Electric Charging FAQs
Questions asked by our Smartly Community in one place
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⚡️ Electric Vehicle Charging Explained
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⚡️ Electric Vehicle Charging Explained
Electric Vehicles (EV), sometimes known as Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV), have an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine, and a battery instead of a petrol/diesel tank. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) are a combination of electric and vehicle, so they have battery, petrol tank, electric motor, and internal combustion engine. EVs rely fully on electric charge, and PHEV can be operated with battery power, or petrol (or a combination of both).
You can charge your electric vehicle at home, workplace or at any public charge point. At home, you can charge your EV with a conventional domestic 13A plug socket. We highly recommended installing a dedicated EV charger which is much safer and faster. 3-pin sockets are not designed for extended periods of charging. Also, EVs require communication between the car and charger so require more than the standard 3 pins.
Check our Ultimate EV Guides for more information.
Check our Ultimate EV Guides for more information.
You can install an EV charger if you have one of the following:
- ⚡️A home or workplace with dedicated off-street parking (for example, a driveway, office carpark, or garage)
⚡️A dedicated parking space (for example, if you own an underground parking space in an apartment block, or an office car park)
⚡️You require power at the location too. If you do not own your property, we advise to seek permission before installing the charge point.
Electric Vehicle manufacturers have designed precautions in their vehicles, so you cannot overcharge, over-discharge, or overheat your electric vehicle.
We have created an easy Vehicle Selector tool to help show you the chargers and cables which are compatible with your vehicle. Vehicle Selector. Alternatively, check our Ultimate EV Charger Guide, or Ultimate EV Charging Cable and Connector Guide, or Ulitmate EV Buying Guide in our Ultimate EV Guides section. If you have any questions, we’re happy to help! Contact Us
When considering which charging cable to buy, here’s a cost saver the Smartly team uses. A 22kW three-phase charging cable is compatible with both a 7kW single-phase supply and a 22kW three-supply. So, if you have a 7kW single-phase home charger, you could use a 22kW three-phase charging cable, which would also be compatible with public 22kW three-phase chargers. It allows you to get the quickest charge time possible when at public chargers and saves buying two cables! Alternatively, for easier access, you could buy a tethered home charger (with the cable attached), and a 22KW three-phase charging cable for the boot, for when out and about.
When considering which charging cable to buy, here’s a cost saver the Smartly team uses. A 22kW three-phase charging cable is compatible with both a 7kW single-phase supply and a 22kW three-supply. So, if you have a 7kW single-phase home charger, you could use a 22kW three-phase charging cable, which would also be compatible with public 22kW three-phase chargers. It allows you to get the quickest charge time possible when at public chargers and saves buying two cables! Alternatively, for easier access, you could buy a tethered home charger (with the cable attached), and a 22KW three-phase charging cable for the boot, for when out and about.
7kW chargers supply your EV at 7kW per hour. 22kW chargers are 3 times faster, however they only work in locations with a three-phase electrical supply. Most UK households have a single-phase (230V) supply, which require a 7kW single-phase charger.
It is worth noting that the maximum charge speed is determined not just by the charger power, but also by your vehicle’s on-board charger (the charger built into the car). Our Vehicle Selector lets you know your on-board charger speed. For example:
- ⚡️A PHEV with a 3.5kW on-board charger will only charge at 3.5kW per hour with a 7kW or 22kW charger.
⚡️An EV with an 11kW on-board charger will charge at 7kW per hour from a 7kW single-phase supply but only 11kW per hour from a 22kW three-phase supply.
Depending on your battery size (kWh), and charging power (kW), approximate charge time can be found below:
| Charger Power | Charge Time (30kWh Battery) | Charge Time (60kWh Battery) | Charge Time (90kWh Battery) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3kW | 9 hours | 18 hours | 27 hours |
| 7kW | 4 hours | 8 hours | 16 hours |
| 22kW | 1.5 hours | 3 hours | 6 hours |
| 50kW | 30 minutes | 1 hour | 2 hours |
It is worth noting that the maximum charge speed is determined not just by the charger power, but also by your vehicle’s on-board charger (the charger built into the car). Our Vehicle Selector lets you know your on-board charger speed. For example:
- ⚡️A PHEV with a 3.5kW on-board charger will only charge at 3.5kW per hour with a 7kW or 22kW charger.
