Plug-N-Go charge points are all AC connected (although we can offer the DC range) as the batteries on board all vehicles are DC devices, delivering DC and requiring DC to recharge, use of an AC unit means that an ‘on-board charger’ is built into the EV.
DC charging points perform this ‘off board’ the vehicle and is in the charging unit. This is why they are often larger and most costly to manufacture. The advantage, however, is that the vehicle can be charged more quickly.
Charge Points are categorised according to their power (in kW), a measure of how quickly they can charge an EV. The four main EV charging speeds are:
Slow AC charging (up to 3.6kW) which is best suited for 6-8 hours overnight;
Fast AC charging (7.2 – 11 & 22kW) which can fully recharge some models in 3-4 hours;
Rapid AC charging units (typically around 43kW) which can charge some EVs in less than an hour;
Rapid DC charging units (typically around 50kW) which are able to provide an 80% charge in around 30 minutes.
The speed at which an EV can be recharged is dependant on 3 factors (point to note for example, an EV with a 3kW on-board charger connected to a 7kW charging point can only charge at 3kW)
• The on-board vehicle charger size (power rating)
• The model specification of the vehicle (same make/model can differ)
• The capacity of the battery in the vehicle