If you are interested in a dedicated fast home EV charger, there are two main routes available – a 7kW EV charger or a 22kW EV charger. But what’s the difference between the two? Which is better? Can everyone have a 22kW EV charging point?
In this blog, we are going to explain the difference between 7kW and 22kW EV chargers, let you know who can have 22kW EV chargers, and give you our honest and professional opinion on which is better.
First and foremost, did you know that it’s possible to charge your EV at different speeds?
These are slow, fast and rapid. However, when people talk about home EV charging, they usually refer to slow or fast charging.
Slow charging is where you use a 3-pin plug to charge your EV at a rate of approximately 2.3kW. In contrast, fast home charging is when you use a dedicated home EV charger installed on your property to charge – rated at either 7kW or 22kW.
To start, it’s important to recognise that the rate at which electricity charges your electric vehicle is measured in kW. So, when it comes to 7kW EV charging, a 7kW EV charger refers to a charging station that is capable of providing a maximum power output of 7 kilowatts.
A 7kW charger is considered a fast charger and is commonly found in homes, workplaces, and at some – although not as common – public EV charging stations. In fact, 7kW is by far the most common rate of power for dedicated home EV chargers in the UK since most EVs have a maximum onboard charging rate of 7kW and because only a single-phase electricity supply is needed to have a 7kW charger installed on your property.
Single-phase is the most common power supply in the UK and is usually found in standard residential properties. With a single-phase power supply, you’ll only be able to install an electric vehicle charging point of up to 7kW, or more specifically, up to a maximum of 7.4kW.
Yes, as long as you don’t have a looped supply and meet the requirements of a home EV charger installation, you will be able to have a 7kW EV charger installed at home.
A 22kW EV charger is a dedicated charger that charges three times faster than a 7kW EV charger, charging at a rate of 22 kilowatts per hour. In order to have a 22kW EV charger installed at home, you must have a three-phase electricity supply – you cannot have a 22kW on a single-phase supply.
Three-phase is a significantly higher power rating than a single-phase and is usually found in large commercial buildings.
No, not everyone can have a 22kW EV charger installed on their property, as it depends on whether you have a three-phase electricity supply, as touched upon previously. Since three-phase is typically found in industrial or commercial properties, it’s rare to find in UK domestic homes.
If a house does have a three-phase supply, it’s usually a large property that has multiple large electrical appliances that need to draw a significant amount of electricity to function (i.e. hot tubs).
It is possible to upgrade to a three-phase, but you will have to apply for a fuse upgrade by contacting your DNO (Distribution network operator).
If you find your fuse box/meter and take a look inside, you should be able to find what type of electrical supply you have. A single-phase electricity supply will have a single fuse where the power enters your house/meter (one wire). Three-phase, on the other hand, can often be identified as having three 100amp fuses where the supply enters the building or the meter (three wires).
If you are interested in having a home EV charger installed but are unsure what electrical supply you have, you can contact our first-class customer service team, available seven days a week, who are always happy to help.
The difference between a 7kW and 22kW EV charger is the charging rate. A 22kW charger is significantly faster than a 7kW charger, charging three times faster at 22 kilowatts per hour. However, the caveat is that a 22kW electric car charger requires a three-phase electricity supply for installation. On the other hand, a 7kW charger will charge your EV at 7 kilowatts per hour but only requires a single-phase electricity supply.
If you are thinking about investing in a 22kW charger and are yet to upgrade to three-phase electricity, it’s important to consider:
Did you know that not all electric cars can charge with a 22kW AC charger? To take advantage of a 22kW EV charger, your electric car would need to accept a 22kW AC charging rate. If your vehicle can’t receive this rate, even if you upgrade your supply and invest in a 22kW EV charger, your EV will only be able to charge at the maximum onboard charger rate of the vehicle, thus not charging any faster. For example, the Nissan Leaf’s maximum charging rate is 6.6kW, meaning even with a 22kW home charger, your Nissan would charge at 6.6kW.
In truth, only a handful of electric vehicles can accept a 22kW EV charging rate, with the most common being the Renault Zoe, BMW i3 and Audi Q8. Even the Tesla Model 3 has a charging capability of 11kW and would, therefore, not truly benefit from a 22kW charger.
It’s always best to consult your EV manual or the manufacturer if you are wondering whether your EV can charge with a 22kW AC charger. However, here’s a list of popular electric cars with 22kW onboard chargers:
| Electric Vehicle Model | 22kW charging rate |
| Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback 22 Quattro | 22kW |
| Audi Q8 e-tron 55 Quattro | 22kW |
| Audi AQ8 e-tron Sportback | 22kW |
| BMW i7 eDrive50 | 22kW |
| BMW i7 xDrive60 | 22kW |
| BMW i7 M70 xDrive | 22kW |
| Lightyear 0 | 22kW |
| Lotus Eletre Eletre R | 22kW |
| Lotus Eletre Eletre S | 22kW |
| Maserati GranTurismo Folgore | 22kW |
| Mercedes-Benz EQT 200 | 22kW |
| BMW i3 | 22kW |
| Nissan Leaf 3.Zero e+ | 22kW |
| Polestar 4 Long Range Single Motor | 22kW |
| Polestar 4 Long Range Dual Motor | 22kW |
| Renault Zoe R135 | 22kW |
| Mercedes-Benz EQT 200 | 22kW |
| Smart EQ ForTwo | 22kW |
| BMW i3 | 22 kW |
Upgrading your fuse to three-phase will be expensive, with costs starting from £1,500 plus VAT. But that price is not guaranteed. In actuality, the cost of upgrading your electricity supply to three-phase can average between £3,500-£5,500 (excluding VAT). In some cases, a three-phase fuse upgrade for a 22kW charger can even reach up to £15,000, depending on the complexity of the job.
