EV FAQ: All you need to know about charging an EV at home

Is charging electric cars better than refueling petrol/diesel cars? 

Charging electric cars can leave one in a very fascinating conundrum. With fuel prices reaching all time highs, charging an electric car has become a whole lot cheaper. However, while you can pour petrol or diesel right into your car in a matter of minutes, with an EV you have to wait for its batteries to recharge and that takes quite some time. 

The car is just like your phone or laptop, it takes time to charge. So, going to the public stations - where there is no guarantee of you getting a free charging spot - and then waiting for your car to charge can be a bit of an issue. 

The best way to bypass this problem is to charge your car at home. 

Ok, let me plug my car then…

No, wait! Before you take your electric car’s charger and put it in your home socket, that’s not a sustainable solution. Plugging into the mains socket should be a temporary solution because an EV demands a very high current which can only be given to it via a dedicated charger. 

Understood! So is there a special type of charger for an EV?

The answer to the first question is: yes. With the EV world quite premature, a number of charging alternatives are coming up in the market but the one that is recommended by most carmakers (and by us) is a wallbox because it offers two very big advantages. It’s very pretty to look at when installed in a wall - it’ll make you look quite cool in front of your neighbors - and it can gel in quite nicely with the wiring that’s already there at your home. 

Can I install a charger on my own and how much will it cost?

The simple answer is: even if you think you can, please don’t. There are a number of service providers out there who will send trained electricians at your home to install the charger. A service provider verified with all the top brands like Tesla, Audi, BMW will charge around AED 1,500 and provide you with a charger that will look into all the bits and bobs of electric physics. Installing a charger at home might seem expensive but it's a one time investment and in the long run it will be cheaper than paying around 29 Fils per kW for charging your car at a public station and also give you hassle-free charging.

Once you install a charger at home and charge your car, the electricity used will be added to your normal Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) bill at standard residential electricity rates.