Charging an electric car at home: Instructions for all vehicles

Get an electric car if you can charge it at home. The easiest way is if you have your own garage at the house. We show what is also important when charging at home.

Wallbox charges electric car at home

If you want to charge an electric car in your own four walls, you can purchase a wallbox. This is basically nothing other than having your own high-voltage connection for the electric car.

• Wallboxes - depending on the model - have a charging capacity of up to 22 kW. It allows you to charge a car in a manageable amount of time.
• The wallbox can be installed anywhere in the house, for example in the garage. There it is integrated directly into the house electrical system. However, the installation should be carried out by a specialist.
• With the device you can benefit from further advantages. Many wallboxes offer detailed statistics or make billing easier if you load a company car at home, for example.
• Wallboxes are available with different connections so that you can find a suitable device for your electric car. In the meantime, the so-called "Type 2 plug" has already established itself as a common standard.
• You can find even more details on the subject of wallboxes from our colleagues at EFahrer.com.

Charge at the socket at home

Charging at a normal household socket is always possible, but only recommended to a limited extent.

• A simple socket has a charging capacity of around 2.3 kW. If you want to fully charge your car with it, it can take half a day or even longer.
• In addition, there is the high permanent load that arises for the electrical system in the house. If your electrical system has been installed professionally and according to current standards, you do not have to fear breakdowns. However, problems can arise with older installations.
• Manufacturers like Tesla therefore also call charging at the household socket an "emergency charge". If you have no other way to charge your car, you can always use it. But it is not a real permanent solution.

Electric cars have a shorter range in winter than in warm temperatures. You can find out how high the range loss is in our next article.