How Do I Charge My Electric Car at Home? A Beginner's Guide to Chargers

You have bought an electric car, or are about to, and the first question on your mind is most likely this: "How am I going to charge my car at home?" The good news is that the answer is far simpler than you think. Just as you drop by a petrol station once a week with a petrol car, with an electric car most people charge at home while they sleep — when you get up in the morning the car is full. In this guide we explain the ways to charge your car at home in everyday language, with no technical knowledge required.

There are three ways to charge an electric car at home, and the only real difference between them is speed and safety: (1) an ordinary household socket, (2) a portable charger, (3) a charger fixed to the wall — that is, a wallbox. Let us now take them one by one, through the questions people ask most.

Can an electric car be charged from an ordinary household socket?

Short answer: it can, but this is the slowest and least recommended method. You can plug into the ordinary socket at home (Schuko, the three-pin type) with the cable that came with your car and charge. The problem is that an ordinary household socket is not designed to draw high current continuously; when it runs at full load for hours, the socket and the wiring can overheat. That is why charging from an ordinary socket should be considered only in an emergency, or at very low power (usually 1.8-2.3 kW).

Let us make it concrete with an example: filling a car with a 60 kWh battery from an ordinary socket can take more than 20 hours. So on its own it is not enough for someone who wants to plug in during the evening and set off in the morning. A home charger, by contrast, fills the same car in far less time. Think of the ordinary socket as a stopgap; the real solution is one of the two methods below.

• Ordinary household socket = the slowest, takes a long time, strains the wiring — only for emergencies or occasional use.
• Never charge through an extension cable or a power strip.
• If you will charge often, having your electrician run a dedicated line and moving to a portable or wall-mounted charger is both faster and far safer.

What is a wall-mounted charger (wallbox), and who is it for?

The most popular solution at home is a charger fixed to the wall; in the industry it is also called a "wallbox". Supplied by a dedicated line from your distribution board and mounted next to the door or in the garage, this device charges your car many times faster and far more safely than an ordinary socket. If you have your own home, a private garage or a fixed space in an enclosed car park, this is the most sensible choice.

Home chargers fall into two groups by power: single-phase models generally charge up to 7.4 kW, while three-phase models charge up to 11-22 kW. If you have three-phase electricity at home, faster charging is possible; if not, a single-phase model is more than enough for daily use. The Bemis Charger 2, Charger Plus 2 and Charger Pro 2 models are such wall-mounted chargers; all have a Type 2 socket (the standard socket in Türkiye and Europe), are CE certified and IP65 rated — that is, they stand up to being outdoors and to rain.

• If you have your own home / garage / fixed parking space: a wall-mounted charger (wallbox) is the best choice.
• Up to 7.4 kW for a single-phase home; models up to 11-22 kW for a three-phase home.
• Models with adjustable current (for example the Charger Plus 2) let you turn the charging power down so as not to strain the home's main breaker.

Who is a portable charger sensible for?

If you cannot have a fixed device mounted on the wall — for example if you rent, if you have no fixed space in the car park, or if you want to use it both at home and on the road — a portable charger is a good middle ground. These are devices that fit in a case and that you can plug in and use. The Bemis Mini Mobile and Pro Mobile 2 models belong to this group. The Pro Mobile 2 in particular can be used safely on different sockets, since the charging current can be set across 6 steps (6-32 amps) with the button on the device or the mobile app.

The advantage of a portable device is flexibility: it lives in the boot, and wherever you go you can charge if there is a suitable socket. The disadvantage is that it is not a permanent solution and, at higher power, is not as convenient as a fixed wallbox. When deciding, ask yourself: will I always charge the car in the same place (then a wallbox), or does the place change from time to time (then portable)?

Which charger suits my car? (How many kW should I choose?)

This is one of the most frequently asked questions, and the answer depends on two things: your home's electrical infrastructure and the power your car accepts. Think of it this way — however powerful the charger, your car will not take more than its own limit. Most electric cars accept up to 7.4 kW or 11 kW on AC charging; so buying a 22 kW device for the home brings no extra speed if your car takes 11 kW. The right approach is to find out the power your car accepts and choose a model to match.

• First find out how many kW your car's "AC charging power" is (it is stated in the vehicle handbook).
• If your home is single-phase, a model up to 7.4 kW; if three-phase, an 11 or 22 kW model is suitable.
• If you are not sure, buy a model with adjustable current — it will suit both your current car and the one you buy later.
• Make sure the socket type is Type 2; that is the standard in Türkiye and Europe (most cars, including Togg and Tesla, use Type 2).

Can I fit the charger myself?

The honest answer: you can plug in and use a portable device yourself, but never make the electrical connection of a wall-mounted charger yourself. A wallbox must be supplied from the board over a dedicated line with a suitable breaker; this connection must always be made by a qualified electrical contractor. That is both a legal requirement and a matter of safety — a high-current line connected incorrectly carries a fire risk. You choose the device, an expert installs it.

If you live in an apartment building there is one more step: having a charger fitted in a shared car park generally requires the approval of the management or the flat owners and an arrangement for metering. We covered this subject in a separate guide; you can reach it from the links below.