - 11 kW (16 A per phase) are the most practical for electric car owners with limited circuit capacity. They offer a fast charging speed and multiple wiring options (1 phase or 3 phase).
Level 2, Mode 3 chargers
3.7 kW - 22 kW (32 A per phase) are ideal for electric car owners. They offer the fastest charging speed, can be configured for 1 or 3 phase and multiple grid types, and offer many other user-friendly features.
Level 1 vs. Level 2 Charging Time
(range, battery size)
(175-316 km, 22-41 kWh)
(156 km, 42 kWh)
(200 km, 35 kWh)
(539 km, 75-100 kWh)
(160 km, 15 kWh)
(50 km, 9 kWh)
(150 km, 35 kWh)
(520 km, 60 kWh)
2.3 kW/10 A
22 kW/32 A
With the Level 2, Mode 3 charger JuiceBox Pro 32 at 22 kW you can charge about 10 times faster than a standard Level 1 charger.
Get your JuiceBox EV Charging Station
Installation
While many homeowners have carports or garages, some may need to install their charging station outdoors. When buying a charging station, pay attention to its durability while exposed to sun, wind and water. Look for a device that is outdoor rated and select one like the JuiceBox Pro 32, which has IP66 protection rating and features a durable case that is both fireproof and weather-proof.
In most European countries an installation by a certified electrician is required. Contact us and we will connect you to the trusted installers from our European-wide network.
Power Adjustment
Some existing electric circuits in older homes may need to be updated to able to support powerful Level 2 chargers. The JuiceBox Pro 32 allows you to set the power level of your device easily right from the app or web dashboard so that it matches your home electrical wiring capacity.
An added feature of having a smart EV charger like Enel X's JuiceBox Pro 32 is that it can perform circuit “load balancing” when multiple stations are installed on a single electrical circuit. That means the two (or more) charging stations will be aware of each other’s charging rate and will adjust downward, if necessary, to prevent circuit breakers from tripping.
Ease of Use
Some electric vehicle chargers have complicated displays or apps that make it difficult to control or view charging information. With the JuiceNet app (available for iOS and Android), JuiceBox owners can easily view important charging details, schedule or start a charging session, adjust power ratings, set time of use charging, etc. The JuiceBox Pro is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, which enables owners to control charging with simple voice commands and to receive status about charging.
WiFi Connectivity
The JuiceBox Pro 32 is WiFi enabled, which allows you easy access to all of the details and functions of your device from both your mobile phone and your personal computer or tablet. Through the simple and intuitive app and dashboard, you can control everything, including initiating or stopping charging, setting up reminders, charging schedules, and viewing charging history. Everything you need to know about your device is easily accessible from one easy JuiceNet app!
Electricity Cost
In some areas, electricity rates vary at different times of the day, depending on the overall grid usage. As EVs require a lot of electricity, it can be expensive if you charge your car at peak times. However, with JuiceNet SmartGrid EV Charging, a feature of the JuiceBox Pro 32 that uses your home WiFi, your charger communicates with our servers and charges your car automatically during off-peak times that you select. This saves you money and reduces the toll on the power grid.
Carbon Footprint
If you don’t use a smart charger, your electric car can contribute significantly more greenhouse gas emissions than it needs to. At any given time, the electric grid is supplied by a mix of electricity from different sources, which include nonrenewable energy like coal power plants and clean energy from solar and wind power. JuiceNet Green (available in Europe in 2019), a cloud software feature that can be added to a purchase of a JuiceBox Pro, is aware of what mix is currently powering the grid and can shift charging time (for instance, from midnight to 2 am when more wind is available) to maximise charging when more renewable energy is being produced for the grid, greatly reducing the carbon footprint of charging your EV.
Purchase
Purchasing an electric vehicle is the first step in contributing to an exciting future of innovation and a cleaner environment. Electric cars are continuing to be developed and improved, and electric vehicle chargers are no different. You’ve made the right choice in choosing an electric car, and you should be sure to make a great choice in choosing your charger as well. If you are interested in purchasing our JuiceBox Pro 32, you can buy it directly in our webshop.
Customer Support
Enel X has an extended multilingual customer service team that will be able to answer any of your questions via phone or email. If you have any questions about charging stations for electric vehicles, call Enel X at +49 30 549 08 594 or send us a message.