⚡️An EV with an 11kW on-board charger will charge at 7kW per hour from a 7kW single-phase supply but only 11kW per hour from a 22kW three-phase supply.
Depending on your battery size (kWh), and charging power (kW), approximate charge time can be found below:
| Charger Power | Charge Time (30kWh Battery) | Charge Time (60kWh Battery) | Charge Time (90kWh Battery) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3kW | 9 hours | 18 hours | 27 hours |
| 7kW | 4 hours | 8 hours | 16 hours |
| 22kW | 1.5 hours | 3 hours | 6 hours |
| 50kW | 30 minutes | 1 hour | 2 hours |
It is worth noting that the maximum charge speed is determined not just by the charger power, but also by your vehicle’s on-board charger (the charger built into the car). Our Vehicle Selector lets you know your on-board charger speed. For example:
- ⚡️A PHEV with a 3.5kW on-board charger will only charge at 3.5kW per hour with a 7kW or 22kW charger.
⚡️An EV with an 11kW on-board charger will charge at 7kW per hour from a 7kW single-phase supply but only 11kW per hour from a 22kW three-phase supply.
A hot topic at the moment, with skyrocketing home electricity costs across the UK. The cost can vary depending on charging location, as some public charge points are free. An average home charge is £4 for a range of 100miles (depending on your tariff). You could save around £1,400 a year on fuel by switching from petrol to electric if you cover 10,000 miles per year.
A quick guide to working out cost is by multiplying your electricity tariff by your EV battery size. For example (using 15p per kWh as an average UK electricity price):
| Car | Battery Size | Range | Calculation | Cost to Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Leaf | 37kWh | 140 miles | 15p x 37kWh | £5.55 |
| Audi Q4 e-tron 40 | 76.6kWh | 250 miles | 15p x 76.6kWh | £11.49 |
| BMW iX xDrive 50 | 105.2kWh | 315 miles | 15p x 105.2kWh | £15.78 |
Note that the cost above is for the entire battery charge. Most drivers would not charge their car from empty to full regularly, only charging to 80%.
You can also use self-generated electricity (from Solar panels, for example) to charge your EV for free – this is becoming more and more economically viable with solar panels becoming cheaper and electricity increasing in price. Combine Solar panels with battery storage and you could store the electricity generated during daylight hours to use at night.
You can also change Electricity Supplier to one which offers a dedicated EV Tariff, which allows cheap charging at off-peak times (for example 5p per kWh as opposed to 15p per kWh).
We believe you should have the choice of who installs your charger. This allows greater transparency with charger costs and installation. We don't force you to take installation as standard - so feel free to purchase the charger alone.
Our installation service is provided by our fully certified team for a set fee of £500 (inc VAT). This includes mounting to an external wall, and up to 10m of cabling to spare circuit on consumer unit. More complicated installs, or remote locations may incur an additional charge. Contact us before or after purchasing your charger to discuss installation.
If you wish to arrange your own installation, you may know a local qualified electrician already, or click here to take you to the EVCC site, to find an accredited installer in the EVCC network.
Also, Trustatrader.com can help you find vetted and approved installers in your area. Click here to take you to their site, and input your postcode to narrow the results.
Only fully qualified professionals should install your charger. We offer an installation service (as detailed above), or we are happy to help find the best installer for you. You may know a local qualified electrician already, so arranging the install is much easier and allows greater flexibility.
Click here to take you to the EVCC site, to find an accredited installer in the EVCC network.
We also have a partnership with Trustatrader.com to help you find vetted and approved installers in your area. Click here to take you to their site, and input your postcode to narrow the results!
Absolutely, you can get great discounts and benefits by registering for an Account. We’d love to hear from you if you are a qualified Electrical Contractor/Electrician Business in the UK and have experience installing EV chargers.
