The market for EVs (Electric Vehicles) is gradually growing. As years go by, we can only expect the figures to keep going higher. Do you currently own an electric car and would like to know the cost of charging? Or perhaps you are planning to get one but uncertain about how much it costs to get the batteries charged in Ireland? You are exactly where you need to be.
When buying a vehicle, whether the traditional petrol/diesel-fueled or an electric car, it is important to put some important factors into consideration. For an EV, one of these factors is the running cost of the vehicle you are purchasing. How much does it cost to charge and get it running, and how does it compare to its petrol-fueled alternative?
Charging Car costs – All You Need To Know
First, we should point out that EV charging is cool, convenient, and environmentally friendly. Electric car charging has its advantages and disadvantages, one of which is that you can easily charge your car at home while asleep, without leaving the comfort of your home. Also, it may be impossible to know the actual cost for charging an EV because factors like the battery size of the vehicle as well as the type of charger used (home or public charger) to juice it up all matters.
- Charging of electric vehicles in different levels
Charging can be done in Level 2, or DC fast charging. Being different categories, there are some differences in how each level can be used to charge up your electric car.
Level 2 is typically found in public places, office environments, and can also be found in many homes.
Similar to what we have in mobile phones these days, some EV models also support super-fast charging that will juice up your car at a much faster rate. This level is called DC fast charging. However, you should know that DC fast charging is more costly and unsuitable for home use.
- Cost of charging and powering an electric vehicle
An overnight full charge at home before setting out in the morning can be enough to power an electric car for whole day use for an average driver. A level 2 charging system means you’ll be using the regular 3 pin socket. Intentionally, EV manufacturers limit the output of current from the domestic 3 pin socket to just about a maximum of 10A. We’re talking about a maximum of 2.5 KW. This could be a very big deal unless of course, you have the time to wait. In Level 2 where a dedicated EV charging system is installed, you can expect to get about 7KW of power.
Ireland is currently ranked as the 4th most expensive country in EV charging. On average, you should expect to pay around 18 cents per kWh. To get a full charge from 0 to 100% for a car with a battery size of 54kWh, that could cost you around €10.
While we cannot say precisely how much you will have to spend in a month or year to charge your electric car, you can derive this yourself using a simple mathematical formula. Battery capacity and the charging level you use can vary the cost. All you have to do is multiply the amount you pay for electricity by the capacity of your car’s battery.
Cost of electricity x battery capacity
This should give you the amount you spend on a full charge.
There have been efforts from companies who aim to reduce the cost of charging by introducing plans that could save consumers some cash.
- Cost of using a public charger
We’ve seen an influx of companies trying to make electric car charging more accessible, cost-effective, and convenient for consumers. However, despite the efforts, the infrastructure for public charging is still in its early stage, most especially when compared to that of traditional petrol and diesel vehicles. Here again, there are some factors to be considered. The price for charging in public could vary based on whether you are getting a full charge, a time-based charge, or you are just powering the car with enough energy to get you to your destination. At a public charging station, you should expect to spend from €8 to €24 for a nearly full charge. The cost of DC Fast Charging is €0.268/kwh and the cost of AC Slow Charging is €0.23/kwh.