Why prioritize low-power charging for electric vehicles? ๐๐
At Wattsy, we are convinced that low power is the ideal solution for the everyday charging of electric cars and two-wheelers!
When we talk about low power, we are referring to charging points between 2.2 and 7.4 kW – or 10 to 32 amperes for those more familiar with electricity.
There is not just one reason, but a multitude of very different reasons to prefer this type of charging.
๐ For electric car or motorbike owners, regular charging at low-power alternating current (AC) charging points is preferable to more sporadic charging at very high-power direct current (DC) charging points. This approach helps ensure a longer battery lifespan.
๐ธ And that is great news, because high-power charging is up to 5 times more expensive than charging at home or at work (especially if it is free at work – then it is a clear winner). So, it is also the right choice for you wallet – whether it is yours or your company’s, if they are covering the cost.
In short, with an electric vehicle, you no longer “fill up” at the pump – and that is no coincidence! While very high-power charging stations are essential, we are convinced they will primarily be used for long journeys, not for more regular charging needs.
๐ charging on our sockets and charging points of up to 7kW at home or at work is also perfectly suited to your parking time. Do you know the average time a car spends parked? 95% of its life! Low-power charging is therefore ideal for utilizing these periods of inactivity and ensuring a full charge without putting unnecessary strain on the batteries. Of course, you will need to be equipped everywhere you park…
๐๏ธ And this is where we shift our perspective: from a collective standpoint, low-power charging is also the only way to support the true widespread adoption of electric mobility. In France alone, over the next decade, more than 10 million private charging points will need to be installed to complement the public charging networks. We are not just saying this, RTE confirms it. At the current cost of โฌ2,000 to โฌ4,000 per equipped space, we are facing a collective investment of 20 to 40 billion euros. That is expensive… far too expensive. With solutions like ours, we can reduce this cost to 6 to 10 billion euros. It is still not cheap, but it is a significant improvement, isn’t it?
โป๏ธ Last but not least: the less powerful the equipment, the simpler and more reliable it tends to be, thereby reducing maintenance costs. And when you are a public car park operator, for instance, running 10,000 charging points, that can amount to several million euros in savings by the end of the year.
That is why we are convinced that choosing Wattsy means selecting the solution best suited to meet the massive demand still ahead of us, and to support the transition to electric mobility at the appropriate scale.