How do you choose the right charging station?

Buying an electric car is one thing. Choosing the right charging station is at least as important. After all, which charging station do you actually need? Is 11 kW enough, or do you need a 22 kW charging station? Do you have a 1-phase or 3-phase connection? Do you choose a charging station with a fixed charging cable or a socket? And what exactly does load balancing do?

The range of charging stations is now enormous. Different brands, power outputs, connections, and smart features make it difficult to see the wood for the trees.

That is why we explain step by step in this series how to choose the right charging station.

In this first part, we look at the hardware: the charging capacity, your electrical connection, the connection to the car, and the most important features of a charging station.

Table of Contents

• Why is the right charging station important?
• What should you pay attention to when choosing a charging station?
• How many kW do you need?
• 11 kW or 22 kW: which charging station do you need?
• 1-phase or 3-phase charging
• How many kW can your electric car charge?
• Fixed charging cable or socket?
• What is load balancing?
• What makes a charging station smart?
• Charging with solar panels
• Should you consider the future?
• Which charging station is right for you?
• Checklist: how to choose the right charging station
• Frequently asked questions

Why is the right charging station important?

A charging station is not a universal product where you simply choose the most expensive or most powerful model. The charging station forms one system together with your electric car and the electrical connection of your home.

The maximum charging speed is ultimately determined by the weakest link.

For example, if you have a car that can charge at a maximum of 11 kW AC, then a 22 kW charging station will have no effect on the maximum charging speed of that car. Conversely, a 22 kW-capable car has little use for a charging station that can deliver a maximum of 11 kW if you want to charge as quickly as possible at home.

The connection of your home also plays an important role. A charging station can technically deliver 22 kW, but that does not automatically mean that your home also has this power available.

That is why a good charging station choice does not start with the brand, but with your own situation.

What should you pay attention to when choosing a charging station?

Before you buy a charging station, there are a number of questions you can ask yourself:

• Which electric car do you have?
• How many kW can the car charge at AC?
• Do you have a 1-phase or 3-phase connection?
• How many amperes is your grid connection?
• How many kilometers do you drive on average?
• Is the car at home every night?
• Do you have solar panels?
• Do you want to be able to charge dynamically?
• Do you want to be able to view the charging consumption?
• Do you want a fixed cable or a socket?
• Is load balancing desired?
• Do you want to be prepared for a future electric car?

Once you have answered these questions, it becomes much easier to select the right charging station.

How many kW do you need?

The charging capacity of a charging station is expressed in kilowatts (kW). The higher the power, the more electricity the car can take in per hour.

The most common charging capacities for home use are:

For many households, 11 kW is an excellent choice. The car can then recharge a significant amount of energy during the night.

22 kW naturally sounds attractive, but more power is not automatically better. Your car must support it, and the electrical installation and connection must also be suitable.

11 kW or 22 kW: which charging station do you need?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions when choosing a charging station.

11 kW charging station

An 11 kW charging station usually operates on 3-phase 16 amperes. This is an excellent combination for many electric cars and homes.

Suppose your car consumes an average of 18 kWh per 100 kilometers. With 11 kW, you can theoretically charge about 60 kilometers worth of energy in one hour. In practice, this depends on, among other things, the charging loss and the car.

For someone who comes home in the evening and leaves again the next morning, 11 kW is therefore often more than enough.

22 kW charging station

A 22 kW charging station can charge about twice as fast as an 11 kW charging station, but only when the entire chain supports this.

This requires, among other things, a suitable car, charging station, and electrical connection.

Many electric cars are also limited by default to a maximum of 11 kW AC charging. In that case, a 22 kW charging station will not charge any faster.

A 22 kW charging station is especially interesting for cars that can actually charge at 22 kW AC and for situations where a higher charging speed really adds value at home.

1-phase or 3-phase charging

In addition to the number of kW, the number of phases is also important.

A 1-phase connection uses one phase to deliver power. A 3-phase connection uses three phases. This makes a significantly higher charging capacity possible at the same current.

A 3-phase connection is therefore interesting when you want to charge at higher power outputs.

Do you currently have a 1-phase connection? That does not automatically mean you cannot install a charging station. A 1-phase charging station can be perfectly suitable, depending on your car and charging needs.

If you want to charge at 11 kW or 22 kW, you must check whether your home has a suitable 3-phase connection.

How many kW can your electric car charge?

This is perhaps the most important question when choosing a charging station.

An electric car has a so-called on-board charger. This determines how much AC power the car can process at most.

A 22 kW charging station therefore does not automatically mean that your car is charged at 22 kW.

For example:

• Your car can charge at a maximum of 11 kW AC.
• Your charging station can deliver a maximum of 22 kW.
• Your electrical connection can deliver 22 kW.

