Please Wait
This won't take a moment...
Powering up - it's easy to charge an electric vehicle
It can be as easy as plugging in your phone or laptop. There are three ways to charge: using a normal household socket, a wallbox or a public chargepoint. The time it takes to charge an electric car depends on the charging point. For maximum speed, convenience and safety, we recommend you have a dedicated home wallbox installed.
Away from home, you can choose from two types of charging: AC or DC.
AC is the same charging method you might use with your home wallbox. These units are found in places where you’ll be parked longer – train stations, shopping centres, office buildings and so on.
DC or rapid-charging units are usually found in service stations or near supermarkets, restaurants and the like. They can charge a Vauxhall at up to 100kW – much faster than AC units – so you can use DC to top up your batteries on longer journeys.
We are your Electric partners
Our EVolve package is your one-stop solution for EV life. Buy any new Electric or Plug-in Hybrid Vauxhall from Wilson and Co and benefit from a FREE 12-month subscription to Zoom with home charger installation for just £499. Plus discounts on public charging, parking and loads more.
Charging at home
Charging your electric vehicle at home is just like charging your mobile phone. You’ll find you do most of your charging at home overnight or in the evening when you’ve finished driving for the day. Just plug in overnight and the vehicle will stop charging and using electricity once it reaches full charge.
You can charge your electric vehicle at home using a standard three-pin plug socket. But the quickest way is with a home charging wallbox. All you’ll need is private off-street parking so that the wallbox can be installed close to where you park your vehicle and within range of your home’s main electricity supply.
There are different power ratings for home wallbox units - the most common being 3.4kW or 7.4kW. A 7.4kW home charging wallbox will charge a Corsa Electric in around 7 and a half hours.
We have partnered with leading home charging providers and wallbox installers who will take care of everything through to installation of the wallbox in accordance with all local regulations and safety standards. They can also provide maintenance and yearly check-ups upon request. Speak to Wilson and Co and we will manage the whole process for you.
How much will it cost to get a full charge at home?
It’ll depend on your electricity tariff, but some electricity suppliers offer special tariffs that give customers a lower electricity cost when charging their electric vehicles overnight.
So it’s worth shopping around and seeing what the best tariff for you might be.
Our partner, Octopus Energy have designed their Intelligent Octopus tariff to smart charge your vehicle overnight when energy is cheap and green.
No off-street parking
For millions of potential electric vehicle drivers, a lack of on-street charging is preventing them from accessing the most affordable and convenient way of charging an electric vehicle.
To tackle this issue, Vauxhall has partnered with Connected Kerb, Char.gy and Surecharge to launch a pioneering multi-year programme designed to make sure motorists without driveways are not left behind in the transition to electric.
Public charging
Today, a driver in the UK is never more than 25 miles away from a rapid charge-point on England's motorways and major A roads. Public charging is growing, fast every day.
Motorway driver? 96% of motorway service stations have rapid chargepoints. You could charge up to 80% in just 30 minutes – a perfect time for a break and a cuppa.†
Charge Point Finder
Find your nearest charge points using our helpful map, and plot your journey from A to B.
Public charging speeds
When you’re charging at home, you’ll get the same charging speed every time. But in public, different charging points will have different speeds. You’ll find two types of chargers in public charge-points: fast chargers, and rapid chargers.
Fast chargers, which tend to be 22kW, will give an 80% charge on a Corsa Electric in 3 hrs 20 min. Rapid chargers, (most commonly found on motorways or major A roads) can be anything from 100kW and will give you 80% in 30 minutes. You can use our charging time simulator to see how different power outlets will affect your charging speed.
When you’re out-and-about, tools like the Octopus Electroverse map are really useful. They’ll help you quickly find your nearest charge-point, the speed of the charge-point, and reviews from electric vehicle owners who have charged there recently.
Paying for charging
The nationwide public charging network is made up of different companies. They usually offer either a subscription service or pay-as-you-go. Or both. You may need more than one provider on your journey. So work out which method is best for you. Find out more here.
Subscription: You normally pay a monthly fee. And most chargepoints will be free to use. Sometimes there will be a cost per charge or per kWh.
Pay-as-you-go: Mobile apps are replacing RFID cards (cards sometimes have an annual fee).4 There’s a £1 connection cost unless indicated. Rapid charging may cost extra.
Public charging costs
Generally, rapid chargers will be the most expensive way of charging in public, with a full charge on an average rapid charger (£0.23 per kWh) costing £11.50 for a Corsa Electric. However, that’s still cheaper than filling up a full tank of petrol or diesel. So even at the most expensive public charge-points, you’re still saving on running costs when you switch to electric.
There are also different charging networks that you’ll come across when charging in public, and this might mean using a mobile app to charge your vehicle at a public charging point. Again, this is where the Octopus Electroverse map tool can be really handy - you can filter the chargers and see how much they cost.
Some public fast chargers will be free, so you’ll quickly find your preferred public charging locations in your local area. And your Vauxhall electric vehicle will be compatible with all common public charge-points, so you won’t need to buy any additional charging equipment to charge in public.
^https://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/grants-loans/domestic-charge-point-funding
†https://www.goultralow.com/how-do-you-charge-an-electric-car/electric-car-chargers/
††Customers are required to provide credit/debit card details to their account when signing up, for any electricity used to be charged to. £7.85 per month payable after the first 6 months for ongoing subscription. Existing bp pulse subscribers can still benefit by contacting the bp pulse help-desk to receive 6 months credit applied to their account. Offer available in conjunction with all other Retail offers. One claim per person per vehicle purchase. Offer not transferable and no cash alternative. Vauxhall Motors Limited reserves the right to change, amend or withdraw this offer at any point in time.
Fuel economy and CO2 results for the Vauxhall Corsa-e 100KW (136PS). Mpg (l/100km): N/A. CO2 emissions: 0g/km. Electric range up to 209 miles (WLTP). The Corsa-e is a battery electric vehicle requiring mains electricity for charging. Everyday use may differ and is dependent on various factors. In particular: personal driving style, route characteristics, exterior temperature, heating/air conditioning, pre-conditioning and battery condition.
This won't take long...
Your enquiry has been sent and we will contact you using the details provided as soon as possible!
Please complete the form below:
This won't take a moment...
This won't take a moment...