How to Choose the Right Power for Your Wall mounted EV Charger

Selecting a wall mounted EV charger for your home is a smart investment in convenience. However, with options like 7kW, 11kW, and 22kW available, choosing the right power can be confusing. The best choice depends on a combination of your home’s electrical capacity and your electric vehicle’s capabilities. This guide will walk you through the key considerations to ensure you select a wall mounted EV charger with the perfect power rating for your needs.

Step 1: Audit Your Home’s Electrical Supply

The foundational step in choosing any wall mounted EV charger is understanding what your home’s electrical panel can support. This will immediately define your feasible options.

• For Homes in North America (e.g., USA, Canada):

  • Standard Supply: 240V split-phase system.

  • The 7kW Solution: Requires a dedicated 240V / 32A circuit. This is the most common and practical installation for a wall mounted EV charger in this region.

  • Higher Power Note: Residential three-phase power is rare. For most, 7kW is the effective and powerful ceiling.

• For Homes in Europe & Other Regions (e.g., UK, Australia, Germany):

  • Standard Supply: 230V single-phase is standard; 400V three-phase is common in newer builds.

  • The 7kW Solution: Uses a 230V / 32A single-phase circuit.

  • The 11kW/22kW Solution: Requires a 400V three-phase connection.

Professional Advice is Key: Always consult a qualified electrician before purchase. Installing a wall mounted EV charger that exceeds your home’s capacity is unsafe and not possible.

Step 2: Understand Your EV’s Onboard Charger (OBC)

A critical and often overlooked fact is that your wall mounted EV charger only supplies AC power. The actual charging speed is governed by your car’s Onboard Charger (OBC), which converts AC to DC. Your car’s OBC is the true gatekeeper of charging speed.

The compatibility table below illustrates how this relationship works in practice.

Practical Examples:

• A Nissan Leaf or standard Ford Mustang Mach-E with a 7kW OBC will max out at 7kW, even on a more powerful charger.

• A Tesla Model 3 or BMW i4 with an 11kW OBC can fully utilize an 11kW station.

• A Porsche Taycan with a 22kW OBC is one of the few consumer vehicles that can leverage a full 22kW wall mounted EV charger.

Step 3: Compare Your Power Options

The 7kW Wall Mounted EV Charger (The Everyday Champion)

• Best for: The vast majority of EV owners. Perfect for overnight charging.

• Performance: Adds 30-50 miles of range per hour. Fully recharges a typical battery overnight.

• Verdict: The most popular, cost-effective, and simplest solution. It meets the needs of over 90% of users and is the definitive right power for most.

  The 11kW Wall Mounted EV Charger (The Future-Proof Choice)

  • Best for: Homes with three-phase power and vehicles equipped with an 11kW (or higher) OBC.

  • Performance: Adds 45-70 miles of range per hour. Noticeably faster than 7kW.

  • Verdict: An excellent investment if your infrastructure and vehicle support it, offering great speed and compatibility for your next EV.

  The 22kW Wall Mounted EV Charger (The Niche Performer)

  • Best for: Owners of specific high-end models with 22kW OBCs.

  • Performance: The pinnacle of AC charging, adding up to 75-120 miles of range per hour.

  • Verdict: For most households, this is overkill. It is a specialist solution that is only the right power for a small subset of users.

  Final Recommendation: Making the Right Choice

  For a balanced approach of performance, cost, and ease of installation, a 7kW wall mounted EV charger is the right power for most situations. If you have three-phase power and a compatible vehicle, an 11kW unit is a smart, forward-thinking upgrade. Always let your electrician’s assessment and your vehicle’s specifications guide your final decision.

  Ready to choose your ideal wall mounted EV charger? Contact Hongju to explore our range of reliable and smart charging solutions tailored for the global market.