5 Tips for Choosing The Right EV Charger

Loading Vehicle Picker...
Initialising Vehicle Picker...

5 Tips for Choosing The Right EV Charger

Posted on , updated on by carbroker

Nothing is easier than buying a phone charger. You go to the tech store or supermarket, head to the phone charger section and choose the one that fits your phone. Simple!

Choosing a charger for an EV, on the other hand? This requires a little more thought.

There are numerous EV chargers on the market, and several that fit your electric vehicle. So, how do you know which one is the one for you?

In this post, we give you five tips for choosing the right EV charger, thanks to the electric vehicle experts at Carbroker.com.au.

1. Plug-in or hard-wired?

The first thing to assess is whether you want an EV charger that is hard-wired into your garage wall, or one that you can remove and use in a different location. You might immediately think, ‘Well, a portable plug-in charger is obviously the better option’, but there’s always a catch.

Hard-wired chargers usually offer a larger amperage and faster charging than plug-in ones. So, you have to toss-up between the convenience of a portable charging station, or the practicality of bigger amperage and a faster charge.

2. Assess the cost

Another huge factor when choosing the right EV charger is, of course, the price. It can cost anywhere between $500-$3000 for a charger, depending on type, amperage, charging speed, brand quality and a range of other factors. Assessing your budget for an EV charger is one of the most important things to do before shopping for one.

3. Choose a reliable brand

You’re investing a considerable amount of cash in an electric vehicle charger, so you may as well get something of good quality. Don’t hop on to Wish.com and choose a dodgy home-brand charger for half the price… it’ll likely end up costing you more money when you need to replace it after three weeks.

Choose a reliable, quality manufacturer of EV chargers so that you buy once and buy right. Brands like EVSE, Tritium and Infinite Energy are among the most popular.

4. Smart charger or non-smart charger

Characteristic of EVs and EV technology, chargers come in smart and non-smart options. Yep, smart chargers allow you to access an app where you can do all sorts of fun things like monitor real-time charging, start and stop a charging session, schedule charging, set up reminders to plug-in and more.

Non-smart chargers do one thing only: charge your vehicle and stop when it’s fully charged which, for some owners, may be just what they want out of their EV charger.

5. Amperage

Amperage is important – the higher the amperage, the quicker your car will be fully charged. Aim for a charger that’s at least 32-amps (3.84 kW). This will deliver around 40km of Range Per Hour, perfect for an overnight charge. Super-fast chargers of 150kW can charge a large Tesla Model 3 battery in under an hour.

Testimonials

A short note to say thanks for the professional and profitable service that you've just delivered to me. Getting the best price from the city and then translating to a country dealer in a small town made it a lot easier. You'd be surprised how many times we bump into each other, and taking the local personality out of the negotiation was much appreciated by both the dealer and myself.

K.P., Armidale

We saved around $1500 which was absolutely fantastic given that it resulted from only one web enquiry and five minutes of our time! Thankyou so much. And, yes, we will tell others of your service.

J.T., Canberra

Negotiating a deal with a professional car salesman is tough and time-consuming, especially if you don't have a lot of local experience. Having someone act on your behalf creates an advantage that can't be ignored, and I have to say the $4,900 saving that I achieved off a $43,300 vehicle via Carbroker.com.au is definitely worth the minimal cost of registering an interest at the Carbroker.com.au web site. Thanks to Chris Wilson for this much-appreciated service.

C.P., Sydney

This is the very first time that I have ever bought anything via the internet, or ever done any business over this means, and so I want to specially thank you for honouring my trust. Yet you also did much more than that, you got me a far bigger saving, (over twice that which I imagined possible), with a good and reputable dealer, delivered at our nominated timing, and you displayed great patience with myself through the process. This is my wife's very first new car and she is absolutely delighted with it. So much so, that she has not even allowed me to have a drive of it yet. And so I guess we have all been winners, haven't we? And what could be better than that?

K.S., Brisbane

I know what you mean when you say 'buyer's remorse'. I've had it each time I bought a new car except this time. It's a great feeling to a) get a great price b) avoid the huge stress. Seeing things from 'the other side' has made me a convert: This is the way to buy a car! Thanks for a great business.

M.W., Perth

I haven't met you in person but felt like I knew you for ages. I really appreciate for the great help and assistance right through the process. I got my car yesterday. I Thank you once again for the best customer service. I will call you later. I just can't believe that computer technology and modern technology has really made the process quicker than I ever thought without compromising on service.

W.F., Melbourne

Thanks to Chris and the guys at Carbroker.com.au we took delivery of a top of the range model for the same price as a dealer had quoted for the base model. No haggling, no hassles, no hesitation in recommending this service.

M.F., Perth

Chris, You are a champ. Your advice on the trade-in worked a treat. I have a buyer at $14,280. A cool $2280 above the original figure! Thanks mate!

B.M., Melbourne

Your prompt and professional service was very appreciated, and we will recommend your service on to our friends and family.

C.K., Melbourne

Just to let you know that we took delivery of the new Mazda SP23 last night with the customer service from the dealer first class. I would like to take this oportunity in thanking you for your help, professional advice and most important getting me a great deal on the Mazda SP23 that I would never have achieved.

C.A., Perth

Carbroker.com.au