When purchasing an electric van, it is important to understand the charging capabilities of the van as this will affect the time it will take to charge the battery. It is also important to understand the different types of charge points and the connector between the charge point and the van.
Charging an electric van requires a connector between the chargepoint and the van. Each charger type will have one or two different plug sockets, and may have a permanently attached connector that cannot be changed. This is typical for chargepoints installed at home or for high current rapid chargers, where safety is an issue. To charge your vehicle’s battery, the connector must match with the charger outlet and the vehicle inlet. The choice of connector depends on whether the chargepoint supplies AC or DC current, the charging speed and the safety protocol design.
Each van will have slightly different charging capabilities based on when the model first came to market. Most vans eligible for the plug-in van grant will have both standard and fast-charge capabilities. Some, like the Nissan e-NV200 have a rapid-charge option available, enabling much quicker recharge times.
When installing multiple chargepoints the capacity of the grid connection needs to be considered, as an upgrade may be needed (which the electricity supplier can assess).