Wallbox, charging station, home charger: the same thing
A wallbox is simply a charging station that hangs on a wall; people also say home charger or charge point. Wallbox is also the name of a manufacturer of charging stations.
If you can't mount it on a wall, put the charging station on a mounting post on your driveway or parking space.
What a charging station does that a socket doesn't
A charging station gets its own circuit in your fuse box and is built to deliver a high current for hours. It charges faster than a wall socket: up to 7.4 kW on a single phase, up to 11 or 22 kW on three phases. And it has the protection against DC leakage current that charging requires, built in or in your fuse box. Charging from a wall socket now? Read Charging your car from a wall socket: is it safe?
Choose on three points
- Socket or tethered cable. At a charging station with a socket you plug in your own charging cable, handy with different cars. With a tethered charging station the cable is always ready.
- Power. Choose based on what your car and supply can handle. A 22 kW charging station won't charge a car that takes 11 kW any faster. Many charging stations can be set lower, so a more powerful one will also suit another car later. More in Single or three-phase: how fast does your car charge?
- Load balancing. If a lot runs at the same time at home, such as a heat pump or induction hob, load balancing makes sure your supply isn't overloaded. Read Load balancing: what is it and do you need it?
Charging stations also differ in extras: an app, a charge card (RFID), or a built-in MID meter to claim business charging costs.
Having it connected
Have your charging station connected by a qualified electrician. They install the dedicated circuit, choose the right protection and check that your fuse box has enough space and capacity. The rules that apply in your country are listed below.
What fits your car?
Charging stations have a Type 2 connection. If your car has Type 1, choose a charging station with a socket and a Type 1 charging cable. The number plate check shows what your car can take and which charging cables fit.