Install an electric vehicle charging point

Electric car recharging the battery at an external recharging point

How can I connect a charging point for my electric vehicle in my private garage? Can I do it in my community parking? Who should I contact? You have probably thought about this before if you already have an electric vehicle or you are planning to buy one. In fact, having a charging point at your home is easier than you can imagine.

There are different installation methods, but remember that the charging point must be installed by an authorized electrician installer that can guarantee its quality and safety, in compliance with the current regulations (Electro-technical Low-Voltage Regulations).

Installation in a private garage

Installation in a community garage

Steps to be taken to set up a recharging point

YOUR CHARGING POINT IN THREE EASY STEPS

Steps to be taken to set up a recharging point:

Choose the layout of the installation, inform your community and make the installation compliant.

FAQs
  • What is the maximum power rating of a charging point?

    • In general, 16 A (amperes) and a power of 3.7 kW is enough for a normal or slow charging point. In this case, a specific supply point with a second contract is not required, although this might be needed in some specific situations. A dedicated circuit with a maximum power rating of 9.2 kW must be installed for charging points (wallbox or simple charging points).
      The degree of electrification refers to the electrical installations inside homes, in terms of quantity and type.

  • Do all electric vehicles use the same type of charging connector?

    • No. Electric motorbikes and quads usually use Schuko connectors (domestic type). Electric cars and vans and hybrid plug-in vehicles usually use Type 1 (Yazaki) or Type 2 connectors (Mennekes). This is the most popular type used in Europe and the models of different brands of electric vehicles are renewing their designs to use this type of charging connector. In the worst case scenario, a cable with two types of connectors can be used: on one end, the type of connector used for the car charging socket and, on the other end, the standard connector used in Europe.

  • How can I choose the best type of installation?

    • The professional installer will give you advice about the best type of charging point to install after assessing your installation. As a guideline, the trunk installation method is the most common installation type in large garages, in which there will be many charging points or in places in which the charging point is not installed in the same place as where the dwellings of the users are found.

  • Does my installation comply with the applicable regulations?

    • Your charging point installation must comply with the specifications of the Low Voltage Supplementary Technical Instruction (ITC – BT52). The Instruction provides the specifications that must be met to comply with it and to guarantee that the charging point installation of your electric car is fully safe.

  • Are charging point installations safe?

    • Yes, the safety of the charging point installation is guaranteed because it this is established as mandatory in the applicable regulations. A line protection system is installed at the individual connection, which will act as the first element to disconnect the charging point if a problem is detected. In addition, wallbox systems have up to three electrical protection systems: grounding line, thermal-magnetic circuit breaker to protect against overloads and earth leakage circuit breaker to protect against indirect contacts.

  • Is my charging point a smart charging point?

    • Wallbox charging points are smart charging points, since they offer communication and integration features in smart grids.

  • Do I need to purchase a charging point?

    • This is not required. You can purchase your own charging point for your garage, but you can also pay a monthly fee to a charging point manager. This solution is very useful for large garages or for people renting parking spaces in a garage.

For further information