Charge Mode

Charging an electric vehicle is possible with one of four main modes:

• A standard home domestic wall socket, without any safety systems from the socket to the vehicle.
• A home wall socket with a safety control box between the socket and the vehicle to control and prevent peak voltages and currents that may damage the battery or charging system.
• AC charging from a commercial charger or a home wall box charger. This involves a connection to a charging network with charge mode data being sent to energy companies, vehicle apps and home electrical systems.
• DC charging using a converter outside the vehicle, DC charging is the quickest method as it handles the highest current amount as is already converted from AC before entering the vehicle.

An organisation can work out which charging system to go for. For instance, if a standard wall box is sufficient to charge the vehicle overnight it will not cause users problems. If a vehicle is being used more and requires more frequent charging then an AC or DC charger connected to a charging network may be the best solution.

Using telematics data from the vehicle, fleet management companies can be informed when a vehicle is being charged and the rate of charge. This can be used when choosing the next vehicle to use for a driver, as a car with less charge can be saved for a later date.