Need to charge your EV on the go? A portable EV charger might be for you, but they’re not without their drawbacks. Find out more here.
There are over 1.5 million EVs on UK roads right now, and subsequently a lot of people worrying about how to keep those batteries charged.
The last thing you want happening when you’re out and about is your EV’s battery running out. So, a smart idea is to carry a portable EV charger with you - you can, depending on the cable you have, charge your EV nearly anywhere with an electrical connection.
There are caveats to this convenience though, which we’ve covered in this article. We’ll also explain exactly what we mean when we talk about portable EV chargers, how long they take to charge an EV, how you can use one safely, and why investing in an EV charger for your home is usually the better option.
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🔑 Key Points:
Portable EV chargers are slower than home EV chargers
You won’t benefit from smart charging features, such as scheduling charging during off-peak hours
You’ll also not be able to benefit from EV electricity tariffs (such as Intelligent Octopus Go)
The main benefit of portable EV chargers is convenience
What Is a Portable EV Charger?
A portable EV charger is a plug-in charging cable you can take with you to charge your car from ordinary domestic sockets.
They come with in-built safety features and adjustable power, and can be convenient if your car needs charging and you’re nowhere near a fixed EV charger.
You’ll typically choose from one of two main types of portable EV chargers: a three-pin granny charger, and more complex, industrial commando plugs.
A granny charger offers convenience in that you can just plug your EV into any standard UK domestic three-pin socket.
In a pinch, it’s worth having in case your only option is to charge your EV from an ordinary UK plug socket, but charging times are prohibitively slow.
The more complex, industrial plugs offer faster charging for your EV, but you’re more limited in where you can plug in when out and about.
These plugs cannot be plugged into standard UK wall sockets and are typically either 16 or 32 amps (more than the 10-13 amps of standard UK plugs).
Do Portable EV Batteries Exist?
Yes, true portable EV chargers, as in ones with their own batteries, do exist. They’re bulky power banks that typically only give you an extra 20-40 miles charge or so, and currently are pretty hard to come by in the UK.
It’s a struggle to call these truly portable, as most weigh over 50kg and take up a good chunk of space in your car. And if they become widespread in the UK, costs are looking to be between £1,500 and £5,000 for any significant capacity.
Considering these limitations, it’d honestly be a better idea to invest in home EV charging and keep your car topped up over night.
How Fast Are Charging Times for Portable EV Chargers?
Portable EV chargers are a good deal slower than dedicated EV charging spots and home EV charging.
With a granny charger (that you can plug into any standard UK plug socket), you’ll be waiting 24 hours or more to fully charge an EV with a 60 kWh battery. That’s roughly 8-10 miles of range per hour - not ideal if you’re expecting a long journey.
With a portable EV charger using a blue commando socket for example, you’ll still need 10 hours or so to charge your EV. And you’ll need access to a plug that can accept a blue commando socket.
Charging times for blue/red commando sockets:
8-12 hours for a 16A connection
4-8 hours for a 32A connection
More accurate estimates will depend on the size of the EV’s battery, but either way, charging your EV with a portable charger will always take longer than a proper EV charging setup.
You get a portable EV charger for the flexibility and convenience, never for charging speed.
Read more:
How Long Does It Really Take To Charge an Electric Car?
Are Portable EV Chargers Safe?
All portable EV chargers come with built-in safety features and protections. Temperature sensors, for example, detect temperature increases in critical components embedded in charging plugs, cables, and control boxes.
If temperatures in these parts rise too high, the charge will stop or limit power flow. On this note, if using a granny charger, avoid connecting it to your car via an extension lead. These create resistance and generate heat, which increases the fire risk.
Another safety feature in portable EV chargers are Residual Current Devices (RCDs). These are designed to instantly cut off the power when they detect earth leakage (when electric current flows from a live conductor to the earth). They’re mandatory for all portable EV chargers.
Though not a safety feature as such, portable EV chargers are potential trip hazards. If using one that crosses a public pathway, make sure it’s properly covered either with tape or a rubber cover. You can buy rubber covers for EV charging cables online.
When Is It Better to Use a Portable EV Charger?
The only time it’s realistically better to use a portable EV charger is when you have no other choice.
Say you’re visiting friends and family and you have no dedicated EV charging stations nearby. In this scenario, having a portable EV charger means you can top up your car’s battery and make it home.
However, the slow charging speeds means even in this scenario you’ll potentially be waiting several hours before your car has enough charge.
