Is it better to charge an electric vehicle at home or at a public EV charging station?

As electric vehicle (EV) adoption grows, it has been observed that potential EV owners contemplate a lot on where & how to charge their vehicles.

Most EV users prefer to charge their vehicles at home overnight to make sure they are available for use the next morning. Charging overnight at homes is the cheapest method to ‘refuel’ your EV.

However, not every EV owner has access to home charging. Although apartments have started installing EV chargers in their parking lots, there are still many which don’t have this facility yet.

Older homes may require a significant wiring & electricity meter upgrade to meet the needs of EV charging, which can be expensive. And if you live at a rented place, the landlord may not allow you to install a charger. In such cases, EV owners can use public EV charging stations to recharge their vehicles regularly.

Both options for charging (at home & at public stations) have their advantages & disadvantages. Charging at home is more convenient & cost-effective, while charging at EV charging stations is fast. 

In the country’s capital, people opting for Delhi Government’s ‘Private EV Charger Subsidy Scheme’, will get an EV charging point installed at their home for Rs 2500 and a tariff of Rs 4.50 per unit for electricity consumed through the charger. At public charging stations in Delhi, the charges are between Rs 10-15 per unit.

In Maharashtra, people can avail a dedicated connection for charging their EVs and ‘green meters’ will be installed at homes. Tariff for domestic EV charging is fixed at Rs 7.50 per unit. At public charging stations in the state, the charges are between Rs 14-15 per unit.

Also, even if you have an EV charger at home, public charging stations are vital on longer road trips when you need to top-up the vehicle’s charge to reach your destination. EV charging stations with DC fast-chargers are the most preferred for road trips. If you’re planning a road trip in your electric car, it would be prudent to earmark DC fast-charging stations on the way beforehand.

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Click & download the EVJoints app to find 6,000 charging stations.

One of the main benefits of public EV charging is that it’s much faster than home charging. But it is relatively costlier. A big reason why people buy EVs, even though they are more expensive than a conventional petrol/diesel vehicle, is their cheaper cost of running. But, if you use public EV charging stations regularly, you will end up spending a lot.

Apart from being expensive, fast charging has another drawback. The faster an EV battery charges, the quicker it will age. Fast charging places significant stress on the battery’s cells. If you want to prolong your battery’s life, you need to charge primarily at home (AC charging) and avoid DC fast-charging stations regularly. To learn more about how to maximize your battery life and avoid common charging mistakes that can degrade it over time, check out our blog post: 8 Common Mistakes to Avoid While Charging Your Electric Vehicle.

As an EV owner, you need both home & public EV charging to live with ease.

Even if you have access to charging at home, public charging is useful while going on trips that exceed your electric car’s range. That’s the main reason why most DC fast-charging stations are located along highways. To know more about the difference between AC and DC charging, read our blog post on Electric Vehicle Charging: AC vs DC

Conclusion:

Both home charging & public charging have their benefits & drawbacks. The ideal choice for an EV owner depends on their circumstances & requirements. Most owners opt for a combination of both. They use domestic charging for daily use and public charging for longer journeys & during emergencies.