EV terms, in plain English
Home charging
Home charging can range from a standard powerpoint to a 22 kW three-phase wallbox, but the car, charger and electrical supply all set the real speed.
If you can charge where you park overnight, owning an EV becomes much simpler — but the fastest charger is not automatically the best fit for every home or car.
Most EV charging happens while the car isn’t being used. For many owners, that means plugging in at home in the evening and waking up with enough charge for the next day.
A standard household powerpoint can charge an EV at roughly 2 kW. It is slow, but if you drive 30–50 km most days, an overnight charge may replace the energy you used that day.
Single phase and three phase
Most Australian homes have single-phase power. A dedicated home charger — often called a wallbox — can usually provide up to around 7 kW from a suitable single-phase circuit. For many drivers, that is enough to add a substantial amount of range overnight.
A home with three-phase power can support a higher-capacity wallbox. Three-phase AC charging commonly operates at 11 kW and can reach up to 22 kW when the charger, circuit and electricity connection are designed for it.
People sometimes describe a property as having two-phase power because two phases are connected. EV wallboxes and vehicle specifications are normally described as single-phase or three-phase. A licensed electrician needs to confirm which charger and circuit the property can support.
The car can be the limiting factor
The wallbox rating is only one part of the calculation. During AC charging, the car’s onboard charger converts the electricity for the battery, and every model has its own AC limit.
Many EVs accept a maximum of 7 kW or 11 kW AC; only some can use the full 22 kW. If a car is limited to 11 kW, a 22 kW wallbox still delivers no more than about 11 kW. The real rate is set by the lowest limit in the chain: supply and circuit, wallbox, cable and the car’s onboard charger.
Three-phase charging can help with a large battery, high daily kilometres, short overnight windows or more than one EV. Upgrading purely for one car may not be worthwhile if the vehicle can’t use the extra capacity or a 7 kW overnight charge already covers your driving.
If you have rooftop solar, smart charging can also put excess solar into the car rather than buying as much grid electricity.
Why it matters: check the home, charger and exact vehicle together. A licensed electrician can assess the switchboard, wiring, network requirements and whether load management or a supply upgrade is needed. If you can’t charge at home, public charging availability, speed and cost become much more important when choosing your car.
Ready to narrow it down? Tell us what matters and we’ll shortlist up to three EVs that fit.