Why do you need a charging station?
Many people who charge at home do so without having a charging station. This means that you simply plug the electric car into a socket in the garage and hope for the best, but there are a couple of reasons why this is not recommended.
1. It’s not safe
A standard electrical socket in the wall is not designed to charge for long periods of time at the capacity required by an electric car. In the worst case scenario, it can lead to shorting and other problems with the home electrical system.
2. It’s slow
A wall socket doesn’t provide the capacity that an electric car requires to be charged overnight. A modern electric car requires about 11 hours of charging from a normal wall socket, which means that you basically have to charge the car from the time you get home until you go to work. This can work during a normal working week but quickly becomes a problem when something happens that means you have to deviate from your schedule.
How do you install your charging station?
To install a charging station, you need to enlist the help of a qualified electrician. So contact an electrician and ask for a quote for the work.
How much does it cost to install a charging station?
Fortunately, it doesn’t need to be particularly expensive for individuals who want to install a charging station. Thanks to an environmental initiative from the Swedish Government, individuals can apply for an installation grant that accounts for half of the cost of the charging station itself, the materials and labour costs for installing the charging station. At most, you can be awarded SEK 10,000 in grants per property. So be sure to save all your receipts so you can apply for a grant when your charging station has been fitted.
Advantages of installing a charging station in your home
There are many advantages to installing a charging station. We have listed the two main reasons for installing a charging station here:
1. More convenience in everyday life
Convenience is important when it comes to using electric car. A major competitive advantage that electric cars have over fossil-fuelled cars is that you don’t need to go to a filling station to fill up on fuel. If you don’t have your own charging station, however, the level of convenience falls rapidly, as you either have to keep the car plugged into the garage for a large part of the day, or use charging stations around the country to charge your car.
2. More cost-effective charging
Another competitive advantage that electric cars have over fossil-fuelled ones is that they make less of a dent in your wallet when it comes to operating costs. If you don’t have your own charging station, however, things can get expensive, because you have to pay to charge at a charging station or see your electricity costs go through the roof due to poorly optimised charging via the socket in your garage. When you have a good charging station with a system designed to charge the car in an optimal way, you also save money.
What kind of charging station do you need?
Before buying a charging station, it’s important to identify the needs you have as a car owner. There are a number of options on the market. Below we look at two products from Charge Amps: Charge Amps Aura and Charge Amps Halo.
Charge Amps Aura
The major advantage of Charge Amps Aura is that it has two sockets that can charge 2×22 kW simultaneously, with load balancing between the sockets. This means that two electric cars can be charged at the same time, which is perfect for electric car enthusiasts or families with more than one electric car.
Built-in cloud service
Thanks to Charge Amps’ built-in cloud service, you get full control over your charging and can easily schedule it, use timers and obtain automated reports. This means that you never have to worry about the car being discharged when you need it most. You just plug in your car when you get home and then take care of charging via the app.
Charge Amps Aura is for those who:
– Have more than one electric car, or want to be able to charge more than one car at the same time, for example when people visit or on other occasions
– Need full control over their charging, including load balancing
– Want a charging station that not only gets the job done but also looks stylish
Charge Amps Halo
Charge Amps Halo is one of the smallest charging stations on the market and has a fixed cable, which means you always have access to hassle-free charging. You also get to use Charge Amps’ cloud service, which makes it easy to maintain full control of your charging, as you can set timers and schedules. In addition, it has an extra Schuko socket underneath, so you can easily plug in vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers and anything else that you might need in and around the garage. If there are one or more electric bikes in the household, you can charge them at the same time, but note that you can only charge one electric car at a time.
Charge Amps Halo is for those who:
– Need a compact and smart solution for their electric car
– Want smart charging with scheduling and timers
– Only have one electric car to be charged primarily
Install a charging station today!
If you have an electric car and have to plug it in every day to a socket that isn’t optimised for charging electric cars, it’s probably time to start thinking about installing a charging station. It’s the smartest choice in terms of both electricity bills and safety. Contact us at Charge Amps and we’ll tell you more about the solutions we offer!
