Electric vehicles compared to normal

@goliathtree Quite so!

I don't presently, and am extremely unlikely ever to, own an EV but a friend who does, told me here in the UK if you have a high-rate home-charger installed it has to be fed via its own meter, separately from the normal domestic meter.

I do not know the reason but do wonder if this is to accommodate some future tax on car electricity analogous to that charged on liquid fuels.

(You can use a charger plugged into an ordinary 13A mains socket, but its theoretical maximum charging power would be slightly under 3kW, and actual power probably lower than that.)

@ArishMell It is more likely that the only way to serve the load required for a a fast charger (a standard outlet will take for ever) is to either have it's own service or to upgrade the entire home's service. A stand alone service is likely significantly less expensive than new wiring and panel to support the needs of the charger.

@goliathtree That was the point my friend was making, really. It will vary from country to country but I think the total power to most homes in Britain is some 20kW but the normal domestic use via the lighting and socket ring-mains is far lower. Even an electric oven is only about 7kW.

The supplier does not need make a new supply to the building, simply install extra equipment within it.

What could be the greater problem would be entire streets of homes installing high-power chargers.

The reason I could not charge a car at home, is no off-road parking. I think there are around eighty houses in the street but only about four or five have off-street parking, and coming home to find parking space outside your own house is always a gamble!

@ArishMell Electric service is what I do for a living.