Electrical installations can be single-phase or three-phase. And the same goes for electric vehicles. We tell you what each one offers so that you can assess which one compensates you more when it comes to charging your car.
charging an electric car It is simple, but the efficiency and effectiveness of the operation will depend on many aspects. Not only the batteries or the inverter are important, for example, but also the type of load and its corresponding cable.
Because the difference between a single-phase cable and a three-phase cable is not simply the type of connection. Other aspects come into play that make each of them recommended for certain circumstances.
Differences between single-phase and three-phase electrical installation
The first thing you should know is what is monophasic and triphasic at a general level. Most domestic installations are single-phase, that is, they have single phase alternating current and a contracted power of up to 10 kW.
On the other hand, three-phase installations are made up of three different alternating current phases, which allows you to split the installation. That, in turn, makes it possible for the power to be constant throughout its travel. In the three-phase installation, it is usual to have a power of 400 volts (V).
single phase cables
Naturally, each installation requires a different type of cable. The single-phase cable can be of two types:
- Bipolar: two conductors (blue-neutral and brown-one phase).
- three-pole: three conductors (blue-neutral, brown-one phase and yellow/green-earth cable).
three-phase cables
In the case of three-phase cables, we find more variety:
- three-pole: three conductors (grey, brown and black).
- tetrapolar: four conductors (grey, brown and black, plus blue-neutral or yellow/green-ground).
- pentapolar: five conductors (grey, brown and black, yellow/green-earth and blue-neutral).
What is better to charge the car? Monophasic or triphasic?
The charger and its corresponding single-phase cable is the most common for a simple question: homes usually have a single-phase installation. In addition, the cost of electrical energy for a single-phase installation is lower.
Nevertheless, with a three-phase charger the charging process is faster (even triple) for what we have mentioned before: the installation is divided into three parts and the power is constant. Of course, charging the car is more expensive with a three-phase charger.
Another aspect of the three-phase load is that the minimum power that can be contracted is lower and the three-phase meter rental it is also more expensive.
In any case, generally the type of load you will need will be determined by the vehicle you have. And the truth is that most only admit single-phase. Some examples of three-phase charging are Renault Zoe, the Tesla or the Mercedes Class B, among others.
If you do not have a car that supports triphasic, it will not do you any good to access one, since the vehicle will only charge in monophasic.
How to know if the installation of your house is single-phase or three-phase?
It’s simple. You only have to go to the electrical panel of your home and look at the ICPwhich is one of the switches (Power Control Switch).
This switch serves to interrupt the electrical supply when the contracted power is exceeded. Also when an overload occurs. Well, the Single-phase ICP is made up of two modules, while triphasic consists of three.