Charging your electric minibus

If you are considering an electrical vehicle one of the biggest concerns you are likely to have is how far will it run, how long will it take to charge it, and where you can charge it. Rivervale has written this short guide to help you understand what is involved, what the different numbers and values that are connected with EVs mean, and other things to be aware of when thinking about EV charging.

How long will it take to charge a vehicle? Working out charging speeds

There are three accepted charging speeds, low, fast or rapid. The charging speed will not only affect the cost of the charge but also the time it takes. A 150kW rapid charger will deliver electricity twice as fast as a 75kW rapid charger because it is twice as powerful.

kW (kilowatt) refers to power and is used when talking about the output speed of EV chargers.

kWh (kilowatt hour) is a unit of energy and is used when talking about electric car battery capacity and the ‘amount’ of energy put into the EV battery from the charger.

As an easy rule of thumb you divide the capacity of your battery by the kW of the charger to give you amount of time it will take to charge.

The Maxus eDeliver3 with a 35kW battery would take just under 5 hours to charge from a 7.4kW charge point (35kW divided by 7.4kW = 4.72 hours). Using a 50kW rapid charge point, the Maxus eDeliver3 with a 35kW will charge in around 45 minutes.

In reality charging will always take a little longer, but also you don’t want to be charging your vehicle to 100% when you’re out and about. This rule of thumb is reliable enough for you to get a general sense of the time it will take to charge your vehicle at different charging stations with different charging speeds. These are rated as:

• Slow chargers are up to 3kW (AC)
• Fast chargers between 7kW-22kW (AC)
• Rapid chargers between typically 50kW (DC)
• Ultra rapid chargers: 100kW or more (DC).

According to Zap-Map the most common public electric car chargers are slow to fast chargers - they account for around 80% of all UK chargers.

AC and DC charging

The Maxus eDeliver3 has both an AC and DC charging option, so you can charge it at home with a slow/fast type 2 plug at 7.2kW or at a rapid CSS (combined charging system) of 50kW. It is important to know that electric cars actually have two charging rates: an AC charging rate applies to slow and fast chargers and includes home charging. DC charging rate applies to rapid and ultra rapid charge points (it is faster because the chargers convert the AC power to DC - it is not done by the car’s internal electronic inverter.)

While fast (AC) charging points go up to a maximum 22kW, most electric cars on the market are limited to a 7.2-11kW maximum AC charge rate.

How long will a fully charged vehicle run?

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer for this as there are several factors affecting the length of time an electric vehicle will run:

• The size of the battery – how much energy it holds
• Your driving speeds, the faster you accelerate and the faster you drive.
• The use of electrical powered features in the car like heating or air conditioning

The Maxus eDELIVER 3 has a choice of two battery sizes, 35kW and 52.5kW and this affects the distance it can go in one charge from 99-141 miles with the smaller battery size and dependent on the use of the car and 151-213 miles for the larger 52.5kW battery.

You can see these ranges in the specifications of EVs. The best figure to look at is the WLPT Combined range. This is the average figure of all the different driving types the car is tested on from low = city driving, to extra high = motorway driving. Sometimes, you might see the WLPT City Range so you can get a decent comparison to the combined range.

Type 1 and Type 2 plugs

Slow to fast chargers use one of two plugs to connect to your car: type 1 is largely outdated now as in 2014 the EU decreed that all new plug-in cars should come equipped with a Type 2 AC socket.

All EV vehicles come with a cable/plug so you can charge your EV at a public charging station. You might have a tethered charger at home or work – where the cable is fixed to the charger but all vehicles should be come with an AC and CSS or DC charging cable.

Workplace charging and Public Charging

If you are considering an electric vehicle then having a smart charger installed at your workplace or on your premises is the most cost-effective way of running your electric vehicle. Business owners can take advantage of the Government's Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS).

If you are installing a work place charger a smart charger is the most cost effective option. Smart chargers allow you to set charging preferences, like the battery level you want to charge to, and when you want it charged by, in this way you can access off-peak cheaper energy rates. Some smart chargers also allow for power sharing or load balancing. This means that businesses with multiple chargers onsite can distribute the available energy evenly across all EV charging stations avoiding the need for an expensive electrical upgrade.

Charging Networks

Public EV chargers can be found in many places throughout the UK including service stations, car parks and supermarkets. In August 2021 Zap-Map reported a total of 25,258 charging points at 15,903 different locations nationwide – and this is growing exponentially.

Unlike a petrol station where you can just turn up , fill up and pay the EV charging networks all have a slightly different approach to charger access. If you are planning to rely on public EV charging, make sure you’re signed up in advance for the network of any chargers you’re going to us. There are several resources that allow you to check ahead, both for the location of chargers and the network running them.

Electric Vehicles FAQs

Q. How do you work out charging speeds?

A. Divide the capacity of your battery by the kW of the charger to give you amount of time it will take to charge. The Maxus eDeliver3 with a 35kW battery would take just under 5 hours to charge from a 7.4kW charge point (35kW divided by 7.4kW = 4.72 hours).

Q. What does KW mean for electric vehicles?

A. kW (kilowatt) is used when talking about the output speed of EV chargers

Q. What is a rapid charger?

A. A rapid charger is one that delivers 50kW. The Maxus eDeliver3 with a 35kW will charge in around 45 minutes from a 50kw rapid charger and take nearly 5 hours from a 7kW fast charger.

Q. Is a fast charger the same as a smart charger?

No, a smart charger is a way for owners of EVs to manage when and how their EVs are charged – meaning they can charge their car during off-peak hours.

Q. Does it matter what type of charger I am using for an EV

A. Yes, it will affect the time it takes to charge the vehicle, how much that charge costs and also you need to check your vehicle’s maximum charge rate.

Q. What does kWh (kilowatt hour) mean for electric vehicles

A. kWh is a unit of energy and is used when talking about electric car battery capacity, it is the amount of energy put into the EV battery by the charger.

Q. What are the different charging speeds for EV chargers?

• Slow chargers are up to 3kW (AC)
• Fast chargers between 7kW-22kW (AC)
• Rapid chargers between typically 50kW (DC)
• Ultra rapid chargers: 100kW or more (DC).

Q. What is the difference between AC and DC charging for EVs

A. Electric cars actually have two charging rates: an AC charging rate applies to slow and fast chargers and includes home charging. DC charging rate applies to rapid and ultra rapid charge points (DC chargers convert the AC power to DC - it is not done by the car’s internal electronic inverter.)

Q. How long will a fully charged vehicle run?

A. The best figure to look at is the WLPT Combined range. This is the average figure of all the different driving types the car is tested on from low = city driving, to extra high = motorway driving.

Q. What factors affect the driving range of an electric car

A. The size of the battery, the speed you drive at and the use of electrical powered features in the car like heating or air conditioning will affect the driving range of your EV

Q. What does WLPT Combined range mean?

A. WLPT stands for Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure. It is the testing process for measuring electric driving range and emissions. The combined range is the average range of a car from urban to motorway driving. The easiest way of comparing ranges of vehicles is to look at the WLTP Combined figure. 

Q. Is there a grant for workplace EV charging?

A. Business owners and landlords can take advantage of the Government's Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS).

Q. What are smart chargers?

A. Smart chargers allow you to set your EV charging preferences, including how much you want to charge and when. Usually controlled through an app smart chargers allow you to access off-peak cheaper energy rates.

Q. What is EV power sharing or load balancing.

A. Some smart chargers used at workplaces to charge multiple cars can distribute the available energy evenly across all EV charging stations avoiding the need for an expensive electrical upgrade.