Frequently asked questions about a charging station at home

Can everyone have a charging station installed at home?

In fact, every home is suitable for a charging station and anyone who wants can have one installed. If it is a charging station for private use, you do not need a permit. Only if you want a public charging station does paperwork become involved. But if you just want to be able to drive your own car every morning with a full battery, then the only arrangement is the installation of the charging station at home. You could do this installation yourself, but you would need a lot of experience in electrical engineering. If you don’t have that, we can only recommend hiring an installer. Because it is a job that must be done accurately and well. We have also created a step-by-step plan for installing a charging station at home.

Choose a charging station or a wallbox?

There is quite a bit of terminology involved when installing a charging station, but the difference between a wallbox and a charging station is quickly explained. A charging station is a separate pole, a wallbox is a charging point that is attached to the wall of your house. Furthermore, the two installations do not differ from each other; Everything we discuss in this article can be exchanged one-to-one on both the charging station and the wallbox.

1-phase charging versus 3-phase charging?

As mentioned, a charging station can be installed at every house, but in newer houses there are slightly more options than in older houses. This has to do with two factors: the amperage of the connection and the number of phase wires in the connection. The current is indicated in amperes (A) and the phase wires of the connection consist of either 1 or 3. In older houses this often concerns a 1-phase connection, in newer houses this usually involves three phase wires, plus a neutral wire. The difference between these connections is the current; With a 1-phase connection, a phase wire has 230 volts alternating voltage, while with a 3-phase connection it has 400 volts. If you don’t know which connection you have, look in your meter cupboard. If you see 220 V or 230 V on the electricity meter, you have a 1-phase connection. However, if it says 3 x 220/230 V or 280/400 V, you are dealing with a 3-phase connection.

Under ideal conditions, 3-phase charging charges a car three times as fast as 1-phase charging, but only if your car also supports it. If your car does not support it, you can easily place it on a 3-phase connection, but then charging will simply not be as fast as with a car that does support it. By the way, if you have a 1-phase connection to your house, but you want to make it more efficient, that is also possible. The investment is approximately between 250 and 300 euros. You must request this with the network operator. Expect that there can easily be three months or more between the application and the implementation.

Just like all electrical appliances, the battery of your electric car runs on direct current, an electric current with a constant current direction (so it flows from + to -). The charging station converts the alternating current from the network into direct current.

What is dynamic load balancing?

To prevent your electricity grid from becoming overloaded when your Audi e-tron is on in the evening, it is advisable to have a charging station at home with dynamic load balancing. It keeps track of the power consumption in your home and reduces the charging power when necessary. This way you prevent the fuses from blowing when you want to turn the dryer on. If you have a 3-phase connection, the chance of overload is smaller, because the power is distributed over three phases. So if you have a 1-phase connection, it is certainly worth the investment to switch to a 3-phase connection.

Can you charge at home via solar panels?

A charging station at your home is a nice thought in itself, but it can become even more interesting if you also have solar panels. You can use the energy from these panels to charge your car battery and therefore costs virtually nothing. If you don’t have solar panels yet, it is definitely worth considering. It can save more than a hundred euros per month on your electricity costs if you can charge your car with solar energy. The savings will increase considerably if you continue this for a few years.

Does my employer pay for the electricity for my lease car?

Of course, it depends entirely on the agreements you have made, but your employer can reimburse your charging costs in full and tax-free. This also applies to the charging station itself and its installation. Employers often decide to include these costs in the lease amount that you pay as an employee. A charging station is generally depreciated over four years and after this lease period you almost always simply become the owner of the charging point, without extra costs.

Is a charging station at home completely safe?

Anyone who has a charging station installed at home will undoubtedly have thought about its safety. Just as you don’t like to leave a socket in your living room unattended if you have small children, you also don’t want there to be any risks at the charging station. Don’t worry: a charging station is completely safe. A pole that is not used at all poses no risk, because the power is completely cut off. The power is only connected when the plug is locked. And if you want to remove the cable again, you need a pass. When unlocking, the power is first switched off and only then can you remove the cable. The charging station is therefore completely safe and children can play around it. This security also means that you can only use your charging station if you have the card. It is therefore not possible for the neighbor to secretly use your charging station when you are away for the weekend.

How much does a charging station at home cost?

The cost of the charging station is based on various factors:

• Installation
• The costs of the charging station
• If necessary, converting 1-phase current to 3-phase current
• The cost of electricity

The costs for installation itself vary and of course depend on your home situation and the charging station you choose. You can expect – and we understand that this is a broad estimate – to spend between 300 and 1,900 euros for the costs of the installation. The charging station costs between 500 and 1,200 euros, which means you will spend between 800 and 2,400 euros for the total installation. The cost of electricity is approximately €0.40 per kWh (can vary greatly depending on your energy contract), which on average amounts to a kilometer price of €0.045. If you need to have your power connection upgraded to 3 phases, it will cost around 350 euros.

Which charging station is suitable for me?

Now that you know what it costs and what the options are, it’s time to choose a charging station. With an ever-increasing supply, there is plenty of choice, but which one should it be? That choice is of course free, but make sure that your charging station and your car match each other. If your car has the ability to be charged quickly, but if you have a slow charging station, you are not fully using the capacity. And the other way around, the kite also flies; If your charging station at home is fast, but your car’s battery pack is not, it will still take longer than you would like to charge your car. If we may give a tip: choose a charging station with a higher charging capacity than your car can accommodate. This provides the necessary future value, because a new car will also be able to use it very well. We have put a test of some popular charging stations online.