More and more people are acquiring electric cars, and statistics indicate that the number of electric cars on Sweden’s roads is doubling every year.
Among the people who have recently become electric car owners are the Nordin family, which brought home its new Volvo XC40 Pure Electric in December. A pure electric car virtually demands a charging station, and David Nordin was given the task of finding the best one for the household and car.
“Although at first we dithered between a couple of different suppliers, ultimately there was really no doubt that we’d go for a Charge Amps station,” he explains.
Several expert opinions show that the electric car is here to stay, while a number of well-founded studies are under way with the aim of reducing the use of fossil fuels. For the Nordin family the purchase of an electric car has been on the cards for a long time, and late last year they agreed that the time had come to act.
“Previously I had a hybrid car, but I had a petrol one before that. But there’s plenty to attract you to an electric car: a high level of comfort, it’s enjoyable to drive and it feels modern, and it’s the right time to drive silently,” he says.
Stylish design and good performance
Unlike a hybrid, however, you are strongly recommended to buy a charging station for an electric car. A standard charging cable in an electric socket can be very unsafe, while it can take almost 30 hours to achieve full charging capacity, according to Volvo. For the Nordin family there was therefore no doubt that they would buy a charging station – the only real question was where from.
“There’s a host of companies to choose between. But through an acquaintance we heard about Charge Amps and we went for it because it had a stylish design, and a cable that withstood the cold really well. The performance of the charging station was incredibly good, as were the price and functionality. So we opted for Charge Amps and their 11 kW Charge Amps Halo charging station.”
With the Charge Amps Halo charging station they also have access to an electric socket below the station, thus allowing the family’s e-bike to be charged as well. Nor was there ever any question of there being an expensive electric bill every month, as it turned out.
“Our electricity supplier charges our car when the price of electricity is at its lowest and over an extended period; charging starts in the evening and is finished in the morning before I travel to work. Last month we charged the car for approximately SEK 35 and then we charged it every day.
“In addition, it’s extremely easy to use: you just plug in the lead. It has an Amp Guard which can be bought for it that optimises charging in relation to other loads in the home. Sometimes the tumble dryer, washing machine and dishwasher are running at the same time, and then the current is automatically reduced until they’ve all finished. We avoid overloading and tripping the circuits,” David explains.
A convenient process
After having obtained answers to his questions and concerns, David ordered a Charge Amps Halo and it was sent to his doorstep by courier. Then they contacted a qualified electrician for the installation. Thanks to having the charging station installed in November, they could just get straight in and drive off as soon as the car was delivered.
“The entire process was incredibly convenient. We’d already got the power routing arranged so the installation took an hour at most, then everything was up and running. When we got the invoice, we logged on to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s site and applied for a green tax deduction, a 50% deduction on the cost that we were entitled to. The application took five minutes to do and we had the money back in our account within a week. It wasn’t the standard headache that you would have expected. From 2021, a green tax deduction that the installer arranges for you has also been introduced, so you no longer even need to apply for it yourself.
“I’m completely satisfied with my purchase and I would never consider buying an electric car without a charging station. It would have been possible for me to sit for a few hours every day and charge outside a McDonald’s that offers charging, but that would have been disastrous for my health,” he concludes laughing.