Electric vehicle chargepoints explained
Although the upfront cost of an electric vehicle is often higher, EVs can be cheaper to run, due to the lower cost of electricity compared to petrol or diesel. Recharging at home (overnight) will normally result in the greatest cost savings. Charge points can be installed in homes with a garage or driveway, at workplaces, on residential streets, in town centres, public car parks and at destinations, such as shopping centres or motorway service stations.
Low speed and standard chargepoints are often the cheapest to use and are suitable when vehicles are parked for several hours, such as during working hours or overnight. These include on-street public chargers in residential areas of villages, towns, and cities and off-street private charging points in households with off-street parking availability.
Fast chargepoints ideal when vehicles are parked for a few hours. This can include hotels, shopping centres, leisure centres, tourist destinations or car parks used for more than two hours.
Rapid chargepoints are the quickest way to recharge a vehicle, typically recharging a vehicle to 80% in around 30 minutes. However, rapid chargepoints can be the most expensive to use, and they cannot be installed at home. This can include quick shopping trips, service stations or car parks used for less than two hours.