7 things you should know about electric cars

The industry can be awash with abbreviations and technical terminology, so let’s get things straight, an EV is a shortened acronym for an Electric Vehicle. And to be even clearer, an EV is any vehicle with an electric motor. Although for accuracy and posterity, we must add that a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle (HFCV) also has an electric motor but is not called an EV, but don’t worry about those here. We use Electrical Vehicles because they can be a car, fleet, train and underwater vessels or even an electric aircraft. However, most commonly, we are referring to cars. But what are they, and what do you need to know about them?

1. Electric Vehicle basics

Traditionally, cars are powered by petrol or diesel, using an internal combustion engine. These are often referred to as ICEs. An ICE is an engine that generates power from the heat created through the burning of petrol, that is why they produce pollution that in turn causes CO2 emissions (​​unfortunately, we are all too familiar with this now).

Electric Vehicles do not use petrol, instead they have an electric motor which is more commonly powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, although some use lead acid or nickel metal hydride batteries. This is why when compared to an ICE, EVs are an environmentally friendly choice, because they use little or no fossil fuels. Sounds easy enough, right? But did you know that there are actually three types of electric vehicles?

2.Types of Electric Vehicle

There are different types of electric vehicles designed to meet different driving needs. The type, most commonly associated with EVs, is the Battery Electric Vehicle or “BEV.” But you should know that there are also Hybrid Electric Vehicles “HEV” and Plug-in Electric Vehicles “PHEV”. We go into more detail below.

3.How does electric car charging work?

Charging an electric car is actually quite straightforward, however there are a few different types of chargers and locations at which you can do this. EU law states that your EV must have a charging cable and compatible plug. The exact plug type and connector will vary between vehicle and country, though. The most common public places to charge are on-the-go at forecourts, like Shell or at destinations like car parks, supermarkets or shopping centres.

To be able to start a charging session with a public charge point, you need either an active charge card or key fob. We also advise you to download the Shell Recharge app. In public, you must make the charge point aware you wish to begin a charge. In public, you can start a charge by tapping the charge point with your Shell Recharge card, or using a contactless payment card. At some providers, you can also do this through the Shell Recharge app. The next step is to plug in and then activate your charge. When it’s ready, you end the charge session the same way you started it.

4. How does electric car charging at home work?

EV charging still predominantly occurs at home. Whilst you can charge an EV using a standard domestic 3-pin plug, it will take significantly longer (x3 times that of most home charge points), it is not advised. If you must, as a last resort, it is recommended that you plug straight into the wall rather than with an extension cable. Although the driver report published by Delta EE reports that a quarter of respondents still use a regular or reinforced socket, to most effectively charge your car at home, it’s worth installing a dedicated home charge point to your driveway.

As of 2022, 58% of EV drivers now use this kind of private charge point, an 8% rise from 2021. The main motivations for this are improved convenience, faster charging speeds and improved safety. Whatever the specifics of your personal charging needs are, installing either one of our two models, the Connect and Advanced, will help to make sure you always leave the house sufficiently charged.

5. What is the range of an Electric Vehicle?

Before investing in an electric car, we understand there will be concerns to address. The one we hear most about is what we call “range”, in other words, how far you can travel. This year's Electric Vehicle Driver Survey report further highlighted this, with 57% of its respondents saying improved battery range is the area they most wish to see grow. Despite this yearning, batteries have become more powerful and increasingly cheaper, meaning their range is ever-growing and improving. Way back when, at the genesis of EVs, Nissan’s best-selling EV, the LEAF, had a maximum range of around 175 kms.

Today, the average range of an EV is 226 miles, and the average motorist typically covers less than 63 miles in 2.5 car trips per day. Meaning that most of the time you needn’t worry about range while going about your day.

For example, Nissan’s newest EV, ARIYA, has a max range of 499 kms (WLTP). The mid-range and medium-priced new Hyundai Kona, Volkswagen ID.3 Tour, and Kia EV6 can reach 250-483 kms on a single charge too. We must note here, though, that the actual range is highly dependent on many conditions such as weather, temperature, weight of passengers and luggage and the roads.

