With average UK journeys being under 30 miles, you won't need to charge your electric car every day for daily city driving. With initiatives like Vauxhall's Electric Streets increasing on-street charging, and Electric All In helping make the switch to electric simple and convenient, going electric is easier than ever.
Using a standard home charger or local public charging point, most charging can be done overnight — so your car is ready to go by morning.
The most convenient way to charge is at home with a dedicated charger. Designed to work seamlessly with your car, it's faster and safer than using a standard domestic socket. A qualified electrician can install a home charger to make everyday charging simple, just plug in and be ready to go when you need it.
Public street chargers
You don't need off-street parking to own an electric car. On-street charging is becoming more accessible, with initiatives such as Vauxhall's Electric Streets making it easier than ever to charge close to home. Most neighbourhood public charging points usually offer between 7 and 11 kW - perfect for easy overnight charging.
To make life even simpler, Vauxhall’s Electric All In package supports you all the way from 8 years roadside assistance and mobile charging recovery, to an 8-year battery warranty, flexible charging options including home installation or public charging credit, and smart connectivity features to help plan your journeys with confidence.
3 Top everyday charging tips
Charging at night
Overnight charging is not only incredibly convenient, with your car charging while you sleep, but can often be cheaper too. Many home chargers can optimise charging to align with off-peak electricity rates, helping you save money on energy. It’s also worth checking with your energy supplier to see if they offer any dedicated tariffs for electric cars
10-80% is optimum
For day-to-day driving, set the max charge to 80%. Over time, this helps to prolong battery life. Reserve the full charge for occasional long journeys. If you go for a Grandland, Battery Care Mode 80% is the default setting, which is easy to override when you need to.
Use your own cables
For most everyday charging at home or on the street, you'll use the charging cable supplied with your vehicle (Type 2), which enables AC charging. For added reassurance, the cable automatically locks in place while your car is locked, keeping it secure while charging.
"When I first got my Corsa Electric 5 years ago, I thought I had to charge to 100% every time. I soon learned that this is not necessary. You can just top up. Moreover, if I’m mainly doing short trips, I sometimes, I go 2-3 weeks between charges."
Joanna, 45
Rapid charging for longer journeys
Planning your journey
When you're on a longer journey and need to re-charge or top-up on the way, the best solution is to put your destination into the the My Vauxhall app. Not only will the app plan your route for you, it will also identify your charge-up stops.
How long do you need to wait?
All it takes is half an hour or less to recharge your car from 20-80%, on a 150 kW rapid (DC) charger. Or you can just do a quick top up. Adding an additional 100 km takes just ten minutes.
3 Top everyday charging tips
Use the apps
Plan your journey and stops with the special E-routes app. Pre-set your cabin temperature - as well as monitor charge progress from the comfort of the café you're sitting in with your MyOpel app.
Don't pay more than you need
Fast charging at motorway service stations is great for longer trips because it's so quick, but it is more expensive. So, don't buy more energy than you need. A 100 km top up may be enough to get you where you need to go.
The charge cable is provided
At rapid charging points, you'll see the cable is already provided. It looks a bit different to the Type 2 connector that comes with your car. Called a CCS Combo 2, it has a second connector which enables rapid direct current (DC) charging. But it plugs into your car in just the same way.
"The first time I used a rapid charger at a service station, I got my Type 2 cable out and all the other electric car drivers could see I was new to this! I didn't realise these chargers have their own cables which plug into your car."
David, 52
How to maximise your vehicle's electric range
Most of these are exactly how you would also maximise a petrol car's fuel efficiency.
1
Keep your speed moderate and accelerate smoothly. Constant sharp acceleration will drain your battery faster
2
Anticipate the traffic ahead of you so you can coast, rather than abruptly stop/start
3
Be smart about heating and air conditioning. Use the cabin pre-conditioning feature on the MyVauxhall app while your car is still charging
4
If you have a roof box, make sure remove it when you’re not using it, as it affects the aerodynamics
Discover Electric Range
Make the switch to electric with a range built for every journey.
Yes. If you buy an electric car from Vauxhall, it comes with an 8-year (or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first) warranty. This covers you for any faults with the battery, plus guarantees that you will have at least 70% of its original capacity.
Do I need to always charge to 100%?
No. To maintain your battery health, it's recommended - for daily use - to charge to max 80%. In fact, this is the default setting for most of our vehicles, which you can overwrite in the app. If the majority of the driving you do is urban short distances, you'll find you won't need to charge very often at all - maybe once or twice per week, depending on how much you use the car, how you drive and other factors that may impact on the battery performance. However, if you're going on a long journey, it is a good idea to make sure you have as much charge in the battery as you can before you set off - so get it up to 100% in these cases.
What factors affect electric car battery performance?
Just as it is with internal combustion cars, factors like how many people are in the car and how much extra weight you're transporting do affect performance. Again, just as with any car, how and where you drive does too. Driving fast on hilly terrain will use up more energy. What is specific to electric car batteries are extremes of temperature. Very cold weather affects your battery performance - plus you're likely to be using features like heating (seats, steering wheel, windscreen and regular climate control). The same goes for very hot weather. These are things to bear in mind when planning a longer trip, but they don't affect day-to-day usage too much.
Do I need to install a wallbox?
If you have somewhere to park your car off the road and you can fit a wallbox, it's a good idea, because it it's convenient and does shorten the charging time, but public charging or even from a domestic plug (trickle charging) also works.
I don't have off-street parking. Can I still own an electric car?
Yes. You will need to use public chargers for this. Head over to our Electric Streets page for more details on this, but many people manage without difficulty and it's getting easier all the time, as more and more public charging facilities are added.
What happens if I run out of charge?
It's extremely unlikely. You will be given plenty of warning that you're running low and your My Vauxhall app will locate the nearest charging points to your current location. But, let's imagine it did happen. The good news is that when you buy an electric car from Vauxhall, it comes with our our Electric All-In programme. This features - among other benefits - emergency roadside charging.
Are electric cars expensive to maintain?
No. They are cheaper to maintain because there are fewer moving parts and less mechanical engineering, That means no oil changes, no spark plugs, no exhaust system, no timing belt. Additionally, brake wear is lower thanks to regenerative braking. Over the long term, you can expect your maintenance bills to go down.
Is electric charging cheaper than petrol?
Yes it is. If you charge at home, you'll notice a huge difference - around one third of the cost per km that you would pay for petrol or diesel. Even if you're using public chargers (7kw or 11kw), you'll be paying significantly less for your "fuel".
Can I tow a trailer or caravan with an electric car?
Yes you can. As with any car towing extra weight, it will impact on your vehicle's battery range.
More to Explore
Go Electric All In
Driving electric with Vauxhall is even easier with our Electric All In package. Benefits include an 8 years’ roadside / mobile charge assistance.
Access Vauxhall Connected Services via the MyVauxhall app and benefit from included features like charge scheduling, remote pre-conditioning and route planning.
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