SHARZ IN THE PRESS

How Are Electric Vehicles Charged and What Are the Costs?

According to ODMD data, 4,670 electric vehicles were sold in the first three months of 2023, increasing the market share to 2.7%. In the same period of 2022, 1,073 electric vehicles and 11,344 hybrid cars were sold. With the introduction of new brands and models, we are getting used to seeing electric vehicles more frequently on the roads. So, how are these electric cars charged? What are the charging options? How much does charging cost?

02 May 2023

With the new models increasing variety for users, the number of electric vehicles on the roads is also rising. For those transitioning from internal combustion engine cars to electric models, the main concerns are range and charging. While ranges vary depending on usage and the battery capacities of the vehicles, in this article, we will focus more on the charging options and costs for electric vehicles.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING OPTIONS

Electric vehicles are generally charged by plugging a special charging cable into a specific outlet. There are three options for this:

The first option is connecting to the city electricity from home or work, which is the most commonly applied and cost-effective method.

This is the simplest and most economical method. You can charge the vehicle by plugging the charging cable into a standard electrical outlet. However, since the power delivered is very low, charging times will be quite long. Depending on the battery capacity and the incoming power, this can take up to 20 hours.

INSTALLING A WALLBOX

The second option is to install a wallbox system, which you can arrange through the dealership or another provider. With this mini station installed at home or work, charging times are significantly shorter compared to standard electricity.

These systems can typically provide up to 11 kWh of power, although this can vary depending on the incoming electrical current and the unit you have installed. With this option, charging times can be reduced to around 7 hours, depending on the situation.

The final option is the most costly but also the fastest method compared to the other options: public charging stations. These are divided into AC (alternating current) and DC (direct current) options, meaning fast and slow charging.

While the power from the grid is always AC, electric vehicle batteries can only store power as DC.

The difference between AC and DC charging stations lies in where the energy is converted. In AC charging stations, energy is converted to DC by the system on the vehicle and then sent to the batteries.

In DC charging stations, the converter is located on the station itself. The station directs the outgoing power directly to the batteries. Therefore, it provides much faster charging times compared to AC.

At an AC charging station with a membership, you can charge your vehicle with up to 22 kW of power. This means an average 60 kWh vehicle battery will be fully charged in about 3 hours. However, the maximum power delivered at these stations is not always available, so charging times may vary depending on the station.

Recently, DC charging stations, which are becoming increasingly popular, have higher costs but shorter charging times.

In Turkey, out of a total of 4,498 commercial electric vehicle charging points, 898 are fast DC chargers.

DC charging stations range from 50 kW to 400 kW. DC chargers use special cables and charging units to transfer direct current at high speeds. Depending on the vehicle’s features, battery, and incoming power, charging times range from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours.

SEE ALL