Compared to a petrol or diesel car, which only needs a refill every few days or weeks, a question many new EV drivers have is how often they will need to charge their electric car. As with the previous questions, the answer depends greatly on your driving habits and electric car range.

Charging times are not the only new concept to get to grips with as a new EV driver. Another important consideration is cost. As with charging times, costs vary greatly depending on your location, electricity provider, and tariff, just to name a few. However, the two key determinants of charging costs are the price per kWh of electricity, and the size of your vehicle's battery.

All around the world, electricity grids work on alternating current, known as AC power. As the name suggests, the electrical current alternates, or changes direction, a given number of times per second. In contrast, direct current, known as DC power, flows at a fixed rate. Whilst electric car chargers come in many different shapes and sizes, the main difference is whether they provide AC or DC power.

For level 1 and level 2 chargers, the most maintenance you’ll typically need is an occasional quick check for any damage to the cables and plugs to ensure they’re in good working order. With everyday use, these chargers are designed to last for years before they require servicing. If you experience any problems with your charging station, we recommend you to contact your supplier. For publicly accessible level 2 or level 3 chargers, the required maintenance depends on their use and location. Cables, plugs, and the charger itself should be inspected regularly to check for any damage and ensure good operation. Touch screens, card or RFID readers, and software systems also need to be checked and updated regularly. Generally, electric car charger manufacturers offer extended warranties and service plans for a yearly fee, which include preventative maintenance and quick repairs if something goes wrong. However, with new connectivity and modularity features built into modern chargers, problems can often be diagnosed remotely.

Charging at home via a home charging station and charging at a charging station on the go works quite differently. Whilst it can differ from station to station, the general process is as follows: Identify yourself to the charging station: this may be through a mobile app, an RFID tag or card, or even using contactless credit or debit card. Plug the charging cable into the vehicle and the station: some stations come with built-in cables, in which case, you can plug directly into your car. Begin charging: you should see confirmation that you are charging on your vehicle's display and the charging stations indicator lights. End the charging session: once charged, you can end the charging session via the station or mobile app, depending on how you started it.

All batteries, including those in electric cars, store DC power, which means that AC power coming from the grid must be converted. It’s not a question of if, but rather where this conversion happens that highlights the key difference between AC and DC chargers. AC chargers are the most common (and generally slower) type. Without getting too technical, this is because the conversion takes place inside your vehicle and is limited to the power it can process. In most cases, EVs can reach up to 11 kW or 22 kW of AC charging power. With DC charging, the electricity is converted from AC to DC by the charging station before it reaches your car. This allows it to bypass the car’s slower onboard converter and achieve much higher outputs, up to 350 kW as it feeds power ‘directly’ to the battery. As a result, charging an electric car with a DC charger takes mere minutes rather than hours. However, DC charging infrastructure is much more expensive and bulkier.

Charging an electric car is a pretty simple process that can differ depending on the type of charger. Generally, every electric car comes with a charging cable & plug suitable for the specific car and country you live in. Most of the time, you will be able to plug the cable directly into a 3-pin home socket and charge your electric car straight off your home’s electrical network.

The charging speed for any given car and situation depends on a variety of factors such as the battery size, the car and chargers’ charging capacity, and even the weather. One of the main determinants of charging time is an electric car's battery size. Just as a large fuel tank takes more time to fill up, the larger the battery, the longer it takes to charge. Another important factor that will affect an EV’s charging time is the battery’s state of charge (SoC). Because of their chemistry, batteries can accept more power at lower charge levels. As they get closer to 100% SoC, the charging power, and thus charging speed, slows down considerably. So, whilst charging an electric car from 20% to 70% might only take a few minutes, charging from 70% to 100% will take substantially longer. Beyond battery capacity and SoC, another element influencing charging time is the car’s charging capacity. Not all electric cars accept the same charging power: while some may be able to take up to 350 kW fast charging, many are limited to much lower power inputs, often between 100 kW and 150 kW. The same applies to slower AC charging. Whilst the theoretical maximum charging power is 22 kW, many cars can only receive 7.4 kW or 11 kW. Finally, weather conditions, in particular, temperature, can have an impact on the charging speed. Indeed, batteries have a narrow optional operating range of around 21°C. If temperatures are significantly higher or lower, the battery will use some energy to heat or cool itself, increasing the time it takes to charge it.

Excessive DC fast charging can negatively impact EV battery performance and durability. Compared to standard charging, eight years of fast charging would take approximately 10% off of the EV battery life. While DCFC is convenient and at times absolutely necessary, this method of charging should be utilized only when essential.

If you’ve never run out of gas, you’ll never run out of electricity. Similar to your old gas-powered vehicle, EVs will give you a warning when your battery is low and many will display EV charging stations in the area. If your battery level continues to decline, your EV will take precautions such as increasing regenerative braking to convert more kinetic energy into usable energy therefore extending battery life.

When charging at home, the electricity used by your electric car will simply be added onto your next electricity bill. When using a public charger, payment depends on your mobile service provider. Often, charging costs are added to a monthly bill based on a contract or subscription, or, in some cases, can be paid on the spot by card.