There are plenty of reasons to make the switch to an electric vehicle (EV). They emit less CO2 than their petrol equivalent, their battery emits 60% fewer climate-changing emissions over their full life cycle than a petrol vehicle, and they’re cheap and quiet to run.
While the benefits sound great, there are some considerations around accessories and what you might need to get the best out of your ownership experience. The biggest shift is the move from petrol to volts; it’s much slower to charge a car electrically than simply taking it to a petrol station to fill up.
To help you with this transition, here is a quick guide on what you can expect as an EV owner and what you will need to make owning an EV a breeze.
Charging your EV
Every new EV comes with a charger that plugs into a standard three-pin home power outlet. This supplies power at a maximum of 10 amps, or around 2kWh. This means charging a current-generation Nissan Leaf with a 60kWh battery from zero to full can take up to 30 hours.
The best way to manage these long charging times is to keep your EV topped up as you go. If you’re heading somewhere with a public charger, plug it in so you can get some extra charge into your car.
While the number of charging ports available across the country is slowly growing, having a charging port at home is still the most convenient way to charge your vehicle. So, the best thing you can do as an EV owner is get a wall box installed at your home.
You will need an electrician to install it; the cost for the box ranges from $1,000 to $3,000 plus installation charges. Some distributors will bundle a wall box with the sale of an EV, so be sure to shop around and ask the dealer you’re buying your EV from.
Something to consider with home charging is how it will affect your electricity bill. However, it’s important to highlight that charging an EV is still cheaper than filling up a tank of petrol. According to Drive Electric, if you drive an average of 25-30km a day, the cost of charging an EV is equivalent to paying 30 cents per litre of petrol. You can charge your EV overnight for $3.00 per 100km, depending on the model.
Cable
EV cables are handy to have on hand, much like jumper cables that you’d use for a flat 12V battery. Some public charging units don’t come with cables, so you’ll need to supply your own.
Portable charger
These are handy to have, especially if you find yourself stranded in an area without a charging station nearby. New cars tend to come with portable chargers as standard but used or imported EVs may not have them. Treat a portable charger like you would a spare tyre and keep a fully charged one in your car at all times.
Adaptors
There are different plugs for EVs, so it’s important to carry an adaptor in case you run into a mismatch with plugs. This is especially important if you have an older EV car designed for Type 1 sockets and you’re likely to come across a newer Type 2 socket.