Wallboxes and charging stations: main differences and installation

Indispensable for charging electric vehicles,
wallboxes and charging stations
perform the same functions but are technically different and placed in different environments.

Let’s find out the main differences and how they are used.

Wallbox, what is it?

Literally “wall box,” the wallbox enables home charging of electric and plug-in hybrid cars.

It is basically a specially installed charging station on the wall that allows for safe charging in a private space, up to 8 times faster than a standard power outlet.

Wallboxes are wall-mounted and are often found in private, residential spaces such as apartment buildings and in situations where ownership and access to properties is shared.

Charging stations, what is the difference with wallbox?

Charging stations are installed on the ground and also called charging stations because they look similar to small diesel fuel stations.

They dispense the electricity needed to recharge the batteries by drawing it from existing and enabled infrastructure (such as wallboxes).

Ground-mounted columns are installed in many public spaces, such as highways, truck stops, and parking lots, and their use is allowed to a wider audience, with free access by anyone who needs to recharge their vehicle batteries.

How charging works

Recharging through columns or wallboxes works on a self-service basis, in a very simple and intuitive way, and the easiest way to pay is to download your provider’s app, paying digitally.

The interface used in the design of the charging column can help the user simplify the process. Some columns,
such as those supplied and installed by Fastbrain
, may have custom graphics.

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What is the difference between electric vehicle charging stations?

As delved into in this article, there are four charging modes:

1. Slow-charging, with home electrical outlet;
2. Medium charge, via a wallbox;
3. Fast-charging, with public or private charging stations:
4. Ultrafast charging, through public charging stations.

If a Level 1 charger will typically get 4 miles of range per hour of charging, a Level 2 charger will get an average of 32 miles of range per hour of charging. (Data source: Forbes.com)

This means up to 8 times faster charging with a Level 2 charging station.

Level 3 charging is even faster and can power an electric vehicle at between 3 and 20 miles of range per minute. Compared with Level 1 and 2 charging that uses alternating current (AC), Level 3 charging uses direct current (DC)

Basic to know from the beginning: there are three categories or types of charging; trickle charging, AC (Alternating Current) charging, and DC (Direct Current) charging.

The slowest method of charging your electric vehicle is at home, via standard 220 V (three-prong) outlet.

Is it better to charge an electric car at home or at a charging station?

Most charging stations work per kilowatt-hour (kWh) speaking in terms of charging rate.

Compared to charging the car at home, refueling it at public charging stations is more expensive. At home, the cost would roughly equate to twelve cents per kWh.

Are electric charging stations free?

There are several public charging points throughout Italy that offer free or metered refueling. Charging times for electric vehicles range from 30 to 60 minutes or 8 to 10 hours, depending on the vehicle model and battery.

For example, hotels, stores, and car dealerships often give electric cars free charging, provided you have their loyalty card or are a customer (hotels for example); alternatively, some public places such as parking lots and city halls.

Authorities and local governments often install free charging points to encourage more sustainable mobility, such as electric mobility.

Another reason why refills are still free in some contexts is to attract clientele who drive electrified vehicles, who are always looking for places to refill.

How do you pay for the charging of the column?

Generally, one relies on a specific network provider for refueling; the payment method works with a card that the provider issues, with the cost of the individual refill being charged to a bank account or credit/debit card.

Why is a home charging station worthwhile?

Several public stations charge more for their electricity, meaning that home charging can help save costs.

These savings can make a residential-type charging station pay for itself over time. In addition, it can increase the value of the home, offering savings and convenience, even in light of the stop in gasoline car registrations expected by 2035.

What do wallboxes look like?

Wall-Boxes usually have no. 1 charging socket (although there are 2 sockets in some models), and when mounted in a private place such as an apartment building, they need to be mounted according to the number of equipped parking spaces.

When there are two outlets, the power of the Wall -Box will be divided equally among all the connected devices, slowing down the charging process.

This special “wall-mounted” charging station allows us to refuel more safely and efficiently than a regular household outlet and can be integrated into the electrical system without special adjustments.

In addition, the programmability of recharges saves on energy consumption.

But not only that. By April 30, 2023, one can apply for a meter power increase through the energy service provider’s website completely free of charge.

Fastbrain charging stations

Charging columns are available with either No. 1 socket (1x Columns) or No. 2 sockets (2x Columns).

When there are two outlets, they can charge two electric vehicles simultaneously.

Le Charging columns are ideal for installations in parking spaces where there is a need to recharge several cars even simultaneously without reducing charging times.

Fastbrain Electric Vehicle Charging Stations and Wall Boxes comply with MODE 3 of the international standard IEC/EN 61851-1.

Composed of one or two built-in Type 2 charging outlets, equipped with Safety Child Shutter in accordance with IEC/EN 62196-2 IPXXD or with built-in cable (Tethered), single-phase or three-phase of various sizes and lengths with power from 3.7 kW to 22 kW.

The built-in Power Balance function can be configured to set the maximum power the charging station will draw from the power grid and automatic load balancing.

Charging Columns are made of sturdy anodized aluminum and stainless steel construction and can be installed outdoors.

Wall Boxes are made of sturdy technopolymer plastic housing that is highly resistant to UV rays, suitable for outdoor installation. They have a high degree of protection against dust and water.

Both of our products are particularly suitable forinstallation in private areas, condominium environments, parking lots of hotel facilities, shopping malls or business centers.

A mini-guide on how we go about installing electric vehicle charging stations can be seen here.

Read how electric vehicle charging stations work

Fastbrain takes care of your project from start to finish

We provide qualified and certified electricians.

This ensures maximum expertise and knowledge of charging station installers on standards and specifications for electric vehicle charging.

Installation does not end with purchase, but continues in the next phase.

In fact, the Help Center allows the customer to report any problems quickly and easily and allowing incoming service requests to be handled in the best possible way.

Thanks to the software installed on Fastbrain products, we will be able to maintain complete traceability of the work performed on your plant.

As the years go by, this history can also help us to carry out any preventive maintenance actions , which are useful to ensure its optimal functionality at all times.

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Acconsento al trattamento dei dati per finalità di marketing: invio di offerte, informazioni, altro materiale pubblicitario, tramite contatto diretto (telefono, posta cartacea, etc..) o sistemi automatizzati (email, sms, etc..) (facoltativo)