Despite showcasing an aggressive approach to switching India’s mobility towards electrification, the Indian government is seeing an average rise in Electric Vehicle (EV) sales growth in the last decade.
You must be wondering why “average” as EV boom in India is a known fact right?
The answer lies in taking an average of sales reports announced every year by major companies wherein though India gained a high rising curve in the last few months, the fresh incidents of EV fire have splashed muddy water on the safety of EVs.
Though recent fire incidents are responsible for the current slowdown of EV sales, the most conspicuous reason points toward the lack of charging solutions and infrastructure that leads to range anxiety among the Indian masses.
This leads us to our current point of discussion which is How to Set Up an EV Charger at Home in India? and what are the requirements for this setup?
As discussed in my previous articles on EV charging stations in India and multiple state policies that stress on building a robust EV charging infrastructure as its highest priority, the key question is do you require to first set up the EV Charger at Home and then purchase your EV, or is it the other way around? We bring below to guide on How to Set Up an EV Charger at Home in India?
Is Parking Space Available?
Living in a congested urban society, one of the most important factors to owning an EV as well as having an EV Charger at Home is to have a dedicated parking space at home or your place of work.
Other things and concerns like having electrical connections, nearby charging stations and sockets can be resolved at a later stage.
However, if there is a lack of a dedicated parking space at home or the office, investing in an EV now could prove to be quite cumbersome.
According to a recent assessment done by Statiq, a Gurugram-based EV charging solution provider startup, over 80% of electric car users charge their EVs overnight at home or work.
So, if you are lacking a dedicated parking space, the best option is to purchase an EV with portable or swappable batteries, you must rethink How to Set Up an EV Charger at Home in India?
Many big tech companies are nowadays declaring to build EV charging slots at their offices for their employees like Tata Motors.
Under the Switch Delhi Campaign, multiple battery swapping as well as EV Charger at Home based solutions are now easily available to the residents.
Types of Chargers Available in the Market
One can choose an EV Charger at Home, depending on the type of electric vehicle, there are various kinds of chargers that consumers can look out for.
Stating a kind of EV Charger at Home, we have a Type 1 AC Charger, that can slow-charge an EV from an AC socket at home.
This EV Charger at Home offers AC charging power levels up to 220 volts and a maximum of 16 amps of current.
Another kind is that of Type 2 Charger as this one has fast-charging capabilities as it works with three-phase input power systems.
Adapted with AC and DC charging systems and vehicles with a Combined Charging System (CCS) plus, this type of EV Charger at Home can handle input power between 7.4 kW to 43 kW with a 400-volt AC supply. This shall better help you understand How to Set Up an EV Charger at Home in India?
Apart from fast charging charger, we have CCS, wherein the system is capable of regular charging at home and is capable of DC fast-charging cars from commercial stations. One of the most common DC fast-chargers can also handle charge power levels of up to 350 kW.
Another fast-charging system is named CHAdeMo as it can support DC fast-charging of up to 50 kW.
Finally, we have the last type, GB/T type chargers that can be installed by the PSU, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), and are capable of DC fast-charging with an output of 15 kW for EVs with lower power. But it can handle up to 230 kW only.
EV Brands Offering EV Charger at Home
Various schemes either at the central level or at the state level are currently ongoing in India that provide ample subsidies and incentives to avail EVs and affordably charging infrastructure costs ownership.
Sensing the upcoming boom of EVs in India, India has witnessed a bloom of EV start-ups and Charging solutions providers.
Naming a few names that offer charging solutions for EV Charger at Home includes, Charzer, Magneta Power, Tata Motors (in Offices), and many more.
Powered by NITI Aayog, India’s think tank, the government of India has also launched an e-AMRIT portal that offers a “Home Charging Calculator” wherein you can find out the specifics of the type of EV Charger at Home and the requirements of your specific EV anytime.
Check out the portal details here.
