Electric Cars are gradually becoming more popular in Ireland as prices come down and efficiency and travel range increase.
See some more information about Electric Cars in Ireland
Eventually – all new cars in Ireland will have to be electric.
To get the best value out of an electric car you need to be able to charge it at home (on night rates) – and this will require the installation of an Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger.
How much does it cost to buy and install a home charger for an electric car?
There is currently a grant available towards to cost of an EV charger which is €600.
NOTE: The grant is to be reduced to €300 from Jan 2024
- Any private homeowner is now eligible to apply for this grant. (Prior to July 21st 2022 you had to own an EV)
- The EV Home Charger Grant Scheme will only cover smart chargers that are registered with the SEAI
Full details of the charger grant and how to apply can be found here.
Prices of Home EV Chargers
Electric Ireland is offering one for €1299 installed – so that will cost you €699 after the grant. This is for a 7kW EV Home Charger .
We have seen other retailers offering EV Home Chargers at prices starting in the region of €1600 (installed) . So that would mean an outlay of at least €1000 after getting the grant. Prices can be as high as €2000 – so shop around – but the work can only be performed by a fully qualified electrician who has registered accordingly with Safe Electric Ireland..
You could check out prices for EV chargers on Amazon and then get a registered electrician to install it for you. Do not buy a charger before speaking to an electrician.
Your Safe Electric registered electrician will assist you in sourcing a suitable Home Charger product. The following minimum Technical Standards and Directives must apply to all Home Charger products installed:
- 93/465/EEC – CE Mark
- I.S. EN IEC 62196 – Plugs, Socket-outlets, Vehicle Connectors and Vehicle Inlets – Conductive Charging Of Electric Vehicles
- I.S. EN IEC 61439 – Low-voltage switchgear and control gear assemblies
- I.S. EN IEC 61851 – Electric Vehicle Conductive Charging
- Directive 2014/30/EU – Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive.
- Directive 2012/19/EU – Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
- Directive 2011/65/EU – Hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment
Finally, all Electrical Installations must comply with the following regulations:
- I.S. 10101 – National Rules for Electrical Installations
What Power Does a Home Charger Need?
The typical domestic connection available in Ireland from ESB Networks is “12kVA” – this is roughly equivalent to 12Kwh
For a Standard Connection it is important to ensure that the live and neutral wire (meter tails) connecting your fuse board to your outdoor ESB meter box are at least 16mm square in cross-sectional area in order to manage the heat in the cable. If a house was built before the year 2000 and has not had major wiring work done, the meter tails will probably be undersized and this issue will need to be addressed before you install an EV charger
A home EV charging point is usually installed on an external wall of a house and uses your domestic electricity supply. Typically, home chargers are available in 16 amp and 32 amp connection sizes resulting in 3.7kW and 7.4kW maximum charger sizes respectively.
For comparison – an electric shower will usually use 8 to 10Kwh.
Note that your car could be capable of 7.4kW power but your home charger may only be sized to supply 3.7kW or less power to the charger. In this case, the car should automatically adjust to the lower power supply. So it is important to establish what the onboard car charger is capable of first.
If you were to run a 7kW EV Home Charger at the same time as a power shower- you would exceed the maximum ability of a house to supply on a Standard Domestic Connection of 12kVA.
In this case, it is recommended to install an EV Charger with a Demand Management system fitted. This comprises a monitoring clamp fitted around the main power line to the home with a communication link back to the EV Charger. When the load on the house goes high, the unit will instantly reduce the charge on the EV or shut it off completely and then restart when there is capacity available on the power line for it to run without tripping the fuse in your home.
More info here if you want to know How Much Does it Cost to Charge an Electric Car at Home ?
Where to Get Cheaper Electricity