Tips to get the most out of an electric car

The mobility of the future is progressing on electric wheels. A good charging infrastructure is crucial for the popularity of the electric car. And it is also important to know which type of charging is most suitable, depending on the characteristics of each vehicle and the time and place of charging. When talking about electric vehicle charging, there are some concepts related to the types of chargers, connectors or charging times that can cause confusion, but it’s much simpler than it looks once you get familiar with using them. To do this, a Seat expert explains in detail the ways to charge the future.

“Battery charging of electric and hybrid vehicles mainly depends on two factors: the capacity of the car battery and the available charging power, and this affects charging times,” he explains. Ramon Calderon, responsible for e-Mobility Institutional Relations at Seat. The capacity of the battery is the amount of electrical energy it can store, while the power is the amount of electrical energy the charger can supply to the vehicle. “The user of an electrified car has different charging modes at his disposal: type 2 (slow charging), type 3 (semi-fast charging) and type 4 (super fast or ultra fast charging). Depending on the capacity of our car battery and the power of the charger and connection cable, it will take us more or less time to charge it,” explains Calderón.

If we have a plug-in hybrid car or a small electric car at home, we can charge the car overnight in the garage with a charge type 2 or slow charge. With this option, the vehicle is connected to the electricity grid by means of an adapter that guarantees the safety of charging and is equipped with a household plug, as we have at home (Schuko type). In this mode (for a power of 3.6 kW), a hybrid takes on average between 3 and 4 hours to charge the battery from 0 to 100%, and an electric about 16 hours on average, depending on the power and the cable and battery capacity. However, if we have a 100% electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid, such as the Seat Tarraco e-Hybrid, with a fairly high autonomy, the most convenient option is the type 3 charging mode, also known as semi-fast. . This charging mode requires a device or wall charging point, colloquially called Wallbox, which contains various protection systems necessary for the safety of the electrical installation and the vehicle.

“The use of mode 3, due to its safety, reliability and speed, prevails over mode 2 as the charging power and capacity of electric vehicle batteries increase,” says Calderón. This mode allows us to work at higher powers at home and in turn optimize the charging time. A hybrid like the CUPRA Formentor can be charged in less than 3 hours and 100% electric in less than 10 hours on average.

Once away from home, the public use charging points that we will usually find will also be mode 3 or semi-fast as it is mandatory that they are at least of this charge level. In mode 3, the connection of the electric or hybrid vehicle to the alternating current grid is made via Mennekes connectors. Taking into account that the capacity of these public points is higher (around 11 kW), the charging time for a plug-in hybrid will average between 30 minutes and 1 hour, while for 100% electric charging from 0 to 100% can take us between 4 and 6 hours.

Mode 4 or super fast, indicated only for 100% high autonomy electric vehicles such as the Born, allows us to charge at least 70% of the battery in just over 30 minutes (for a charging power of 100 kW) , the only time enough to have a drink or do the weekly shopping, and 100% about an hour. Charging in mode 4 is done in direct current, unlike the previous modes, which are done in alternating current, which allows for faster charging as the vehicle does not need to make any conversions. The most commonly used standard connection for this way of charging is the CCS.

“These are chargers that, due to their high price and cost of installation, are not designed nor recommended for domestic use and, along with mode 3, are the ones that the user will find in shopping malls, public roads or workplaces,” explains Calderon. Within the mode 4 chargers there are also ultra-fast chargers, specially designed for public outdoor stations or charging stations, where we can charge the vehicle during long journeys or situations where we have very little time. This mode, which can have more than 250 kW of power, will charge an average 100% electric car in less than 30 minutes.