Making sense of EV charging and tips on best practice for drivers

For new electric vehicle (EV) drivers, charging can seem somewhat daunting and confusing. When should I charge? Why do some chargers cost more than others? And how do I charge overnight?

The good news is that once you’ve got the hang of it, charging your EV quickly becomes second nature, just like it was with refuelling your petrol or diesel car!

Here’s a handy guide to help you understand EV charging a little better to ensure you get the most from your EV on salary sacrifice.

The different types of chargers

There are four common types of chargers that you’ll need to know about:

Slow chargers (up to 7kW) – common at home, workplaces, or on-street. A full charge can take 6–12 hours depending on your car.

Fast chargers (7–22kW) – often found in public car parks, shopping centres, and workplaces. Great for topping-up over a few hours.

Rapid chargers (50kW+) – can add around 100 miles in around 30 minutes and are usually found at motorway services.

Ultra-rapid chargers (100–350kW) – the quickest option, adding hundreds of miles in 15 minutes (if your car supports it).

It’s important to note that your car’s maximum charging speed will also play a role, so even if you plug into a 350kW charger, your EV will only draw what its batteries have been set up to handle.

Why does it cost more to use rapid chargers?

Rapid and ultra-rapid chargers can top up most EVs to 80% in the time it takes for you to have a coffee. According to ZapMap, these chargers cost on average around 76p per kWh (or about 23p per mile), compared to around 15p per mile for slow and fast charging options, or around 8p per mile for home chargers.

The reason is that they draw much more electricity more quickly, which create additional costs for operators. On top of this, the upfront costs of installing rapid chargers is far higher, because of the more advanced technology that goes into building and installing them and ultimately their connection to the public electricity grid.

Think of it like paying extra for express delivery… you’re buying for speed and convenience.

How can you minimise charging stops and time?

You may think that driving an EV over a long distance will mean stopping multiple times to charge it. However, with proper planning, even entry-level EVs can cover longer journeys.

A scenario you might find yourself in is that you’ve got a 100-mile journey to make, but only 80 miles of charge. You know that once you get to your destination you can leave it there for a few hours to charge. Find a spot along your journey to top up just enough to give you peace of mind that you’ll make it to your destination without any worries. Or, if you know you have a long journey in advance, try to find a charging point a day or two before you travel.

Another situation might be that you do have enough charge to get there, but you’ve already got a stop planned for lunch. Just choose to stop for lunch at a location that you know has a charger.

One final point is that it’s always important to keep an eye on the “sweet spot”. Charging from 10% to 80% is usually far quicker than getting it to 100% (80% – 100% takes more time to protect the battery’s health) and also has long-term benefits as it’s better for battery life!

Overnight charging options

Most EV drivers will do the bulk of their charging overnight. If you have the means, at-home charging is the most convenient way to do it. Installing a dedicated wallbox gives you faster, safer charging – and many providers offer cheaper overnight tariffs (often costing around 8p per mile, depending on your supplier).

More councils are rolling out lamppost and kerbside chargers, so you can plug-in near your home. There’s also been a recent £25 million investment for cross-pavement charging, which create covered channels to run cables from your home to your car parked on the road, if you don’t have a driveway.

Some employers also provide workplace charging in staff car parks, which is perfect if you’re leaving your car at work all day and are unable to charge overnight at home.

Can I use a 3-pin plug for at-home charging?

Yes, you can use a normal household plug. But it’s not recommended as a long-term solution.

First of all, it’s much slower. A full charge can take over 24 hours. More importantly, there are some safety considerations. Three-pin plugs only provide up to 3kW of power, and charging at this level for long periods can cause the plug to overheat – and in rare cases, even pose a fire risk.

If you have a 3-pin plug, at no point should a 3-pin charger be used with an extension lead, as this can lead to failure of the charge cable, or in worse cases a fire, if the extension lead is overloaded.

That’s why most manufacturers recommend that if you do only use 3-pin plugs, you do so sparingly. If you own an EV and are unsure, check your vehicle’s handbook for guidance specific to your car.

Thinking about driving electric?

If you’re interested in driving an EV on a salary sacrifice scheme and want to know more about charging options, Tusker has all the answers for you!