Charging Solution for Electric Car & Plug-In Hybrid Car

• Posted By TelioEV
• On August 1st, 2023
• Comments: no responses

An electric car is just like a conventional car with the gasoline tank replaced by batteries and the internal combustion engine replaced by an electric motor.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles are the type of hybrid cars in which the electric motor is powered by batteries while the internal combustion engine is powered by another fuel like petrol or diesel.

So, to mark the difference between the two, EC is a modification to conventional cars with replacements. In contrast, plug-in hybrid cars are a combination of both an electric car and a normal gasoline car.

A plug-in hybrid car is fully powered by the battery, and only when the battery runs out the ICE(Internal Combustion Engine) takes over the charge.

In simpler terms, plug-in hybrid vehicles run on electricity, either directly via the batteries or via the electricity being generated by gasoline.

So, the use of gasoline engines in plug-in hybrid cars is only to generate electricity.

And this would only come to play if the user is not able to find the facility to charge the batteries for a very long distance, as the ICE of a plug-in hybrid car only takes over when the battery drains out fully. 

In short, the gasoline tank in these cars only exists as a backup option as their entire work is based on the working of basic electric vehicles.

Charging solutions for the Electric Cars

There are three levels of charging corresponding to different types of chargers and methodologies behind the charging.

The three charging solutions for ECs are Trickle Charging, AC Charging, and DC Charging.

Trickle Charging 

Trickle Charging corresponds to the home charging solutions. This is done by using the standard three-prong 220 Volts charger. 

This is used mostly by people who own individual households as they can keep their EVs on charging overnight when minimum electric appliances are being used in the household.

Trickle charging is the slowest charging solution and is recommended to be used only in the case of emergencies under the proper guidance of the electricity provider.

AC Charging 

The second charging solution for electric cars is AC charging. This is Level 2 charging and also the most popular preferred option.

This charging solution is available in most public places and can be used by a lot of people together as well. 

This charging solution is also available for home charging by installing a simple wallbox.

DC Charging 

The third and fastest charging solution for electric cars is DC charging. The current that we receive is an alternating current abbreviated as AC. 

Once the battery is plugged-in for charging, this AC gets converted to DC and then stored in the batteries for future use. 

So, it is not AC that is running your electric cars but DC.

This conversion is time-consuming. This led to the idea of DC charging, where the charging station does the conversion so that the cars can be charged in the minimum time possible.

You can charge your EC from 20% to 80% in just 40 minutes by choosing this charging solution.

The only con to this solution, however, is the pricing. It is very expensive to install.

However, if it is being used by many people on a regular basis, it will be worth it in the longer run.

Charging solutions for the Plug-in Hybrid Cars

As already discussed, a plug-in hybrid car uses both batteries and gasoline. 

There are two ways to charge the plug-in hybrid car, one way is to use the charging solutions which have already been discussed above, and the other one is charging it through regenerative braking.

Regenerative Braking

Do you know that while braking is considered a waste of fuel in conventional vehicles, it actually saves energy in hybrid and electric vehicles? 

The kinetic energy that is generated while braking is captured and is then used for charging the battery. So, your vehicles are actually being charged while they are not plugged in.

Which one to Choose?

Now that we are well versed with the type of charging solutions available for both Electric and Plug-in Hybrid cars, it is advisable to choose the one that suits your conditions the best.

And this article helps you in figuring out the best solution for you based on the specifications of different solutions available to choose from.

Hence, there is no general overview of which solution is the best solution. It is completely subjective to the requirements and the availability of resources around your location.