Portable charger loan

Many vehicles sold by Go Green Autos are supplied with a suitable portable charger, which allows you to charge your vehicle from a normal mains socket. If the charger isn't included with the vehicle, then we offer a loan scheme, subject to the conditions below.

This means you can charge over night, so you can start using your new EV daily without worrying about getting to grips with public charging or waiting for a home wall charger to be installed.

What is a portable charger?

A portable charger is simply a cable that plugs into the AC charging port of your electric vehicle and then the other end into a normal 3-pin mains socket. This means you can charge your vehicle anywhere that has electricity e.g, home, work, friends or family, hotels, etc. The chargers are waterproof so can be left outside and are typically used from an outside socket, or a socket in the garage or via an open window, catflap or letterbox.

These chargers only draw 10 amps, so do take longer to charge a vehicle, but most EVs will still charge overnight. The charger needs to draw 10 amps constantly, so the socket used must be an a ring main, not a spur (i.e. two cables supplying the socket, not one).

Why are these called a granny cable? Because you can charge your car when you visit your granny!

Conditions of portable charger loan scheme

You buy the cable with the vehicle. This is around £250 inc VAT for a 10 meter version, subject to the models we have in stock at the time.
You can keep the charger for up to one month, which allows time for your home wall charger to be installed.
You can then decide whether to keep the charger or return it. Most people keep them as they are handy.
If you wish to return the charger, you can either do this in person or send it via the post or by courier. The charger must be properly packaged and protected and the delivery costs are paid by you, the customer.
The carry bag supplied with the charger must also be returned.
The full deposit is refunded upon receipt of the charger providing it is in full working order and in the same condition as it was supplied.
If when returned, the charger is not working, then the deposit is not refunded. If it is damaged then deductions will be made for repair or compensation. If it is not received or damaged in transit, then the same rules apply and it is up to you to claim from your courier, so the correct level of parcel insurance is highly recommended.

Home charging

If you have off-street parking, then you should get a wall charger installed. These charge an electric vehicle quicker, are safer and are a far better permanent solution. A portable charger is intended for occasional use or a temporary solution. Using a portable charger is also less efficient than charging at the higher rates on a proper wall charger.

However, some people can only charge their EV via a portable charger. For example, people who do not have off-street parking so cannot install a wall charger on their house. Or drivers who charge at work or on site during the day via a mains socket. Or often owners use a portable charger when at their holiday home or second property.

A portable charger is limited to charging at 10 amps and will add about 9 miles or range per hour of charging. This might be suitable for older EVs with small battery packs and drivers who do few miles per day. But newer EVs with larger battery packs, store more energy and really require a faster charging rate. A wall charger will charge at 32 amps and adds about 25 miles of range per hour of charging. When using a wall charger, your vehicle is going to be able to

Charging an EV from a terraced house using a portable charger. Just make sure the cable isn't a trip hazard!

Note: The electrical regulations changed on 1st January 2019 which effects the use of portable chargers. Standard mains sockets may not be able to cope with supplying 10-13 amps constantly, so now there is a new heavy duty mains socket which is labelled as "EV". For further information see here. Therefore, if using a portable charger is your permanent solution, then you should get your socket upgraded by an electrician.

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