Our Services Include
The Big Push!
The increasing demand for electric vehicles is looking to increase to over 1 million users by 2022 within the UK. Businesses are already starting to make the move over to electric for their company car fleets and government incentives mean that production has already started to increase for domestic use. Electric vehicles have an important role to play in meeting air quality legislation and the UK’s commitment to climate change targets.
General Installation Scope
The installation of both AC or DC charging equipment intended for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) must comply with BS7671 (The IET Wiring Regulations – 18th Edition) and, where necessary, the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations (ESQCR). Locations where such equipment may be required:
- Domestic installations, such as installations in, or adjacent to, houses and their associated garages.
- On-street installations.
- Commercial and industrial installations, such as installations in, or adjacent to, business premisses, e.g. shops, offices, factories, etc., including public and private car parks, whether single-level or multi-storey and filling stations.
Technical Information
As introduced, there are various Modes (charging methods), as described below:
- Mode 1 Charging: A connection of the electric vehicle to the AC supply network via a standard socket outlet. This not exceeding 16A and not exceeding 250V AC Single Phase or 480V AC Three Phase, and utilising the power and protective earth conductors.
- Mode 2 Charging: A connection of the electric vehicle to the AC supply network via a standard socket outlet. This not exceeding 32A and not exceeding 250V AC Single Phase or 480V AC Three Phase, and utilising the power and protective earth conductors together with a control pilot function and system of personnel protection against electric shock (incorporating RCD). Slow chargers (or trickle chargers) are generally only for emergency charging and can take 12 hours or more to charge the vehicle, they tend to be designed to charge from a normal 13A plug socket and are often not designed to be used day in and day out as it can cause overload to the sockets in your house.
- Mode 3 Charging (Most Common): A connection of the electric vehicle to the AC supply network utilising dedicated Electric Vehicle Charge Equipment, permanently connected to the AC supply network. Fast Chargers are the standard for home charging and workplace charging, they can be installed at homes, businesses and other public locations to enable users to charge their vehicles within only a few hours, depending on the vehicle and rating of the charging equipment.
- Mode 4 Charging: A connection of the electric vehicle to a permanent AC supply network by either Single Phase or Three Phase which is converted to DC within the Electric Vehicle Charge Equipment. These are Rapid or Super Chargers, mainly found at Motorway Services and other public locations where super-fast charging is necessary during a journey.
EV Charging Plugs/Connectors
There are two main types of connectors that are commonly used and these may be on Untethered Leads (detachable) or Tethered Lead (permanently fixed to the electric vehicle charging equipment):
- Type 1 Connector – Also known as SAE J1772 or Yazaki connector.
- Type 2 Connector – Also known as Mennekes connector (Most common but depends which vehicle you have).
- Type 3 Connector – Also known as EV Plug Alliance connector.
- Types 1 & 2 can charge up to 32 amps but the Type 2 also allows for three-phase charging if your installation has this option. This enables faster charging in some situations.
Funding For The Home And Workplace
The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles Workplace Charging Scheme (EVHS) & (WCS) grant enables individuals and businesses to receive funding per socket to install the equipment needed for electric vehicle charging (Max 20 sockets for businesses). To find out if you're are eligible for the grant please follow this link click here
Other helpful links
Energy Saving Trust provides information about Electric Vehicles and the benefits of energy saving.
Electrical Safety First is dedicated to reducing the number of injuries and deaths caused by electricity across the UK
Official EV Charge Point Installer