A home EV charger will always be the better option for charging your car quicker - and for charging it more consistently too.
Home EV chargers are specifically designed to withstand the demands of regular high energy charging, which is something granny cables aren’t as good at (especially in older properties where wiring might not be optimised for consistently high power loads).
Portable EV Charger VS Home Wallbox
Portable EV chargers and home wallboxes have their unique advantages and disadvantages, which we’ll break down below.
Portable EV Charger Pros
Convenience and portability: The main advantage of portable EV chargers is that you can take them anywhere.
So if you get stranded in a place without a home wallbox, you can charge your car as long as you have access to electricity. This is true for granny chargers that can plug into any standard UK socket, but not for the more complex EV charging cables using blue commando sockets or otherwise.
Price: Portable EV chargers are cheaper than home wallboxes (between £100 and £350).
Easy to install: You don’t need any professional installation, you simply plug in your EV to an electrical outlet and let it charge.
Portable EV Charger Cons
No benefit from EV charging tariffs: Portable EV chargers offer no specific benefits unique to home wallboxes. As a result, using a portable EV charger at home can lead to higher running costs to charge your EV.
Slow charging times: Portable chargers using a granny charger setup can’t exceed 2.3kW, so it’s gonna take 24 hours or more to charge an EV with a 60kW battery. Home wallboxes are 7kW or more, so the minimum charging time is nearly times faster.
Safety concerns: Consistently relying on household sockets to charge an EV can put strain on them. Although portable EV chargers come with temperature sensors to mitigate fire risks, components can still overheat.
Home Wallbox Pros
Faster charging: Home wallboxes have a higher power output than portable EV chargers, making them much more convenient for regular EV charging. Unlike portable EV chargers that can take 24 hours or more, a home wallbox can charge an EV to full overnight.
Compatible with EV charger tariffs: Home wallboxes can be paired with intelligent EV tariffs. With one of these tariffs, you can easily schedule your home wallbox to charge your EV during off-peak times, saving you money.
Safer: Home wallboxes are designed for long-term charging and are much better at managing temperatures. They typically come with advanced surge protection too.
Smart features: Lots of home wallboxes come with smart functionality, so you can use your phone to control when you charge your EV. Some even allow you to prioritise charging your EV with solar panels (if you have them), allowing you to schedule charging when solar energy is at its peak.
Read more:
Home Wallbox Cons
Higher initial cost: The cost to install a home EV charger is around £1,000, including the wallbox itself, the necessary wiring, and the cost of a qualified electrician.
Not portable: Home wallboxes are installed in fixed locations; you cannot take the unit with you.
Installation requirements: A home wallbox must be installed by a professional and it’s not something you can DIY.
What To Remember When Buying a Portable EV Charger
When you’re buying a portable EV charger, you should keep an eye out for a few key features. Plug type for starters is essential - get the wrong one and you won’t be able to charge your EV at all.
If you only have access to standard UK plug sockets, get a granny charger, which’ll allow you to plug your EV into any plug in your home.
Be aware though that consistently charging your car this way can put strain on the sockets, and potentially your home’s wiring, if it’s an older property. It’ll take a lot longer to charge your EV too.
Some portable EV chargers come with adjustable current settings, which is useful for matching a home’s wiring and avoiding overloads (again, handy if you live in an older property).
A quick tip: you can find out your home’s electrical capacity by looking at your main fuse or circuit breaker rating. On your fuse box, the main circuit break will have a number on it, followed by the letter A (for amps). This is your home’s electrical capacity (it could be 100A, or 100 amps, for example).
You can get an EV charger with commando sockets (16A or 32A) for faster charging, if you have a dedicated outlet. If you don’t have a compatible outlet, it’s worth biting the bullet and getting a dedicated home EV charger installed instead.
Avoid overly cheap, uncertified chargers, as this is a recipe for overheated sockets and potential fire hazards.
Keep cable length in mind too! Around 10m is a good length, but roughly check the distances from your EV and the nearest electrical outlet.
And lastly, get a portable EV charger with at least an IP65 rating, which means it’s protected against dust and water (to an extent). You’ll definitely need this when charging your EV in the oftentimes less-than-glorious British weather.
Next Steps For Your EV Charger Journey:
When planning to install an EV charger for your home, there are several important factors to consider. Make sure to refer to the following guides to help you make informed decisions:
To dive deeper into these topics, head over to our advice section or check out our YouTube channel for informative videos.
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