Depending on the number of conductors coming to the destination of electricity, one can talk about single-phase current (light current) or three-phase current (power current).
Alternating current comes from the power grid, but car batteries contain direct current. Electric cars have a charger inside the car that converts alternating current into direct current. The charger inside the car can be single-phase (e.g. Nissan Leaf), two-phase (e Golf) or three-phase (e.g. Audi and Tesla).
The cable that comes with your car does not allow fast charging. In home and public AC charging (e.g. shopping malls), the car's internal charger often also limits the power. In the table on our website, you can find information about the power of the internal charger of almost all electric cars and hybrids on sale, as well as the theoretical charging time from 0-100%. In our opinion, it is always worth choosing the most efficient charger, because in the future the internal chargers in cars will enable the use of the full power and thus you will avoid expensive charger renewals.
AC-Mode 2 is a mobile charging solution for charging both Type 1 and Type 2 cars from a standard wall socket. Mode 2's built-in safety functions protect the car and the user of the charging cable. Mode 2 charging is available for a current of 6-16 amps, but the EU recommendation limits the current to 8 amps. According to the new approval, the plug of the Mode 2 cable must have an integrated temperature sensor. A temperature sensor regulates the charging current and eventually stops charging if the wall socket gets warm. Mode 2 - charging with a cable is recommended in a temporary situation, if there is no fixed charging station available.
AC-Mode 3 offers the best power and safety for AC charging. Mode 3 is a fixed charging solution in the form of a charging station or a charging pole. Mode 3 charging solutions are always installed by an authorized electrician. Type A residual current protection and direct current protection or type B residual current protection must be installed in Mode 3 charging solutions. If you choose a 3-phase 22kW/11kW Wallbox, you are guaranteed to make a good investment in the future as well. The Type2 solution has either a fixed cable with a Type2 connector or a Type2 charging socket. If you also want to charge a Type1 car, you should choose a model with a socket. Otherwise, we recommend the model with a cable, it is also easier to use. The power of the charging station is 3.7 (1-phase, 16A) – 22 kW (3-phase, 32A). The state grants support for the installation of housing association charging systems. You can get more information about the state's charging support on the ARA website.
Rapid stations (gas stations, etc.) enable charging with up to 150 kW power. In this Rapid charging (DC), the car's internal charger does not limit the charging speed. In this case, it is possible to fully charge your fully electric car in up to 20 minutes. Wolttinen is currently developing a product for public charging as well.