Andersen EV Chargers.
When most people purchase a home charging point for their electric car, it will be the first time they’ve ever bought one. It can seem overwhelming if you don’t know what it is that you don’t know so I wanted to write this blog just for you (and your shiny new electric car).
To make things easy, I’ve addressed the ten most common questions we hear from customers.
1.WHAT IS A HOME CHARGING POINT?
Glad you asked. A home charging point is a dedicated charger for your electric car, typically installed on the front or side of your home or in your driveway. It takes the 240V electricity supply from your house and makes it accessible to your car through an appropriate connection.
2. WHAT IS KØNNECT SMART CHARGING?
Beyond the basic charging function, there are huge advantages to ensuring you have a smart home charger as they offer a variety of additional features. Andersen’s home chargers include our Kønnect + smart charging app as standard. This means you can choose when to start to charge your car remotely, gain greater insight and control of your electricity and charging progress 24/7, remotely lock or unlock your charger, integrate with solar panels and even fix an issue without a call out. The Kønnect + smart charging app automatically updates itself to improve your experience without you having to ask. You can even tell Alexa to charge your car. We’re really focused on giving customers a user-friendly experience, and we’ve incorporated features that some of our early customers have told us they really want.
3. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A CAR CHARGING POINT AT HOME?
The majority of electric car charging happens at home. Research shows that the average UK driver covers just 20 miles a day, meaning most charging can take place conveniently at home. In fact, it’s estimated that around 80% of electric car charges take place at home. When you really think about it, most of a car’s time is spent idle, not moving – and we know that most of our customers charge their EV at night.
4. WHAT CARS CAN USE THIS?
Andersen is compatible with all electric vehicles (The compatibility is with the plug itself which is known as ‘Type 2’). Just about every electric vehicle manufactured after 2016 uses this as standard.
5. WHERE CAN CHARGING POINTS BE INSTALLED AND HOW LONG DOES INSTALLATION TAKE?
Charging points must be installed at least 500mm above the ground on a vertical and sturdy substrate, such as a brick wall. They cannot be mounted onto a wooden fence for example. Some of our customers have made ‘plinths’ such as vertical railway posts (these are suitable at the discretion of installers). An ev-pow / Andersen installation takes a minimum of three hours. Unlike other providers, we don’t squeeze two jobs into a day. When our engineer arrives on site, they are there exclusively for you.
6. WHAT’S THE PROCESS OF BOOKING AN INSTALLATION?
When you place an order, ev-pow sends a short online survey and proposes an installation date. We confirm whether you have standard installation (70% of our customers do) or if more information is required. Our engineer may call you to discuss the best cable route that suits you. If you decide not to go ahead at any point, we offer you a full refund. If you prefer to use your own installer, we simply deliver to your home address.
7. WILL I BE LEFT WITH MESSY CABLES, LIKE A HOSE REEL?
Not with Andersen chargers. Andersen’s clever design includes a hidden cable and plug storage that is neat and out of sight. We specifically designed our chargers to not only be powerful but also beautifully crafted to blend in to remain in keeping with the style of your property.
8. WHAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE OFF-STREET PARKING?
Customers without off-street parking can liaise with us to find a solution, depending on the property.
9. ARE ANY GRANTS AVAILABLE?
In the UK - Absolutely. There are three main grants available depending on where you live in the UK. These range from Office of Low emission Vehicles (OLEV) grants in the UK which provide £350, Energy Saving Trust (EST) grants for Scottish customers, which provide an additional £300 (on top of the £350 OLEV grant) and Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grants for customers in the Republic of Ireland who can get a £600 discount. Andersen charges are eligible for all these and our team will help you process them.
Unfortunately, there are no such similar grants in France for domestic installations. Instead the French Government decided to provide grants towards the purchase of an electric vehicle, as opposed to the installation of an electric charge point. However, these grants are quite considerable and do actually go further in subsidising the initial cost of switching to an electric car, with up to €7000 in cost reduction benefits to be obtained against the purchase of a new electric vehicle.
10. WHY SHOULD I BUY AN ANDERSEN?
Andersen are EV charging specialists. We know electric car owners want the fastest way to charge without compromising on the charging point they put on their property. Unfortunately, many chargers are ugly eyesores that are nothing more than basic electrical sockets with zero cable management or low-end plastic components. We’ve built intelligence into our smart chargers, making them aesthetically attractive in a range of colours that are built to last with a lifetime guarantee on our chassis. We are the leaders in elegant, aesthetically designed home car charging solutions.
Your smart charge point is one of the most powerful electrical devices in your home. We think it should reflect the same calibre and class of next-generation electric vehicles.
