How to solve the EV home charging dilemma
Inside a workshop on a Cotswolds industrial estate, a small group of technicians is busying itself. Parts are being shuffled from one work station to another, all vital components in Britain’s drive towards an electrified future.
In July 2023, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reported new car sales rose 28.3 per cent year-on-year, with battery electric vehicles[1] (BEVs) growing 87.9 per cent, thanks to solid demand from business and fleet buyers.
At the same time, momentum is building in the public charger infrastructure sector. Eighteen of the UK’s electric vehicle charging companies have joined forces in a new trade association; ChargeUK will press the Government and local authorities to cut red tape and help double the size of the national charging network in just 12 months.
Ambitious? The Government expects a minimum of around 300,000 public chargers by 2030 and more than 6,000 high-speed chargers along major routes by 2035. A forecast by the Competition and Markets Authority says at least 280,000 to 480,000 public charge points will be needed in seven years’ time.
“As a lack of charging facilities is rapidly becoming one of the most widely quoted reasons for drivers not going electric, all parties involved in making installations happen must work together to overcome this obstacle,” said Simon Williams, EV spokesman for the RAC.
Units at Simpson & Partners are assembled manually
“With almost one million battery electric vehicles on the road, and the Government having a goal of 80 per cent of new cars sold by 2030 being zero-emission, it’s critical that the country’s charging network grows proportionately.”
According to Zap-map.com, there are currently over 45,700 public registered chargers in nearly 29,000 locations, providing over 72,000 connectors – which appears woefully inadequate given the numbers of electric cars on the road already. EV drivers could therefore be forced to rely more and more on their home chargers, as the race to install public infrastructure becomes increasingly fraught.
Home chargers aren’t cheap, though. The government’s OZEV grant for electric car chargers does provide up to £350 off the cost of purchasing and installing a home unit. However, they currently range from around £500 for an entry-level charger to £1,500 for a fully-installed, custom-built unit.
Inside the Simpson & Partners facility near Kemble, an 18-strong team is preparing to ramp up home charger production to help meet the demand. Production started in mid 2021 and the business shipped its 3,000th unit earlier this summer.
The company’s Home Series charger starts at £649 before fitting but with a huge array of colour options, the choice of expensive solid aluminium or stylish Accoya wood covers, Simpson is clearly targeting the premium end of the market.
What’s especially interesting is the contents of any wall box, or what’s not in it. The Simpson unit is little bigger than a sheet of A4 with a control board – the brains of the charging station – a flip-down door to access the plug connector port, and not much else. Which begs the question, why isn’t anybody making a DIY home charger?
Co-founder, David Simpson, said: “Although more and more charger companies are bringing product to market, we are still at the start of a journey. However, there’s absolutely no reason why in the future, we couldn’t see DIY kits become available.
“Our own units are assembled manually, not by a robot, so it is feasible. It could then be plugged into a computer to download the software that drives our dedicated charger app. Obviously, the unit still has to be installed by a qualified electrician.”
Professor Peter Wells is director of the Centre for Automotive Industry Research, at Cardiff University. “DIY home charger boxes are totally plausible but there are hurdles to overcome first. These mostly relate to safety but there is also the cost. Home chargers are coming down in price and much of the expense is for the installation, so building your own may not make economic sense soon, anyway.”
David Martell, CEO of Andersen EV chargers, agrees with that sentiment, stating that “an EV charger is a home accessory, not a car accessory. Just like a washing machine or dishwasher, you wouldn’t expect to build your own. Therefore, I don’t see a market for a kit-form version but I do envisage a much more competitive market for them.”
So, whether you are a whizz with an instruction manual or not, it could be some time before DIY chargers become widely available – if they do, at all. By then, off-the-shelf units may be much cheaper and public charge stations more widely available, meaning your sonic screwdriver can likely stay in the toolbox.
What are your best home charge options?
There is already a broad array of home chargers on the market, all of which must now have smart capability so that you can control them via your phone, set timed charging parameters and more. Here’s our run down of the best out there:
Andersen A2
Minimalist and chic. A tethered unit, the A2’s cable is permanently attached but winds around a hidden spool inside the box when not in use. The box is bigger than most, to accommodate the cable and plug but can be colour coordinated. Issues with the unit’s app are being resolved with an overhauled app this summer. From £1,499 including installation.
The A2’s box is bigger than most, to accommodate the cable and plug, but can be colour coordinated
EO Mini Pro 3
Claims to be the world’s smallest, measuring just 23 x 15 x 12.5cm – the same as an A5 notepad. The Mini Pro is so small it looks more like a plug socket. There is a tethered option, although storing the 5-metre cable obviously detracts from the aesthetics. Control operation from an app, EO offer a limited range of colours. From £995 including installation.
The Mini Pro 3 is so small it looks more like a plug socket
Myenergi Zappi 2.0
A best-seller – Zappi integrates especially well with solar panels, allowing owners to maximise energy usage from grid, solar or both. The Myenergi unit is available tethered, or untethered, with an easy to understand app. Colour options are restricted to black or white. Prices from £779 excluding installation.
The Myenergi Zappi unit is available tethered, or untethered, with an easy to understand app
Pod Point Solo 3
Best-known for commercial chargers, Pod Point has also been a popular choice for affordable domestic chargers for many years. The Solo 3 isn’t the prettiest box but it’s exceptionally well-priced and is more than suitable for home applications. The app also gives easy access to over 8,200 Pod Point public chargers in the UK. It recently won What Car? magazine’s best EV charger award in a survey of 4,130 EV owners. From £799 including fitting.
The Solo 3 may not be the prettiest box but it’s exceptionally well-priced
References
- ^ electric vehicles (www.telegraph.co.uk)