As discussed above, the distance you can travel is largely dependent on the type of EV you own, a BEV being able to do the longest. This of course is also dependent on the model and the age of the vehicle. Understandably, the range is always going to create uncertainty for EV drivers and concerns about finding charging stations. However, the world is moving at a rapid pace. Based on its trajectory thus far and government legislation encouraging change in this area, it's only going to grow and improve more and more. But remember, you can easily stop and charge on-the-go with any of the 700,000 charge points available on the Shell Recharge network.

6. How long does it take to charge an electric car?

If you’re thinking about switching to an EV, we understand that the time it takes to charge an electric car can also be a worry. As mentioned, charging an electric car can be done at home or on-the-go, using public charging stations. Shell Recharge offers rapid chargers, which are 50kW chargers and typically charge most EVs to 20-80% in approximately 60 minutes. Ultra-rapid 150kW+ chargers are the fastest way to charge your electric vehicle and can deliver power up to three times faster. Remember, faster charging comes at a cost! Most drivers tend to “top up” their charge, rather than waiting for their battery to deplete completely before recharging. Charging time will be impacted by many factors like how big your battery is, how fast your charging point is or even the weather. Most homes have single-phase grid connections enabling speeds of 7.4kW, this means, depending on the battery size, an average car will take 4-8 hours to fully charge at home.

7. EV Batteries

Another important factor to consider when researching your next EV is the battery’s estimated range on a full charge. An EV’s battery capacity is expressed in terms of kilowatt-hours, which is abbreviated as kWh. Size does matter here. Choosing an EV with a higher kWh can be compared to buying a car with a larger petrol tank. Simply put, it means you’ll be able to drive further before needing to refuel. However, not all battery specs are the same, and the car's range not only depends on the size of its battery but also how efficiently the car uses that energy.

Then you must consider speed, the speed at which you can charge the battery of an electric car will always be determined by the weakest link. The three components that will affect speed are: charging station, charging cable and the on-board charger (the battery built into the car). The size of an electric car's battery size will have an impact on how long it takes to charge, the larger the battery, the longer it will take to charge. Battery capacities of current EVs range from 17.6kWh in the Smart EQ ForTwo with a range of 94kms and go up to 100 kWh in the Tesla Model S and Model X that can run for over 480kms before needing a charge.

Car and charging capacity

A car’s charging capacity can also have a big impact on the speed. Not all electric cars accept the same charging power. Fast charging normally uses an AC (Alternating Current). Whilst in theory the max charging power is 22kW, most new EVs can charge on 7.4kW or 11kW depending on the number of phases connected to their charge point. However, the reality in the UK is, 7.4kW is common for home charge points and this is more than sufficient. The same applies to DC (Direct Current) charging, while some cars may be able to take up to 270kW ultra-fast DC charging (Porsche Taycan), many are limited to much lower power speeds, commonly between 70kW and 240kW. These are most commonly found at motorway service stations.

Battery State of Charge (SoC)

When using DC charging, another important factor that will affect an EV’s charging speed is the battery’s State of Charge (SoC). That is because the battery needs to be protected at high SoC. When charging at a higher SoC the battery Voltage is higher, so you would increase the charge point output for the same charging speed at a lower SoC. Due to their chemistry, batteries can accept more power at lower charge levels. As they get closer to 100% SoC, the charging power, and thus charging speed, will reduce. So, whilst charging an electric car from 10% to 80% might only take a few minutes, charging from 70% to 100% will be comparatively longer.

This is just a basic introduction to the types of vehicles, how to charge them and how long it might take. We hope this informs you sufficiently and gives you a good overview of what you must consider before making a decision. Whatever you choose, it’s always best to do your research. Especially as we approach the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. Each model and type has pros and cons, and, depending on the features, will be better suited to certain lifestyles. We suggest drilling down to your needs and priorities and then working out from there. Read more interesting information, like everything you need to know about home charging and smart charging regulations in the UK on our website.