EV Charging

Simple breakdown of domestic EV chargers - 

10amp chargers - simply plug into an existing gpo.

15amp chargers require a dedicated circuit run from your switchboard.

32amp chargers require you to select a control method from energex, it requires additional planning and design. 

One method used to avoid this extra energex charge is to program the 32 amp charger to output max 20amps ( on tesla models) and wire this to a 20amp circuit breaker, this requires a dedicated circuit from the switchboard and is very simple and cost effective.

Finally a 3 phase charger 16amps a phase can be wired directly to the switchboard without the need for energex controls.

Charging from a powerpoint

Some EVs come with three-pin charging cables that can be plugged into a powerpoint. 

The rate of charging depends on the amperage (A) of the powerpoint. Most powerpoints are 10A (2.3kW), and it will take approximately 4 hours to charge your EV if you have travelled the average daily distance for Queenslanders of 40km. Charging will be faster with a 15A (3.4kW) powerpoint which must be fitted by a licensed electrical contractor. 

These are some options for charging via a powerpoint: 

Overnight charging - If you regularly charge overnight and your EV battery is rarely below half full, then charging via a powerpoint could be fine for you most of the time 

Day time charging - If you mostly charge during the day and your EV battery is rarely below half full, then using a powerpoint should meet your EV charging needs. If you have a solar PV system, charging your EV during the day when your system is operating should help you save on your energy costs.

Time-of-use tariffs - These are a great option for charging via a powerpoint and could help you to reduce your power bill 

Economy tariffs - You can connect a powerpoint for EV charging to an economy tariff, but you will lose the ability to charge off your solar PV system with this setup