Registering for a free membership with Smartly has two major benefits:
1. Installers receive exclusive member discounts on all purchases made directly from Smartly, and a credit account.
2. Delivery can be arranged to you or your customer - with next day delivery available for most charger types.
Registering for a free membership with Smartly has two major benefits:
1. Installers receive exclusive member discounts on all purchases made directly from Smartly, and a credit account.
2. Delivery can be arranged to you or your customer - with next day delivery available for most charger types.
We believe you should have the choice of who installs your charger. This allows greater transparency with charger costs and installation. We don't force you to take installation as standard - so feel free to purchase the charger alone.
Our installation service is provided by our fully certified team for a set fee of £500 (inc VAT). This includes mounting to an external wall, and up to 10m of cabling to spare circuit on consumer unit. More complicated installs, or remote locations may incur an additional charge. Contact us before or after purchasing your charger to discuss installation.
Domestic Installations
For home installations, the average cost in the UK is £500. The UK’s OZEV grant ended in March 2022 for single unit homeowners. Apartments owners and those who rent their accommodation are still eligible from 1st April 2022 with a newly named “EV Chargepoint Grant”. More information can be found here.
Scottish residents can also still apply for £250 funding through the Energy Saving Trust.
If you have any questions, please let us know! Our expert team is happy to help!
Workplace Installations
For businesses, the Government Workplace Charge Scheme (WCS) offers grants for installation. More details can be found here on the UK government website. All the EV Chargers on smartlycharging.com are approved for installation in the WCS.
The grant covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints (inclusive of VAT), capped at a maximum of:
- ⚡️
£350 per socket
⚡️ 40 sockets across all sites per applicant – for instance, if you would like to install them in 40 sites, you will have 1 socket available per site
After applying using the online application form, successful applicants are issued with a unique identification voucher code by email, which can then be given to any OZEV-authorised WCS Installer. All the EV Chargers on smartlycharging.com are approved for installation in the WCS.
Once the chargepoint(s) have been installed, the authorised installer can claim the grant from OZEV on the applicant’s behalf. The chargepoint installation must be completed and the voucher claimed within 6 months of the voucher’s issue date.
If you have any questions, please let us know! Our expert team is happy to help!
While technically possible, we don’t recommend using an extension. There is more risk of electric shock. Smartly offers cables from 3m to 50m to cater for all lengths required.
⚡️ All About Smartly
Yes, we are a proud UK family business. The whole team is based in the UK, and we hold all our stock in the UK, so we offer speedy postage and fantastic customer service. You can purchase with confidence and contact us at any step in the process.
Our mission is to lead from the front in the UK EV charging market. We are a driven and dynamic business, and passionate about ensuring our products are the highest quality and at the forefront of smart eco-friendly technology.
To guarantee quality and reliability, we manufacture our Smartly Charging Cables in the UK, and we have specifically partnered with only the top UK and European brands of charge point.
To go one step further, we are proud that our Smartly Charging Cables are emblazoned with the official ‘Made in Britain’ logo. Made in Britain brings together the British manufacturing community, united with the use of their registered mark. The mark can only be used by members of Made in Britain that meets specific criteria, and guarantees the member is a British manufacturer. We are very happy to show the Made in Britain mark on our cables and website, as it highlights that we manufacture to an excellent quality, and we guarantee reliability.
We only select products that we’ve approved and are proud of. We hand pick the products we sell and rigorously test them to make sure we know them inside out and can advise customers on even the tiniest details. We are constantly updating our product catalogue to bring you the most current and exciting products. We offer honest impartial advice, no matter the knowledge level of the customer and are happy to advise on the recommended installer in your area.
To guarantee quality and reliability, we manufacture our Smartly Charging Cables in the UK, and we have specifically partnered with only the top UK and European brands of charge point.
