How to Charge an Electric Car
25 June, 2022
In contrast to conventional cars which require fuel oil to operate, environmentally-friendly cars need to be charged for them to run. This is because the car uses electric power as a source of engine power.
In recent times, electric cars are increasingly in demand by the public. This type of car is considered more environmentally friendly because it does not produce emissions. In addition, electric cars are also more efficient for long-term use because you do not need to refuel to operate them.
To operate an electric car, users only need to recharge at the charging station. This charging process takes between 2-4 hours depending on the vehicle’s battery capacity. However, several types of electric cars are now also equipped with an easy charging feature that allows users to charge at home.
Before discussing how and where to charge an electric car, first identify the types of electric car battery charging as below.
Electric Car Battery Charging Types
Even though they are both called electric cars, the way the battery is charged for this type of environmentally friendly car is different depending on the type of engine used. In general, there are two types of electric car battery charging, including the following:
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Onboard Charger
On-board Charger is a type of charging for electric cars where the charger hole has become one or is attached to the vehicle. This onboard charger will later function to convert AC current from an external source into DC current that will enter the car battery.
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Off-board Charger
For this second type, the charger in the electric car has a separate charger. Usually, the current in the charger is in the form of DC so it doesn’t need to be converted again when it is supplied to the battery. This system at a glance is similar to how the power bank used for smartphones works.
How to Charge an Electric Car at the Charging Station
Along with the movement made by the government to accelerate electric cars in Indonesia, currently, there are many available charging stations provided by both the government and the private sector to make it easier for electric car users.
One of the places that you can use as a way to charge an electric car is the Public Electric Vehicle Charging Station (SPKLU) provided by PLN. To be able to charge an electric car battery here you only need to use the Charge.IN application.
To use it, you have to download the Charge.IN application on your smartphone, then select the SPKLU location to charge the electric car battery. Next, select the gun charger according to the type of car and connect it to the charger port on the vehicle. To start the charging process, scan the QR code in the SPKLU using a cellphone equipped with the NFC feature.
For the cost of charging an electric car at the PLN SPKLU charging station, the tariff is from Rp. 1,650 to Rp. 2,466 per 1 Kwh. The average electric car is currently equipped with a battery with a capacity of 40 kWh so the total cost you need to spend to fully charge it is around IDR 1,650 x 40 = IDR 66,000.
