The charging speed, or charging power, at which you can charge at a charging station depends not only on the charging station itself, but also on your electrical grid connection and the electric car. Here we explain the points to keep in mind when estimating the maximum possible charging power at your home.
Type of electrical grid connection
First, it is important to find out which type of grid connection you have at home. Once you know this, you can see the maximum power of the charging station you can install on your electrical connection. You can read this on your meter cabinet (the electricity meter). This table gives an overview of the maximum charging power per type of connection and per current (ampere).
Current | 1-phase | 3-phase | 3-phase |
16 A | 3,7 kW | 6,4 kW | 11,1 kW |
20 A | 4,6 kW | 8,0 kW | 13,9 kW |
25 A | 5,8 kW | 10,0 kW | 17,3 kW |
32 A | 7,4 kW | 12,7 kW | 22,2 kW |
40 A | 9,2 kW | 15,9 kW | 27,7 kW |
50 A | 11,5 kW | 19,9 kW | 34,6 kW |
63 A | 14,5 kW | 25,1 kW | 43,6 kW |
The power is calculated with P = U x I for 1-phase and P = √3 x U x I for 3-phase, rounded to 1 decimal. A 3-phase 3x 400 V connection with 16 A or 32 A is in practice usually called 11 kW or 22 kW.
** Please note: The values shown here are the highest possible power levels at which you will be able to charge on your electrical connection. These values do not take into account the maximum charging power of the charging station itself.
Example: If this table shows that you can charge at a maximum of 17.3 kW, but you have an 11 kW charging station, you will be able to charge at a maximum of 11 kW. Conversely, if this table says you can only charge at 17.3 kW and you have a 22 kW charging station, you will be able to charge at a maximum of 17.3 kW.
Specifications of the car
As mentioned, the maximum charging power depends not only on the charging station and the grid connection at your home, but also on the electric car itself. It has a built-in charger that determines the maximum power at which the car can charge. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Type of electric car: A clear distinction must be made between a Full EV (fully electric car) and a PHEV (plug-in hybrid car), because both the battery capacity and the charging power of a PHEV are significantly lower than those of a Full EV. If you have a PHEV, you can therefore buy a charging station with a lower charging power than if you have a Full EV.
The charging power of the EV: This is a specification given by the manufacturer. Before you buy an EV or a charging station for your EV, it is therefore advisable to check the maximum charging power of the car.
For example: if the manufacturer states that the electric car can charge at a maximum of 11 kW (AC), there is no point in buying a charging station with a charging power of 22 kW, because the car will charge at 11 kW anyway.
If you have a PHEV, we do recommend thinking about your future car. There is a fairly good chance that you will buy a Full EV in the future, in which case a low-power charging station will not be enough, as a Full EV does not charge quickly. By making a well-considered, future-proof choice, you can avoid additional investments.
Type of charging cable
The charging cable used to connect the car to the charging station also affects the maximum charging power. For example, there are charging cables that only support single-phase charging. It is also possible that the cable can only handle a certain number of amperes (e.g. max. 16 A). It is therefore advisable to check which type of charging cable the manufacturer of your electric car supplies with the vehicle.
Conclusion
To know the maximum power at which you will be able to charge, here are the concrete action points once more:
Find out which grid connection you have on site.
Read the charging specifications of your EV's manufacturer carefully, in particular the maximum charging power.
Check which charging cable is supplied as standard by the manufacturer of your EV.