To go one step further, we are proud that our Smartly Charging Cables are emblazoned with the official ‘Made in Britain’ logo. Made in Britain brings together the British manufacturing community, united with the use of their registered mark. The mark can only be used by members of Made in Britain that meets specific criteria, and guarantees the member is a British manufacturer. We are very happy to show the Made in Britain mark on our cables and website, as it highlights that we manufacture to an excellent quality, and we guarantee reliability.
We only select products that we’ve approved and are proud of. We hand pick the products we sell and rigorously test them to make sure we know them inside out and can advise customers on even the tiniest details. We are constantly updating our product catalogue to bring you the most current and exciting products. We offer honest impartial advice, no matter the knowledge level of the customer and are happy to advise on the recommended installer in your area.
We are selective in our partnerships. We have specifically partnered with only the very best UK and European brands. We only select products that we’ve approved and are proud to endorse, which fit our criteria of affordable, high quality, reliable and great looking design.
There are some fantastic EV Charger manufacturers in Europe, and we’d love to hear from you if you’d like to explore a Smartly Partnership. We’d also love to speak to other businesses who share the same philosophy as Smartly and allow us to share industry knowledge, or could combine forces with sustainability projects, or mutually benefit from a partnership.
Please contact us in the Partnership Hub.
There are some fantastic EV Charger manufacturers in Europe, and we’d love to hear from you if you’d like to explore a Smartly Partnership. We’d also love to speak to other businesses who share the same philosophy as Smartly and allow us to share industry knowledge, or could combine forces with sustainability projects, or mutually benefit from a partnership.
Please contact us in the Partnership Hub.
We sure are! Ordering as an individual or business is simple and secure, and you will receive a VAT invoice after ordering.
Smartly is an ethical, eco-friendly company, driving change in the automotive industry. We believe in reducing our environmental impact and aiming for zero emissions. Manufacturing our cables in the UK and only partnering with brands in Europe means we minimise our carbon footprint and can ensure our products are manufactured under socially responsible working conditions. We believe it is counterintuitive to promote clean energy and zero emissions, then source our products from distant countries, which require a huge amount of fuel to ship them to the UK.
We are very proud to be officially certified as a Carbon Neutral Business. We believe it is a massive step towards a sustainable future. We offset all our emissions and plant 30 trees per month through Carbon Neutral Britain. Please read more information and view our certification here.
We also take it one step further to improve our sustainability with our One Tree Planted partnership, where we plant an additional tree for every order received. Find more information here.
Increased Greenhouse Gas (CO²e) emissions in the atmosphere are the biggest cause of Global Warming on our Planet. By offsetting our Carbon Footprint with our Carbon Neutral Britain and One Tree Planted partnerships, we can have a lasting impact on Climate Change for generations to come. In addition to protecting the climate, every project also supports local communities with sustainable development - such as providing safe drinking water, improving health, and creating local jobs, as well as having a positive impact on wildlife, ecology, and biodiversity. Our Carbon Neutral Britain and One Tree Planted partnerships are an integral part of our business model and key to our commitment to sustainability. We encourage other companies to join initiatives to improve their sustainability and lower their environmental impact.
We are very proud to be officially certified as a Carbon Neutral Business. We believe it is a massive step towards a sustainable future. We offset all our emissions and plant 30 trees per month through Carbon Neutral Britain. Please read more information and view our certification here.
We also take it one step further to improve our sustainability with our One Tree Planted partnership, where we plant an additional tree for every order received. Find more information here.
Increased Greenhouse Gas (CO²e) emissions in the atmosphere are the biggest cause of Global Warming on our Planet. By offsetting our Carbon Footprint with our Carbon Neutral Britain and One Tree Planted partnerships, we can have a lasting impact on Climate Change for generations to come. In addition to protecting the climate, every project also supports local communities with sustainable development - such as providing safe drinking water, improving health, and creating local jobs, as well as having a positive impact on wildlife, ecology, and biodiversity. Our Carbon Neutral Britain and One Tree Planted partnerships are an integral part of our business model and key to our commitment to sustainability. We encourage other companies to join initiatives to improve their sustainability and lower their environmental impact.
