The slower you charge, the more charging loss occurs
Charging at home is the best and cheapest way to charge your electric car. However, that does not mean it is perfect. In fact, in many cases a lot of power is lost, up to 25%, which is a considerable percentage. Thanks to extensive research by the ADAC, we now know exactly how much power is lost and we can once again recommend our 11 and 22 kW charging stations, because much less energy is lost with these models. We are happy to explain exactly how this works.
Slow charging means much more charging loss
It is not news that electricity is lost when charging the battery of an EV. In any place where large amounts of electricity have to be transported over a long distance and this energy also has to be converted (in this case in the EV itself), electricity is lost. Now that the ADAC (the German counterpart of the Dutch ANWB) has done a large-scale study, we finally know exactly how much electricity is lost and the results are frightening.
When charging via a wall socket on a 2.3 kW connection, between 12 and 25 percent of power is lost. That is quite a lot and makes charging via a wall socket considerably less attractive, because it essentially means that a full battery via a wall socket is about 18% more expensive.
However, if charging is done at 11 kW (with a 3-phase charging station with 16 amps), the loss drops to 6 to 10 percent. This means that on average 10% less is lost when charging with an 11 kW charger. A 22 kW charging station was not tested in the research, but since it mainly concerns the duration of the charging session, the power loss at these charging stations will be even lower because the battery is fully charged much faster.
How much power is lost when charging faster with modern charging stations?
Is it all doom and gloom and should charging loss simply be accepted? No, because it turns out that a modern charging station with a modern connection (i.e. modern cabling between the 11 or 22 kW charging station and the meter cupboard) produces a negligible loss of approximately one percent. In concrete terms, this means that investing in a modern charging station and installation by a professional will pay for itself over a (longer) period. If you charge a lot and have a large battery pack, this period is of course shorter than if you rarely charge at home. However, keep the future in mind, because modern electric cars have a much larger battery pack and are increasingly charged at home.
What does this mean for business users?
For business users this means that the choice becomes much easier. Business charging stations are always used a lot and it is precisely here that considerable savings can be made on costs by choosing a modern charging station with a modern connection. Certainly with the possibilities offered in the field of tax deduction and investment opportunities for business users, the 22 kW charging stations are the obvious choice.
Other factors that play an important role in charge loss
Charging at a higher charging speed is therefore better than charging at a lower speed, because a lower charging speed means that more charging loss occurs. However, there are more factors that play a role in the amount of energy lost during charging. The home network in particular has to deal with this, because old (and not necessarily damaged) cabling can easily mean another 5% charging loss. By the way, it is wise to adjust this by definition if you have a lot of large consumers on the group, because power is not only lost during home charging.
The model of EV you drive obviously also has consequences for the charging speed and the power loss during charging, but there is very little you can do to change this without immediately trading in your electric car. What you can look at is your charging cable. This should at least have the charging capacity of the charging station and/or EV, because otherwise the charging speed is limited by the cable (and a lower charging speed means more charging loss). You also don't want an unnecessarily long charging cable, because the longer the cables, the more energy is lost (and that doesn't just apply to charging your EV).
The ideal situation to charge your electric car at home
In terms of charging speed and minimal charging loss during charging, the best situation for charging at home is a situation with a charging station that can charge at least 11 kW, a charging cable that is as short as possible and can handle at least 11 kW, and a home network that can fully supply the charging station and charging cable, meaning that the charging station is connected to an empty group. To make it even better, it is important that the cabling from the meter to the charging station is modern and undamaged.
We recommend these charging stations for now and for the future
Charging your electric car at home via a power outlet is therefore not an attractive option. Not only is this particularly slow, but large amounts of power are also lost. The best charging stations are those that can charge at 11 or 22 kW, which means that a 3-phase connection is required to be able to install the best charging station of now and the future. The 22 kW charging station is the best option in terms of the duration of the charging session, but since this means increasing the power connection (a 3x32A is required to reach 22 kW), the 11 kW charging station may be the best option if you do not want to incur many extra costs immediately.
View the 11 kW charging stations in our range directly, or compare the 22 kW charging stations if you have or want a reinforced connection. Can't figure it out? Send us a message and we will be happy to take a look with you personally.
