Your car spends the majority of its time in the parking lot at home, so why not take the opportunity to recharge it? Stock up at home!
FROM 35 KM TO 70 KM PER CHARGING HOUR
One of the biggest concerns of potential buyers of electric cars is the charging time and this is completely normal since we have been accustomed for decades to refueling our vehicle in just a few minutes at the gas station. Most level 2 charging stations will offer you between 35km and 70km per hour of charging, which means that your vehicle will be fully charged in just a few hours. Given the fact that your car spends the majority of the time parked at home and that the vast majority of Quebecers travel less than 100 km daily, recharging at home should be the least of your worries!
AVERAGE OF 1.28 CHARGES PER WEEK
A person who travels 20,000 km per year with an electric car with a range of 300 km will have to carry out 67 complete recharges throughout the year, which corresponds to only 1.28 recharges per week… This puts into perspective , we can see that the vast majority of the time your charger will be free which could allow you to connect a second car and/or even place your rental charger on a new platform which allows this type of service.
ONLY A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS
The cost of a charging station usually varies between $700 and $1,500 but the Quebec government offers a subsidy of $600 for the installation of a residential terminal, which means that the cost after subsidy will only be a few hundreds of dollars and you can charge your car from the comfort of your home!
IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR NEEDS
With the advent of increasingly powerful charging stations such as 48 amp stations, it is tempting for some to go in this direction, but do you really need it? A 48 amp terminal allows you to charge at a speed of 11.5 kW/h or 65-70 km per hour. Half of the vehicles on the market currently have a maximum capacity of 7.2 kW/h or 35-40 km per hour, so despite the temptation of speed, a 40 or even 32 amp terminal, which allows charging at 7.2 kW/h, can do the trick very well. It is also necessary to consider that a 48 amp terminal requires greater capacity at the electrical panel with a 60 amp circuit breaker, more robust wiring (caliber no. 6) which will increase installation costs at the same time.
CURRENT REGULATOR
Note that if your panel does not allow you to add a circuit breaker necessary for the installation of the terminal you have chosen, there are less expensive solutions than changing the electrical panel using current regulators.
RECHARGE IN MULTI-UNITS IS ALSO POSSIBLE
Whether you are in a condo or apartment, charging is just as possible and often much less expensive and complicated than you might imagine. With the emergence of new technologies in the field, there are now several solutions for charging in multi-dwellings and each of these solutions can be favored depending on the type of building where you reside. Please note that an individual who can install their own terminal in a multi-dwelling unit is also entitled to the $600 subsidy. In the case of an owner of rental properties or a condo association, subsidies of up to 50% of total installation and terminal expenses are also available. This is why it is advisable to contact experts to determine which type of solutions is best to choose.
