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10 secrets about charging electric (EV) cars

A short guide to electric mobility in Greece: charging speeds, connector types, cost compared with gasoline, and useful apps for easy EV charging.

Electric mobility has become an integral part of our daily lives in recent years, with most car companies investing huge sums in developing their fleets and governments subsidizing the purchase of electric vehicles (EVs) in various ways.

Tescom Hellas, with more than 20 years of experience in the energy products market, has created its own range of EV chargers, which has been available on the Greek market for a few months. During our testing over the past months, we ran into various challenges, and we want to share with you the 10 most important takeaways.

1. What determines AC charging speed

AC charging, i.e., charging at any home or office charger rated 7kW, 11kW or 22kW, usually depends mainly on your power supply (single-phase or three-phase, amperes, volts) and on the maximum speed of your car's onboard charger. Most vehicles are equipped with an 11kW onboard charger, so even if your supply provides 22kW, you will not get more than 11.

2. Do I need to plan my trips?

The truth is, yes. Electric mobility in Greece is still at a fairly early stage, although huge strides have been made. If you are heading to a distant or remote destination, it is a good idea to do your research beforehand. Fortunately, there are various mobile apps, as we will see below, that provide this information fairly easily. Finally, it is a good idea to always carry a mobile charger for connecting to a regular outlet.

3. How many connector types are there?

There are 3 main types in Europe (and Greece).

charger types

4. What are the rules for EV parking spaces?

To promote electric mobility in Greece, the government has created a clear framework for charging spaces. Provided these spaces are clearly marked with road markings and signs, NON-electric vehicles are expressly prohibited from using them (just like accessible parking spaces). Any violation carries a fine or even towing, enforced by the local municipal authorities (municipal police).

5. Real-world range and distance.

You are surely used to checking the range indicator, even in conventional cars, to work out whether you have enough fuel. An important difference with electric vehicles is that the maximum distance can vary significantly from one route to another. Why? The gradient of each route. Electric cars are equipped with "regenerative braking", or regen braking. In other words, they charge while braking, which makes routes with lots of downhill stretches much more economical on power. For a 100 km route, the difference can be as much as double the consumption (e.g., 10% on the way there and 20% on the way back!)

6. Cost compared with gasoline

One of the most important reasons for buying an EV is the lower cost of getting around. At today's figures, a modern mid-size car may consume on average 6-9 liters per 100 kilometers. A comparable electric vehicle consumes about 15 to 20 kWh per 100 kilometers. At current prices, this means the cost for an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle is about €14 per 100 km, while for an electric vehicle (EV) it will be about €2. This, of course, applies to charging at home (at a rate of €0.11). For charging at a DC fast charger, allow about €9, or €7 at a provider's AC chargers.

As you can see, the big difference appears when charging at household rates, and there are also quite a few places where charging is still free (companies, municipalities, etc.).

7. What changes in driving

The truth is that this question is hard to answer across the board. The range of electric cars keeps growing, and obviously driving a small city car (e.g., a Fiat 500e) is a different experience from driving a Tesla, or even more so a Porsche Taycan. Nevertheless, in every case we see 3 clear differences.

  1. One-pedal driving, letting the car brake through the motor while recovering energy (regen braking)
  2. Minimal rolling noise. Essentially, you will only hear your tires and the air conditioning
  3. Instant acceleration, which automatically means greater passive safety

8. Charging stations and fast chargers (DC)

In Greece, the fast-charger network is growing rapidly, driven mainly by fuel stations and their chains. This is extremely important because it allows EV owners to make long trips without delays. For example, you will now find quite a few DC chargers above 50kW, and the first 400kW units were recently installed. Another important development is that Tesla Superchargers recently opened to owners of other brands, giving access to charging at up to 250kW.

One thing to remember when using DC chargers is that the maximum power usually depends on how many cars are charging at the same time, and that they may have brief malfunctions, since they rely on an internet connection and on integration with various software (e.g., payments, accounts, etc.).

9. How many apps do I need to download?

Perhaps the most tedious part of a trip is juggling multiple payment apps. For each one you will need to create a new account, and some of them require prepayment (!). For Greece, some examples are:

10. How much time does 0-100% really take?

A car battery, although much larger, shares some characteristics with a mobile phone battery because of their similar chemistry (lithium batteries). One of these is the charging curve, which essentially shows that an EV starts charging much more slowly once it reaches 80-85%. That is why you will often see manufacturers advertise charging speeds for 20-80% rather than up to 100%.

Another reason is that, for certain battery types, charging beyond 80% shortens battery life. As a result, while charging from 20-80% may take, say, 20 minutes, a full 20-100% charge may take as much as twice as long!

As you will have realized, everyday life with an electric vehicle is not quite the same as what we have been used to in the past. Of course, much of the above becomes much easier over time, and the benefits of using an EV are many and significant (cost, environmental footprint, driving behavior, etc.).

Whether before, during or after getting an electric vehicle, you will find in the Tescom Hellas team a friendly ally who will answer all your questions and make the transition as easy as possible. Installing an EV charger may be just the beginning, as we offer complete energy generation and management solutions.

Contact us today.

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