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Conas do ecar a luchtú

 

How to charge your ecar

ecars has rolled out an extensive charging network in homes, public areas and service stations. In fact, trials to date have shown that most charging will take place overnight at a conveniently located home charge point.

Charging your electric car is easy with two charging options to choose from:

Home Charging

Man charging ecar at home

ESB will install a free home charge point for purchasers of new electric vehicles until at least April 2016 (Terms and Conditions apply). Charging your ecar at home couldn't be easier. Home chargers are convenient and simple to use. A full overnight charge can cost as little as €2 using cheaper night rate electricity (costs vary by vehicle and electricity supplier). The cost of charging at home will simply be added to your regular domestic electricity bill in the normal way. Electric car owners can register for an electric car home charge point by filling out the online form here.

Public Charging

You can charge your electric car at a nationwide network of publicly accessible charge points in locations such as on-street, shopping centres, car parks. You can locate your nearest charge point on our map here. 

For more information on using the charge points on our network, please see the video below. All of our user experience and how-to instruction videos are hosted on our ecars YouTube channel.

Charging your electric cars at the public charge points is easy. Please follow our comprehensive do's and don'ts for charging below.

Dos and Don'ts of ecar Charging

Do:

  • Ensure that the electric vehicle is parked in a position that makes it easy to insert the connector
  • Give the charge point some time to register your access card after you present it to the reader
  • Use the same card to start and stop the charging session
  • Pay the local parking fee if there is one
  • Make sure that the cables are connected properly to the charge point and the car before calling the help centre
  • Ensure your charging timer is turned off before you start charging (if applicable to your car)
  • Charge up and move on – only occupy a charging spot while your car is being charged
  • If your charging session is completed – whether when your battery is full or when you have adequate range to comfortably reach your destination – unplug and move your car, making way for a fellow plug-in driver
  • Report any faults to our Customer Service helpline 01 258 3799/1890 372 378
  • Safety First – Practise safe charging. Do not block the footbath or park unsafely to allow you reach a charge point if another vehicle is blocking the space

Don't:

  • Don’t attempt to unplug somebody else‘s car when they are charging
  • Don’t leave cables trailing on the ground as they may cause a trip hazard
  • Don’t press the emergency stop to terminate the charge session unless it is an emergency
  • Don’t leave your card in your wallet when presenting it to the charge point reader

ecars Safety

Electric cars are subject to the same vehicle approval tests as diesel and petrol cars.

The safest way to charge an electric car at home is to use dedicated electrical vehicle supply equipment (EVSE).

This consists of an outdoor socket properly protected against rain and a residual current device type that is designed to handle DC pulses, as well as AC current. A separate circuit from the distribution board should be used to supply the EVSE. Extension leads should not be used, as even uncoiled; they are not intended to carry full rated current for lengthy periods.

All public charge points are designed with safety as the top priority.

Each charge point contains individual devices for overcurrent and earth fault protection, as well as a secondary level of electrical protection for the charge post supply.

Most charge posts are also protected from impact by concrete-filled bollards and feature a “tilt-switch” device, which disconnects the supply to the charge post in the case of a significant impact.

The charging system also incorporates inherent safety measures, with the electricity flow regulated by communication between the car and the charger.

This system ensures that the electricity flow is interrupted when a cable is disconnected. A minor level of static charge may sometimes remain on the pins after disconnection.

To reduce wear and tear on the plug it is advisable to disconnect the ecar charging lead from the charge point first, before disconnecting from the vehicle.

Conversely, when starting a charge the ecar charging lead should be connected to the car first and then to the charge point.

This ensures that the vehicle’s control system will be immediately prepared to regulate the electricity flow upon insertion to the charger.

When charging an electric vehicle it is important to never leave a charging cable trailing dangerously on the pavement or roadway as it may be a potential trip hazard.

All ecar Fast Charge Points feature the same electrical safety protection as the standard on-street posts, as well as a secondary overall set of electrical protection in case of damage to the fast charge point. Each charging protocol CHAdeMo, CCS and Fast AC) is designed with inherent safety measures.

Because of the high currents involved in fast charging, a larger cable is required to deliver the power. This cable is tethered to the charger due to its weight and relative inflexibility. This means that the driver need only connect one end of the cable to their car.

One of the environmental benefits of electric cars is that they are very quiet. However this can present a risk in areas of high pedestrian density as people do not hear any sound from the electric car. Some car manufacturers are now fitting artificial sounds for speeds up to 30km/hr to make people more aware of the car’s presence.

Road Collisions 

Electric cars are subject to the same crash testing as conventional cars. In most electric cars the impact sensors that deploy airbags will cut off electricity supply from the battery. As such, there should be no additional safety risk.​