How to charge an electric car if I don't have a garage?

Have you been thinking about getting an electric car, but you are worried about not having a garage to charge it? Is it possible to have an electric car and charge it in the street? In this post we clear up your doubts and tell you how you can charge your electric car without having a garage and what you will need to do so.

Where can an electric car be recharged?

Having a garage is not essential to recharge your electric car, in fact, there are many places where you can do it for free (partially or completely depending on the establishment itself):

• In supermarketsChains such as Mercadona, Lidl and Carrefour have car parks with recharging facilities that you can use during business hours. In most cases, their 3.7 kW chargers are free of charge for a recharge of between 30 minutes and one hour.
• In shopping centresMany shopping centres already include parking with chargers for electric cars (such as El Corte Inglés or many IKEA centres).
• At airportsAirports are also incorporating car parks for charging electric cars, such as Adolfo Suárez-Madrid Barajas and Valencia Airport. In this case, you will only have to pay for the parking and then you can recharge your electric car.

These are just some of the places where you can charge your electric car. However, there are other options, such as hotel car parks, public buildings and cinemas.

How to charge an electric car on the street?

To charge an electric car on the street, it is best to park the car in a place with charging points, such as shopping centres, airports, or even public spaces such as streets. In this type of car parks with chargers, the process of charging your car is very simple, you just have to park it and connect the charger.

However, be aware that both private establishments and public spaces may have rules about the use of charging points, so it is a good idea to make sure you are well informed before using them.

On the other hand, you also have the option of charging your car at an electric station, where you can recharge your car for a fee. In this case, the charging process is just as simple as at any other charging point.

What does it take to charge an electric car?

Electric cars usually come with their own charging cable. Assuming you charge your car at public charging points, at electric charging stations or other car parks with chargers, you would only need to take your car to the charging point and plug it in, although you will probably have to pay for parking, charging or both.

How to charge an electric car with a normal socket?

It is possible to charge your electric car with a normal socket, but for that you will need a Schuko socket.. In such a socket, you just plug in your electric car with its own charging cable and you're ready to go. However, be aware that charging will be slow (12 to 16 hours). You should also avoid letting the total charge of your car exceed 80%, to prevent overheating of your electrical installation.

As you can see, you have plenty of options for charging your electric car if you don't have a garage where you can charge it. You can even charge your car with a conventional socket (as long as it is a Schuko type), so it is not essential that you have a garage.