We’d love to hear from you if you have any questions about your order, or general questions about Smartly, our brands or products. Click here to contact us, email support@smartlycharging.com, call us on 0333 33 55 965, or reach out on any of our social media channels.
⚡️ Buying with Smartly
We sure do! Check out our store, where you can filter for home or business. There are many filter categories – for example, you can also filter for single or three-phase, as most UK households have a single-phase (230V) supply, which require a 7kW single-phase charger. Some business locations benefit from a three-phase supply – which can charge three times faster.
Individual or business customers can purchase directly on our secure website. We accept all major credit/debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and you can split your payments with Klarna. You will receive a VAT invoice after ordering and tracking information once your order has shipped.
We encourage our business customers to contact one of our sales advisors, so we can best help with your specific requirements.
Please contact us for larger orders if you wish to pay via Bank Transfer or cheque.
Individual or business customers can purchase directly on our secure website. We accept all major credit/debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and you can split your payments with Klarna. You will receive a VAT invoice after ordering and tracking information once your order has shipped.
We encourage our business customers to contact one of our sales advisors, so we can best help with your specific requirements.
Please contact us for larger orders if you wish to pay via Bank Transfer or cheque.
Individual or business customers can purchase directly on our secure website. We accept all major credit/debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
We also have different finance options available. You can pay in affordable monthly instalments to better suit your needs and budget. Pay at checkout with Klarna over 3 monthly instalments, or to help you pay over a longer period, we have partnered with Kandoo, an FCA regulated credit broker to offer all our customers a range of highly flexible finance options.
There is no limit to the finance offered and customers have flexible payment terms, available from 1 to 5+ years, and getting a quote does not affect your credit score. Find out more information in our Finance Section.
You will receive a VAT invoice after ordering and tracking information once your order has shipped.
We encourage our business customers to contact one of our sales advisors, so we can best help with your specific requirements. Please contact us for larger orders if you wish to pay via Bank Transfer or cheque.
We also have different finance options available. You can pay in affordable monthly instalments to better suit your needs and budget. Pay at checkout with Klarna over 3 monthly instalments, or to help you pay over a longer period, we have partnered with Kandoo, an FCA regulated credit broker to offer all our customers a range of highly flexible finance options.
There is no limit to the finance offered and customers have flexible payment terms, available from 1 to 5+ years, and getting a quote does not affect your credit score. Find out more information in our Finance Section.
You will receive a VAT invoice after ordering and tracking information once your order has shipped.
We encourage our business customers to contact one of our sales advisors, so we can best help with your specific requirements. Please contact us for larger orders if you wish to pay via Bank Transfer or cheque.
Yes! We offer FREE express shipping on all orders. Orders will arrive within 3 working days. If your order is urgent, please get in touch and we will do our best to ship your order quicker!
We ship across the UK with tracked shipping. Please get in touch if you’d like to place an order to be delivered outside the UK, we’re happy to accommodate your request.
We ship across the UK with tracked shipping. Please get in touch if you’d like to place an order to be delivered outside the UK, we’re happy to accommodate your request.
We offer a 14-day refund, should you wish to return your order, for any reason. Please contact us at support@smartlycharging.com if you have changed your mind or ordered in error. Unless defective, the product must still be new, unopened, and unused to qualify for a full refund.
Please visit our Shipping and Returns page for full details.
Yes, our Smartly Charging Cables have a 12-month warranty, and all our Charge Points have their own manufacturer warranty (3 years).
Absolutely! All our charging cables are made to order in our UK factory, so we are very flexible. Please get in touch and we are happy to provide a quotation for any length of cable you require. Our store currently has up to 20m charging cables, but we have supplied 30m, 40m and 50m cables recently. Some locations have specific requirements which mean the charger is some distance from where the vehicle is parked – for example a car garage which needs to access multiple locations, or a home charger installed at the back of a house. We’re happy to help!
If you have any questions or issues with your order, click Contact Us, email support@smartlycharging.com, call us on 0333 33 55 965, or reach out on any of our social media channels.
