Car charging stations

Charging your electric car at home

The number of electric cars in Lithuania is growing. The demand for charging stations for electric vehicles is also increasing automatically. Electric vehicle charging stations ensure safe and high-quality electric vehicle charging. With the suitable charging station, you can not only charge your electric car quickly and conveniently, but also to choose the best conditions for charging it, considering your needs and the possibilities of the home electricity grid.

Three types of charging electric cars

There are three types of charging methods for electric cars: slow, medium (AC) and fast charging (DC).

The domestic electricity grid supplies alternating current (AC), but many electrical appliances require direct current (DC) to charge. The battery of an electric car is also charged by direct current (DC), so the alternating current (AC) needs to be converted to direct current (DC) to charge the electric car.

In the case of slow or medium charging, the change from AC to DC current is done by an internal charger built into the electric vehicle. Therefore, the charging speed of an electric car depends not only on the capacity of the electrical connection, but also on the power of the car’s internal charger.

At fast charging stations, the electric car is charged from direct current (DC), which means that the AC current is converted to DC by the charger at the charging station and not by the charger in the electric car. The power of the fast charging stations can range from 24 to 350 kW, so it takes only a few ten minutes to charge the battery of an electric vehicle.

Charging speed characteristics

Slow charging

Capacity: Charging with a dedicated charging cable, using a maximum current of 16A.

Duration and timing: This charging solution is suitable for charging electric cars at night, or in places where cars are left to charge for long periods of time. Depending on the battery capacity of the electric car, charging in this way can take up to 30 hours.

Equipment: Portable electric car charger for Shuko 230 V socket.

Security: Unlike charging stations, this charging solution has no additional protection, so it is essential to ensure that the electrical wiring is in good order to use this charging solution.

Average charging

Power: from 3.7 kW to 22 kW.

Duration and timing: Charging takes 3-8 hours, depending on the battery capacity of the electric car, the charging level and the capacity of the internal charger.

Equipment: This charging solution requires a charging station which is usually located in the garage of a house, on the outside wall of a building or on a pole.

Security: The charging stations shall have built-in protection against overcurrents, voltage fluctuations, surges, with a safety class of at least IP54 and IK08.

Fast charging

Capacity: The first generation of charging stations is usually 50 kW (DC) or 43 kW (AC). The latest generation of hypercharger charging stations is several times more powerful and can reach up to 350 kW.

Duration and timing: At 50 kW charging stations, it takes 20-40 minutes to charge the battery for a 100 km ride,and 2-3 times faster at higher capacity stations.

Equipment: This charging solution requires DC charging stations which are usually located near shopping centres, in public spaces in the city, on motorways and motorway accesses.

Security: in fast charging stations, AC to DC conversion is performed by a charger integrated in the station, therefore special connectors (CCS, CHAdeMO) are used, which ensure fast and safe charging of the electric vehicle.