With the rapid rise of the global new energy vehicle market, more and more consumers are choosing to embrace green transportation. However, many car owners still feel confused about the charging issue of new energy vehicles.
How to charge to avoid damaging the battery? How to choose a charging station to save costs? Should we avoid fully charging to 100%? What are the precautions to take when using a charging station? In response to these issues, we will provide you with a detailed charging guide to help you better understand and use the charging facilities of new energy vehicles, ensuring that you are fully charged every time you travel.
Isn't it enough to plug in the charging gun? It's not that simple
First, let me give you some basic knowledge about charging new energy vehicles.
New energy vehicles are mainly divided into two categories: pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Pure electric vehicles rely entirely on battery power, while plug-in hybrid vehicles combine traditional fuel engines and battery powered systems. The charging methods of the two are slightly different, but overall they can be divided into three types: slow charging, fast charging, and intelligent charging.
The charging port of new energy vehicles is usually located at the front or rear of the vehicle. Some plug-in hybrid models and A00 pure electric vehicles only support slow charging, while general pure electric vehicles will be equipped with two charging ports, namely AC port (slow charging port) and DC port (fast charging port). From the appearance, the slow charging port has 7 holes and is relatively thin; The fast charging port has 9 holes and is relatively large.
Slow charging: Almost all household charging stations belong to this category, because considering the overall voltage distribution of the community, they are generally controlled below 10kW (slightly higher for Tesla). This method of charging is relatively slow and takes a long time to fully charge the battery, but it has the lowest charging cost, especially during valley electricity prices. In addition, it also causes less damage to battery life.
Can I install a home charging station just by buying a new energy vehicle? Obviously, it's not that simple, but it's not complicated either. You can follow the steps below to successfully complete the installation.
1. There are fixed parking spaces that can be owned or rented for a long time;
2. Inquire with the property management of the community whether the power supply meets the requirements for charging stations, obtain permission from the property management, and then apply for the installation of charging stations. At present, except for some old residential areas with insufficient capacitance, the vast majority of residential areas can install charging piles;
3. Submit the purchase invoice, ID card, vehicle registration certificate, property permit, and parking space photo on the State Grid APP for review. After passing the review, the local power supply bureau will send a dedicated person to install the electricity meter and adjust the circuit on site;
4. After the installation of the electricity meter is completed, contact the after-sales personnel of the purchased car brand, submit the property consent permit certificate and photos of the installed electricity meter;
5. The car brand arranges for on-site installation of charging stations.
Fast charging: The current is generally between 150-400A, the charging power is above 50kW, and it usually only takes about half an hour to fully charge the battery. Especially for some supercharging stations, such as the ideal 5C charging station, the peak power can exceed 500kW, and charging for 12 minutes can provide a range of 500 kilometers. However, fast charging methods cause significant damage to battery life.
Intelligent charging: Intelligent charging is a charging method that can automatically adjust based on factors such as battery status, charging voltage, and charging current. This charging method can minimize issues such as overcharging and overdischarging, and protect the battery's lifespan.
From the perspective of charging equipment, it is generally divided into household charging stations and public charging stations. For car owners who frequently charge at home, installing a home charging station is a convenient and economical choice. Home charging stations generally use slow charging methods, which take longer to charge and have lower costs.
At present, there are two types of public charging stations: fast charging and slow charging. Car owners can choose the appropriate charging method according to their actual needs and budget. In addition, public charging stations all support mobile payments. Car owners can check nearby charging station information through mobile apps or mini programs, and make appointments and payments.
It should be noted that in addition to the built-in charging maps in various car brand apps, many charging apps such as e-Charging, Telephone, State Grid Online, and Star Charging have functions such as inquiry, reservation, and discounted charging. Car owners can install multiple apps to compare prices.
When using a charging station, the specific operation sequence is as follows:
1. Park the new energy vehicle steadily in the parking space, turn off the ignition switch, and directly open the vehicle charging port cover;
2. Pull out the charging gun from the charging station and insert it into the corresponding charging port of the vehicle;
3. If it is a public charging station, scan the QR code on the charging station with your phone and click start charging;
4. The charging station is successfully connected to the vehicle, and the vehicle is charging. Real time charging information can be viewed on the charging station display screen;
5. After charging is complete, press the charging gun button and remove the charging gun;
6. Close the protective cover of the vehicle charging port and the charging port cover;
7. Insert the charging gun into the charging station and charge it.
Attention should also be paid to the compatibility of charging stations, for example, the compatibility between mainstream Chinese new energy vehicle brands and State Grid charging stations is a complex and important issue. This mainly depends on the interface matching, voltage range matching, and communication protocol matching between the vehicle and the charging station.
Interface matching: Currently, most new energy vehicles in China use national standard charging interfaces, but there are still some brands or models that use special interfaces. When purchasing a new energy vehicle, the owner should understand the type of charging interface of the vehicle and choose the corresponding charging station.
Voltage range matching: The battery voltage range may vary for different vehicle models, so when choosing a charging station, car owners should ensure that the voltage range of the charging station matches the vehicle battery.
Communication protocol matching: The communication protocol between the charging station and the vehicle is also an important factor affecting adaptability. When choosing a charging station, car owners should pay attention to whether it supports national standard communication protocols to ensure a smooth charging process.
Overall, mainstream new energy vehicle brands have good compatibility with national grid charging stations in various countries, but there are still certain differences and limitations. Different brands may have differences in charging interfaces, charging power, and charging protocols, which can affect their compatibility with public charging stations.
Therefore, when choosing new energy vehicles, consumers need to pay attention to the charging compatibility of the vehicle model to ensure convenient use of public charging stations for charging. At the same time, the government and industry organizations should continue to promote the standardization and unification of charging infrastructure, and improve the compatibility level between new energy vehicles and public charging stations.
