Not every EV owner has the luxury of a private driveway where they can install a home wall box and although the UK’s charging infrastructure is progressing year on year, it is not fast enough for users who are fully reliant on public charging points and there are still questions about how EV drivers without a home wall box will be able to charge their vehicles. So if you live in a rented property, have no driveway, or can’t install a wall box for some other reason, there may be solution for you with the following alternatives.
Public charging network
The UK’s public charging infrastructure is growing with more charging points popping up on streets, car parks and traditional fuel stations. If they are convenient to you these public charging points can be a great alternative to home charging especially when rapid chargers are available. To see where your nearest charging point is check out Zap Map
Charge your vehicle at work
Some businesses are starting to incentivise EV ownership and provide charging stations for employees to use. Companies are becoming more aware that they need to provide a charging solution for their workforce. If there is not a Type 2 post or wall box available at your workplace, there may be a cost effective alternative to Wallbox installation. Many industrial sites have Industrial commando sockets, likely 3 Phase, that can be used with specialised charging cables to deliver up to 22 kW of fast charging, which is faster than home charging, which is limited to 7kW charging. We have Type 2 to Commando socket chargers available if this is an option for you
Plug share options
More people are becoming aware of the need for charging solutions and those with a home charger can actually make a little money from offering their charging point to others. A survey conducted by the leasing company, Novuna Vehicle Solutions, has discovered that 5 out of 6 home charger owner would offer up use of their Wallbox to others and it is estimated that this could earn sharers up to £3000 a year. Take a look at what is on offer by visiting JustPark.
Talk to your electrician
Your electrician may be able to talk to you about safe alternatives to Wallbox installation and if you need a secondary source for charging your Electric Vehicle, the 3 Pin 13A socket is a popular choice. However, due to the risks of a socket overheating, it is alway recommended to talk to an electrician so that they can assess the suitability of your socket for charging an EV. Your electrician may also be able to install a 1 Phase commando socket to allow you to use a Commando EV charger. The 1 Phase Commando socket can be 16A or 32A. The 32A 1 Phase Commando socket can supply up to 7.4kW, so it can provide the same current as a wall charger.
Local Council
Some councils are helpful and will take suggestions when proposing new charging sites and some are already offering free charging within their districts. Contact your Local County Council to see what is already available and what charging solutions they are proposing for the future.
The future of charging
In the future there will be more curb side charging sites available and there are already under floor charging, smart lampposts, relocatable rapid charging hubs, on-demand robotic mobile EV charging, local energy storage and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) charging solutions that are being rolled out across sites in the UK. The future of EV charging is gathering pace and will soon surpass the boom in demand for electric vehicles that we have been seeing for the past couple of years.
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