Plug In Prius Charging Point

[mark999]

A bit confused after reading road tests of the plug in Prius. One seems to suggest that it can be plugged in to a standard mains socket, others intimate that a special charging point needs to be installed. Could anyone enlighten me.

Thanks, Mark

[RobMagpie]

They can be plugged in to a standard mains socket but Toyota suggest a special charging point as the current required could overload the circuit if other things are on the same circuit at the same time.

[Madasafish]

You can get a 100% grant to install a garage socket - £750 worth.

[Opifex]

From the Toyota website...

When buying a Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle, we at Toyota, along with our partner British Gas, or Scottish Gas in Scotland and Northern Ireland, highly recommend a dedicated charging solution. This offers significant benefits including safer, simpler and more compatible charging. You can rest assured that our partner's highly experienced electrical engineers can install a solution that will enable you to charge your vehicle at home or your business safely and conveniently, now and in the future.

Price mentioned is from as little as £375 but there may be other costs as well. We recently had to pay £500 for a new consumer unit when our kitchen was refitted. All the appliances were replacing existing items and it was a separate firm that replaced the consumer unit so the fitters weren't simply loading the job.

It's interesting that architects haven't yet started making provision in new buildings for electric vehicles.

[JHRC]

The reason that you are better of with a dedicated socket is you may overload your domestic circuit and trip your house breakers by over heating the wiring. To pay the like of british gas £375 for something your local electrical contractor could do for £100 all that is required is a 16amp MCB, 4 or 6mm cable and a 3pin socket. But why pay for that when you could apply to the Energy Saving Trust for funding for a home charger, I applied to the Scottish energy trust last week, completed the application form sent if back online and had approval within 3 days, plus installation will comence in November.

Another reason you can get a smart meter from you electricity company and charge offpeak saving more money.

Read the energy saving trust information on EV vehicles by going to their website enter EV charging in search and then pick Plug in vehicle infrastructure strategy this will give you all the information you need, then email them for information regard to fund for home chargers.

Cheers Jim

[Opifex]

Useful information

Thanks Jim.

[mark999]

Fantastic information thanks for your help

Mark.