There are three levels of EV chargers, but before you choose your charger type, it is critical to first ascertain the power that is available to the property in which you’ll be installing the charger.
It is worth keeping in mind that not all properties in Queensland will have the capacity to run a wall charger at full capacity due to power supply limitations to the property. Fortunately, most wall charger manufacturers have selectable settings where the charging output can be turned down to suit the property’s power availability without needing any additional upgrades. Following are types of EV Charger one of that would be Suitable for Your Property
Level 1 Chargers
This is the most basic charger that usually comes standard with an electric vehicle to provide around 2.4kW of charging power. They literally plug into any of your home’s regular Amp power points – the same as any other appliance in the home (phone chargers, toasters, etc). Whist these chargers are convenient, they only offer what’s referred to as ‘trickle charging’, meaning a slow charge that can take up to hrs to fully charge the vehicle. These are more suited for hybrid vehicles, or EV’s that are only driven a few times a week.
Level 1.5 Chargers
There’s a small improvement available to the Level 1 chargers (that CM Electrical Qld like to call Level 1.5), and that is to install a power point with a % increase in power delivery to around 3.5kW. The installation of a dedicated Amp power outlet is quite often the best option available to homes that do not have the available power supply to install a Level 2 charger.
Level 2 Chargers
Level 2 chargers are dedicated wall boxes, or HPWC’s (High Power Wall Connectors) that provide a faster rate of charging to your EV. As there are 2 different types of power supply in the world – Single Phase and 3 Phase – we’ve broken the charger descriptions down, because while they may look the same their performance and installation requirements are very different.
Level 2.0 Chargers (Single Phase)
Level 2.0 chargers greatly improve the charging power from Amps up to Amps – or around 7kW. These chargers reduce charging times considerably, with the majority of EV’s being able to go from completely flat to fully charged in under hrs. However – as mentioned above – to install a Amp charger you must first determine if your home or business has the power supply available. In our experience, % of homes do not have the available power to install these chargers, and an upgrade to the property’s power supply is required.
It is also important to note that in Queensland, the power supply authority (Energex) stipulates that Single Phase EV chargers over Amps can only be connected via an economy or controlled tariff, where the charging unit can only charge your EV during off-peak times – or a maximum of around hrs per day.
If you want /7 charging available to your property, your only option is to install a 3 Phase charger, which may mean upgrading your property power supply to 3 Phase.
Level 2.5 Chargers (3 Phase)
Level 2.5 increases your charging power from around 7kW to a considerable kW, meaning that minutes of charging can yield up to km of travel, or km in just 1 hour. As noted above, unlike Single Phase chargers this charging capability is available /7. If your property has more than one EV, this could be the ideal solution for you.
Level 3 Chargers
These chargers are strictly public DC chargers – or what’s commonly referred to as ‘Superchargers’. These chargers are essential in making EVs viable for driving long distances with minimal charging times. Charging capacity ranges from kW on a rapid charger up to kW on an ultra-rapid unit. At the lower end, this method will add up to km of range per hour plugged in; at the upper end, this method can recharge some electric vehicles from zero to % in under minutes. Due to the huge power requirements of these charging stations, significant infrastructure upgrades are necessary, with close coordination with local government offices and power authorities.
Address: Brisbane, QLD
Web: http://https://cmelec.com.au/ev-charger-installation-brisbane/