The math behind EV charging explained
Latest carsales podcast explains the art of EV charging and the key things you should know about living with an EVThe second instalment of the carsales’ Watts Under the Bonnet: The Electric Vehicle Podcast is out, covering all things EV charging, EV road trips and EV future technologies.
Speaking with Chris Mills, the chief executive of Evie Networks, hosts Rusty and Nadine discuss what the future of EV tech looks like Down Under, and how to calculate the driving range you might expect from each charger, given there are so many types available, from AC to DC and ultra-rapid.
It’s actually quite easy, according to Mills, who says the big difference between EV chargers and, say, petrol stations is that you can have different chargers for different uses.
“In your home, you could install a charger. That charger doesn’t need to be fast because you’ll plug it in overnight and you’ll have a good eight hours of charging. If you go to a shopping centre, you don’t want to wait eight hours for a decent charge. You want a charge in an hour while you’re doing your shopping,” said Mills.
It changes again for those travelling on a freeway, for example, where Mills says people don’t want to wait an hour; they want it done in 10 to 15 minutes.
And it’s easy to work out what charger will cover your needs, with a simple math equation: “The kiloWatt charging rating for the charger is about the number of kilometres you’ll get in your car in 10 minutes,” said Mills.
“So, a 50kW charger will roughly put around 50km of [driving] range on your battery in 10 minutes.”
But Mills admits he knew nothing about EVs when he first started and doesn’t blame others for the confusion.
“It’s quite surprising how after just a couple of years, you get to know the ins and outs of the business,” said Mills, who talks about the other benefits of EVs, such as offering drivers more freedom.
“Electric vehicles liberate you from the need to go to the petrol station. Instead of going to get a charge, you get a charge where you’re going,” he said.
“And just as you can get a charge at the shopping centre, you can get a charge at the restaurant, you can get a charge at the local council library.”
“What we do is look to place charging stations at places people look to go for their own purposes, and then have the convenience of having a fast-charger there so they can do a top-up.”
Mills says the majority of EV users – between 75 to 80 per cent – will charge their cars at home.
“From a driver’s perspective, the best practice is to have solar on your roof, to have a battery in your home, and your car.”
New technologies are also coming into play, said Mills, including credit card readers at charging stations, so owners don’t need to worry about a smartphone app.
You can listen to the full episode here or on the free LiSTNR app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts.
Related: Watts Under the Bonnet: The Electric Vehicle Podcast - Episode 2
Related: Watts Under the Bonnet: The Electric Vehicle Podcast - Episode 1
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