Why does the home need a charging station for an electric car?
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You come home, plug your electric vehicle (EV) into a household outlet with a suitable charging cable, charge it overnight, and the next day, step into a fully charged EV. This is the daily routine for EV owners who don’t use a charging station. But what happens to your home’s electrical system when your outlet endures the load of charging an EV for 10 or more hours?
You’ve probably heard that an EV can be charged using a regular household socket. You might have also come across the term "emergency charging." What does it mean? Simply put, it refers to charging an EV through a regular outlet only occasionally and as a last resort. These sockets are not designed for continuous charging.
Nissan Leaf Charging Power in a Household Outlet Equals Boiling Water for 10 Hours
Let’s take the popular compact EV, the Nissan Leaf, as an example. Its charging power through a household outlet (2.3 kW) is comparable to that of an electric kettle. To fully charge the Nissan Leaf’s 24 kWh battery using a home outlet, you’d need approximately 10 hours. This is equivalent to keeping a kettle boiling water for 10 hours straight. Do you think it’s safe to run a kettle for that long? The answer is likely "no." But why?
Charging an EV for hours at 2.3 kW fully utilizes the maximum capacity of a standard household outlet, which isn’t designed for such a purpose.
Unlike other home appliances such as smartphones, which require just 0.002% of an EV’s charging power, or devices like hair dryers or vacuum cleaners (typically 1.5 kW), EV charging imposes a much heavier and prolonged load on the electrical system.
The difference is that appliances like hair dryers or vacuums use power at full capacity for only a few minutes. In contrast, an EV remains plugged in for hours, causing wires, especially those in distribution boxes, to heat up. The longer they heat up, the greater the fire risk. If you plug your EV into an older outlet or an outdated electrical system, the risk increases. At best, it will trip your circuit breakers; at worst, it could cause a fire.
The Safe Solution – Home Charging Stations
To address power issues and ensure safety, home EV charging stations are the ideal solution. A charging station is precisely calibrated to match your electrical system’s capacity and can charge your EV efficiently.
In addition to safety and faster charging, an EV owner gains added convenience. There’s no need to use an "emergency" charging cable; you can simply plug your vehicle directly into the wall-mounted charging station.
Main Reasons to Install a Home Charging Station
Safety. As discussed earlier, continuously charging an EV using a standard electrical outlet is not safe.
Faster Charging. A charging station significantly reduces the time needed to charge your EV.
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