And that’s not including the additional expenses of purchasing a 22kW EV charging point and having it installed, which would also be much more than a standard 7.4kW EV charger.
In our professional opinion, we feel that a 7kW EV charger is more worthwhile than a 22kW charger, as most homes in the UK have a single-phase electricity supply and electric vehicles tend to have a 7kW approximate maximum charging rate. By investing in a 7kW EV charger, you don’t have to spend substantial time or money upgrading your fuse in order to take advantage of 22kW.
That being said, if you have three-phase electricity in your home, are happy to spend more on a 22kW EV charger, and have an electric vehicle that can take 22kW capacity, then yes, 22kW charging will be worthwhile as your vehicle will charge at the fastest rate possible at home. Otherwise, we recommend sticking to a 7.4kW home charger as 22kW comes with expensive costs and not everyone can reap the benefits.
Overall, the decision between investing in a 7kW or 22kW EV charger depends on your individual and/or household EV charging needs. If you have multiple electric vehicle drivers in your household, a 22kW EV charger might be ideal for sharing.
Please note that 22kW AC home charging is different to DC rapid charging (the charging points found at motorway service stations).
Contact us at 03333 44 96 99, browse our range of market-leading electric car chargers, or contact us via the form below. With installers across the UK, we can install home electric car chargers in as little as 8-10 working days from DNO approval.
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This type of electric charger has it's own cable to charge your car.
This type of electric charger requires a seperate cable to charge your car.
Spread over a 60 month period.
Tenants and homeowners are eligible for finance.
You decide the amount of months.
Minimum of £1000.
We will contact you to process the credit application. Approval is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. 13.9% APR representative. T&Cs apply.
Your order is not confirmed until your application has been approved.
We lay SWA cable laid at 600mm deep, with a protective cable warning tape laid 150mm above the cable. These are laid on a sand or sifted sand soil bed then backfilled.
We position overhead cables at a minimum height of 3.5m and are run along a catenary wire. The cable run should not be accessible to vehicles.
Standard Installation
Our instant price is fixed if it falls within our standard installation package plus any additions that you have selected (extra cabling for example). This package covers the majority of homes in the UK. Before we undertake your installation we will carry out a digital survey to check that nothing has been missed. After reviewing the survey results some additional work may be required in order to complete your installation safely and to the required standards. If this is the case, we will contact you well before the installation date and advise the cost of any required work. You can then continue with your installation, or alternatively we will refund you in full if you do not want to proceed.
Included in our standard installation is :
• Fitting of a single phase charge point to a brick or plaster wall or other suitable permanent structure
• Up to 10 metres of cable, run and neatly clipped to the wall between the electricity supply meter / distribution board and the charge point.
• Routing of the cable through a drilled hole in a wall up to 500mm (20 inches) thick if this is needed.
• The fitting and testing of electrical connections and protections required for the charge point.
• An additional three way consumer unit, if required
• Installation of a Type A RCBO in an RCBO enclosure
• Up to 3 metres of plastic trunking to conceal interior wiring.
• An O-pen earth protection device if the charge point requires it. (This is NOT an earth rod)
• Up to 4 hours of labour from your installer to complete the work.
• Electrical testing of the whole installation.
• Handover and setup of the charge point and any app that may be needed.
Not included in our standard installation (additional work) :
• Where the installation requires additional cabling over and above the amount you have told us about.
• Upgrade/replacement of the main incoming supply fuse where the local DNO (eg Northern Powergrid) would need to attend site.
• If the charge point is to be mounted on a post/pedestal rather than an existing wall and where you have not selected a post as an extra cost option in your order.
• Installation of a charge point to a three phase supply.
• Where gas and water mains bonding (earthing) is not in place at your property. If this is not in place, additional work would be required before installation of the charge point.
• Any groundwork that has not been selected during the order process.
A Surge Protection Device is not included in our standard installation.
What else you need to know :
• On the day of installation, please ensure that the area around your consumer unit (fuse box), incoming electricity supply meter and proposed charge point location (including where the cable is expected to be run) is clear and free of obstructions.
• We will need your WiFi password as part of the installation process in order to connect your charge point to the internet. Please have this available for the installer. Details will not be kept.
• The charge point must be on your own designated off road parking.
• The charger will be fixed in line with current guidelines at a height where it cannot be hit by a vehicle.
• Our installers are not able to enter loft spaces; lift floorboards or flooring; take apart any furniture of work above a height of 2m. If you anticipate that any of this may be required, then please contact us and we can discuss in more detail and provide you with a quotation.
• Should there be extreme weather conditions our installers may not be able to continue with you installation if it is not safe to do so (for example flooding). They will always do their best to complete the work where they can.
If you have any questions then please contact our customer service team who will be happy to help. Please also read our terms and conditions.