In this example, the car continues to charge at a maximum of 11 kW.

The same applies conversely: if your car can charge at 22 kW but your charging station or connection only has a maximum of 11 kW available, you charge at a maximum of 11 kW.

The lowest maximum value ultimately determines the charging speed.

Fixed charging cable or socket?

Another choice you can make with many charging stations is the connection.

Charging station with fixed cable

With a charging station with a fixed charging cable, the cable is permanently attached to the charging station.

The great advantage is convenience. You only need to take the cable out of the holder and plug it into the car.

This is especially convenient when you almost always charge the same car in the same place.

A fixed cable is, for example, interesting for a home where one electric car is parked in a fixed parking space every day.

Charging station with socket

With a charging station with a socket, there is no fixed cable attached to the charging station. You use a separate Type 2 charging cable.

The advantage of this is flexibility. You can easily take the cable with you and use a different cable if necessary.

A socket can therefore be interesting when multiple cars use the same charging station or when you want to keep the charging station as compact as possible when it is not in use.

What is load balancing?

Load balancing ensures that the charging station takes into account the remaining power consumption in your home.

Suppose you have a 3-phase connection and use the dishwasher, oven, heat pump, and other appliances at the same time in the evening. When the charging station continues to charge at maximum power, the total load on your connection can become too high.

With dynamic load balancing, the charging station can distribute the available power.

When little power is being used in the house, the car can, for example, charge faster. If you then turn on several heavy appliances, the charging capacity can be temporarily reduced.

This allows you to utilize the available capacity of your connection as efficiently as possible.

Is load balancing always necessary?

No. But it can be a very useful feature in many homes.

Especially when you have a relatively limited grid connection or use multiple large power consumers in the house, load balancing is interesting.

A charging station with load balancing can therefore prevent you from having to continuously limit the charging capacity manually.

What makes a charging station smart?

A smart charging station does more than just deliver power to the car.

Depending on the model, you may have, for example:

• an app for operation and insight;
• insight into charging consumption;
• scheduling charging sessions;
• smart charging based on energy prices;
• load balancing;
• charging based on available solar power;
• integration with energy management systems;
• options for offsetting charging costs.

Which features are actually available varies by charging station and brand.

That is why it is wise not only to look at the term "smart", but especially at the features you actually need.

Charging with solar panels

Do you have solar panels? Then it can be interesting to choose a charging station that can handle your own generated solar power.

During sunny moments, solar panels sometimes produce more electricity than you use in the house at that moment. A suitable smart charging station can use some of that energy to charge your electric car.

This allows you to increase the self-consumption of your solar panels.

Not every charging station works in the same way with solar panels. Some systems work together with a separate energy meter or energy management solution.

Therefore, always check which equipment and connections are required for the desired solar charging function.

Should you consider the future?

You usually do not buy a charging station for one year. It is therefore wise to also think about your future situation.

Maybe you currently drive an electric car that can charge at a maximum of 11 kW, but you will switch to a different model in a few years.

Or maybe you will get a second electric car in the future.

That does not mean that you automatically have to buy the most powerful charging station. A charging station with a higher power output only has advantages when the rest of the installation can also utilize this power.

It is especially wise to look at expandability, smart features, and compatibility.

Which charging station is right for you?

Based on the points above, you can already narrow down the choice considerably.

Note: this is a general guideline. The actual choice always depends on your car, connection, and usage situation.

Checklist: how to choose the right charging station

Do you want to quickly determine what you need to pay attention to? Then use this checklist:

• ✔ Check how many kW your car can charge at AC at most.
• ✔ Check whether your home has a 1-phase or 3-phase connection.
• ✔ Determine how much charging capacity you actually need.
• ✔ Choose between 11 kW and 22 kW based on your car and connection.
• ✔ Consider whether a fixed cable or socket better suits your situation.
• ✔ Consider load balancing with a limited connection or high household consumption.
• ✔ Do you have solar panels? Then look at solar charging.
• ✔ Consider which smart features you will actually use.
• ✔ Also look at future electric cars and your future charging needs.

Frequently asked questions about choosing a charging station

Conclusion: the right charging station is the one that suits your situation

The choice of a charging station is not just about the maximum number of kilowatts.

Your car, your home, and your charging behavior together determine which charging station is most suitable.

For many households, an 11 kW charging station is sufficient. If you have a car that supports 22 kW and you have a suitable electrical connection, then 22 kW may be interesting. In addition, features such as load balancing, smart charging, and charging with solar panels can make a charging station much more practical.

Therefore, always start with your own situation and only then choose a brand or model.

Sources

• ANWB – 1-phase or 3-phase charging
• Milieu Centraal – Charging an electric car
• Milieu Centraal – Home charging comparison