HOW TO CHARGE YOUR MG EV AT HOME


August 27, 2021

It’s no surprise that home charging is the most common way to charge an electric vehicle, with around 80% of all car charging happening on driveways and in garages across the country.

This is likely due to the fact that charging your electric vehicle from home is noticeably cheaper and more convenient than other methods of charging. But just how easy is it to charge your electric car from the comfort of your home, and what do you need to do beforehand?

When it comes to home charging, there are two options: charging from a regular three-pin, 10-amp plug socket or installing an EV home charger.

In Australia, the maximum current from a standard plug (2.4kW) is around half of what home charging units and public chargers provide, meaning your charging time will increase.

It is also worth bearing in mind that home charging from sockets can be dangerous – you shouldn’t use standard extension cables to reach outside your home to charge your vehicle, for example.

If you do choose to charge through a three-pin socket, you will require an EVSE supply cable, like the one included with your MG electric vehicle.

Note – frequent charging from standard plugs can cause overheating. Therefore, it is always recommended that you consult an electrician before charging your electric car at home on a regular basis.

The majority of electric vehicle owners will choose to install a faster home car charging point, also known as an EV home charger.

These typically supply around 7.2kW in power, more than double that of a standard three-pin plug and the same power outage as some public charging points.

However, higher power home charging units are available which provide 22kW of power for even faster charging. For more information on how long it takes to charge an electric car, read our article.

It is possible to charge your electric car at home as often as you need to, although most vehicle owners will treat charging their car similar to charging their mobile phone.

This involves charging your electric vehicle fully overnight and topping up during the day if necessary.

Whilst it likely isn’t necessary to charge your vehicle at home every day, many drivers will plug in each time they leave the car for a period of time, as this allows for more flexibility.

By home charging, electric vehicle owners can take advantage of cheaper overnight electricity rates. Overnight charging also means that your vehicle is fully charged and ready to go first thing in the morning, without the worry of having to find a public charging point on your commute.

 

INSTALLING AN EV HOME CHARGER
A home car charging point, also known as an EV home charger, is a compact weatherproof unit that mounts to a wall with a connected charging cable or a socket for plugging in a portable charging cable.

The installation process involves mounting the charging unit to an external wall or within a garage, near to where you usually park your vehicle, and then connecting this safely to the mains supply.

Home car charging points must be installed by qualified specialists. This can be booked through our preferred supplier JetCharge.

 

CHARGING IF YOU PARK ON-STREET
Electric car charging at home can be more complicated if you do not have off-street parking at your home.

An alternative would be to charge your electric vehicle at work and public charging points if possible, as well as the numerous shopping centres, cinemas and public venues that offer EV charging.

 

This article originally featured on mgmotor.com.au and can be viewed here.