As the number of electric vehicles on the road increases, the need to choose the right chargers for electric vehicles becomes a crucial factor for different businesses and public parking areas. In this article, the different types of chargers available will be explained, along with some useful tips to help you make an informed decision when choosing an electric vehicle charger.
In addition, we introduced Floox charging solutions, to provide a more complete overview of the options available to those businesses looking for a high quality and powerful electric vehicle charger.
Types of electric vehicle chargers
First of all, it is important to know the different types of electric vehicle chargers available on the market. These chargers are divided into two main categories: alternating current (AC) chargers and direct current (DC) chargers.
Alternating current (AC) chargers are chargers that take electricity from the grid and send it directly to the car. In this case, the on-board charger (OBC) performs the power conversion by transforming the alternating current to direct current.
Direct current (DC) chargers are becoming increasingly common, and are starting to be used to charge electric vehicles in a multitude of applications such as public charging stations or electric charging stations. These chargers provide direct current that goes directly to the car battery.
Fast charging is one of the most important benefits of DC electric chargers. These models work under high power and performance parameters. They can charge the vehicle battery in less than an hour, and can even charge 80% of a vehicle battery in less than 15 minutes, as is the case with the most advanced ultra-fast charging models.
Aspects to take into account when choosing an electric vehicle charger
Below are some important aspects to consider when selecting an electric vehicle charging point:
Load capacity and compatibility
First of all, both the load capacity of the charger and the vehicle itself must be taken into account.
Electric vehicles indicate among their specifications the maximum charging capacity of their batteries. This means how much energy at most it will admit. The important thing to consider in terms of charging points is the maximum charging power that an electric vehicle will accept.
Cars such as the Porsche Taycan or the Hyundai iOnic5 have an 800-volt battery versus the more usual 400V batteries of other electric vehicles. This means that, for the same intensity provided by the charger, the car will charge twice as fast, or in other words, at twice the power.
There are already a variety of chargers on the market with different DC power ratings, reaching up to more than 200kW.
As there is already a universal connector standard in Europe whereby all electric cars and chargers are compatible, you don’t have to worry about this in your business. This standard connector is the CCS2 system. It consists of 9 pins, and offers both direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) charging options.
Electric charger manufacturer
When choosing a charger for an electric vehicle, we must also look at the manufacturer. It must offer quality devices not only in terms of components, but also in terms of protection systems to avoid problems such as overheating, thus extending its useful life.
Make sure you have a manufacturer that can also guarantee quality technical service and spare parts to ensure proper maintenance.
Regarding this last point, at Floox, in order to improve our service to distributors and installers, we carry out customized consulting plans and technical training for installation and maintenance.
Type of application and loading speed
Depending on the place where the charging point is installed, one electric charger or another will be needed. For businesses, it is vitally important to take into account the time the user will spend at the location where the charging point is installed.
For example, if we want to install a charger in a shopping mall, where customers may spend more than an hour, a good option would be chargers such as Powerfloox 30kW, which will allow an almost complete charge in that time.
On the other hand, if you want to install a charging point at an electric station, make sure that the charger is able to provide the necessary amount of current to charge electric vehicles in a shorter time. The Superfloox and Ultrafloox models are best suited for these locations.
Choosing an electric vehicle charger. Products available at Floox
Floox offers a variety of electric vehicle charging point models designed to meet the specific needs of each location or application where they are installed.
Powerfloox
The first of the models is Powerfloox, which features 30kW of charging power and CHAdeMO and CCS2 connectors. It is ideal for businesses that have customers that stay for about an hour or more, such as restaurants, gyms, parking lots or shopping malls.
Superfloox
On the other hand, the Superfloox model has a charging capacity of 60kW and allows two cars to be charged simultaneously. It has two high-capacity DC connectors and an optional third AC connector up to 22kW. It is suitable for parking lots, concessionaires or transport fleets and PoR operators.
Ultrafloox
Finally, the Ultrafloox model is the most advanced of our portfolio and allows the simultaneous charging of two vehicles, being scalable in powers of 90, 120, 150 and 180kW of direct current. It is an excellent choice for petrol stations, service stations, high tonnage fleets that require ultra-fast charging, as vehicles can reach 80% of their full battery capacity in just 15 minutes.
In summary, the choice of charger for an electric vehicle is an important decision and one that should be made with as much information as possible on the table. It is essential to understand the different types of electric vehicle chargers available on the market (DC and AC), and to carefully evaluate relevant aspects such as charging speed, power and compatibility.
We encourage you to consider the charging solutions presented from Floox, as here you will find high-quality, high-powered chargers that meet the specific needs of each application.
