EV chargers: the essential guide to choosing the right solution and avoiding mistakes

Choosing an electric vehicle does not end when you buy the car. In fact, one of the most important decisions comes right after: how you are going to charge it in everyday life.

This is where EV chargers come in. Not every driver charges in the same way, not every home has the same electrical setup, and not every charging point is designed for the same needs.

You may need a simple solution to charge overnight at home. Or perhaps you live in an apartment building, manage a business, have solar panels or want to prepare your installation for more vehicles in the future. In each case, the right charger may be different.

The good news is that choosing well does not have to be complicated. You just need to understand what solutions are available, which factors are worth considering and which features can make charging more convenient, safer and more efficient.

What we mean by EV chargers

When we talk about EV chargers, we may be referring to very different solutions. Sometimes we mean the cable that connects the vehicle, sometimes a portable charger, a home wallbox or a charging point installed at a workplace, in a car park or in a public space.

All these solutions are used to charge the battery, but they are not designed for the same type of use.

An EV charger is not just an accessory. It is the element that connects the vehicle to the electrical system and allows charging to be managed safely. That is why it has a direct impact on comfort, charging speed, energy consumption and the everyday experience of using an electric car.

In other words, it is not just about “plugging in the car”. It is about doing it in the way that best suits your needs.

Types of EV chargers: a simple overview

There are different types of EV chargers, but you do not need to start with the most technical details to understand them. The most important thing is to know what each solution is for.

Broadly speaking, we can distinguish between:

• portable chargers;

• home wallboxes;

• charging points for shared residential buildings;

• chargers for businesses and fleets;

• solutions for car parks, hotels and shared spaces;

• rapid DC chargers.

Each category has its own logic. Some solutions focus on convenience, others on speed, others on user management or on durability for more intensive use.

Portable chargers

Portable chargers can be useful as an occasional solution, for example during trips, in second homes or in specific situations. Their main advantage is flexibility: they can be carried around and used in different places, as long as the socket and electrical installation are suitable.

For daily charging, however, they are usually less convenient than a fixed solution. They can be a useful backup, but they are not always the best choice as the main charging system.

In short, a portable charger can help you out when needed, but if you charge your car every day, a more stable solution designed for regular use will probably be a better fit.

Home wallboxes

A wallbox is one of the most common solutions for charging an electric car at home. It is installed on a wall or dedicated support and allows charging to be more convenient, controlled and safe than using a standard socket.

A good wallbox can include features such as:

• scheduled charging;

• app control;

• power management;

• integration with solar energy;

• energy consumption monitoring;

• connectivity to manage charging more easily.

For many drivers, it is the most practical option: you get home, plug in the car and the next day it is ready. As simple as that.

Charging points for shared buildings and businesses

When a charger is installed in a shared residential building, a business or another shared space, other factors come into play: user management, consumption tracking, available power and the possibility of expanding the infrastructure over time.

In these cases, installing a single isolated charger is not always enough. It is better to think in terms of an organised, scalable and easy-to-manage solution.

In a shared residential building, for example, it may be important to assign energy consumption to each individual user. In a business setting, on the other hand, it may be necessary to control who is charging, when they are charging and how much energy each vehicle uses.

Rapid chargers

Rapid DC chargers are designed to recover driving range in less time. They are commonly found at public charging stations, service areas or in professional contexts with intensive charging needs.

For everyday home use, they are usually not necessary. If the car remains parked for several hours, an AC wallbox can cover most daily charging needs.

Put simply: rapid charging is very useful when time is critical; a wallbox is more suitable when charging is part of your daily routine.

Where you charge most often: the key question

Before choosing a charger, the first question should not be “how many kW does it have?”, but where will you charge most often?

The context makes a big difference. Installing a wallbox in a private home is not the same as managing several charging points in a business or in a shared residential garage.

In a private home, convenience, safety and app control are usually the priorities. The aim is for charging to fit naturally into your daily routine: you get home, plug in the car and find it ready when you need it.

In a shared residential garage, planning is especially important. You need to consider the electrical system, consumption management and the possibility that other residents may want to install their own charging point in the future.

In a business, there are other factors to consider: multiple users, multiple vehicles, access control, monitoring and scalability. Here, the charger is not just an individual solution, but part of a wider infrastructure.

In a car park, hotel or commercial space, the priority is usually to offer users a simple, reliable and clear experience. The charger should be easy to use, durable and suitable for shared use.

During trips or occasional situations, public charging or, in some cases, a portable charger can be useful as a backup solution. It is not always ideal for everyday use, but it can provide flexibility when needed.

Choosing well means starting from real use, not just from the product’s technical specifications.

Charging power: more is not always better

The power of a charger is measured in kW and indicates how quickly it can deliver energy to the vehicle. It is an important figure, but it should not be the only criterion when choosing a charger.

The actual charging power depends on several factors:

• the power available from the electrical system;

• whether the installation is single-phase or three-phase;

• the maximum charging power accepted by the car;

• the simultaneous energy consumption of the home or building;

• the charger’s energy management functions.

That is why choosing the most powerful charger does not automatically mean charging better. If the vehicle does not support that power, or if the installation is not designed for it, part of that capacity will not be used.

In many homes, a 7.4 kW wallbox may be enough to charge overnight. In businesses, shared buildings or three-phase installations, higher power levels may make sense.

The key is to find the right balance between speed, safety and real everyday use.

What a good EV charger should offer

A good charger is not defined only by its power. It should also be safe, easy to use and ready to integrate with the electrical system.

Among the most important features to consider are:

• electrical safety, with suitable protections and professional installation;

• vehicle compatibility, both in terms of connector and charging power;

• app control, to schedule charging and monitor consumption;

• Load Balancing, to help prevent overloads in the home or building;

• connectivity, especially if you want to manage the charger remotely;

• solar energy integration, if you already have solar panels or plan to install them;

• scalability, if there may be more users or more vehicles in the future.

Some of these features may not seem essential at first. But in everyday use, they make the difference between charging that simply works and charging that is genuinely convenient.

Tethered charger or socket: a practical choice

Another common decision is whether to choose a charger with an integrated cable or one with a Type 2 socket.

An integrated cable is very convenient for home use. It is always ready and allows you to connect the car in just a few seconds, without taking the cable out of the boot every time.

A Type 2 socket, on the other hand, offers more flexibility. It can be useful in shared residential buildings, businesses, car parks or spaces where different users charge with their own cables.

There is no universally better option. It depends on the context:

• for a private home, an integrated cable is often more practical;

• for shared spaces, a socket can be more versatile;

• for businesses or car parks, flexibility may matter more than individual convenience.

As is often the case with EV charging, the right choice depends less on the product in the abstract and more on how it will actually be used.

Smart chargers: why they matter more and more

Charging an electric car should not be treated as an isolated energy use. It is part of a wider energy system: home, workplace, solar panels, battery storage, consumption patterns and available power.

That is why smart chargers are becoming increasingly important.

A smart charger can help you:

• schedule charging at the most convenient times;

• adapt power according to the building’s energy consumption;

• avoid overloads;

• check charging session history;

• assign charging sessions to specific users;

• make better use of solar energy when available.

In practice, this allows charging to be more organised and efficient. It is not just about charging the car, but about doing it in coordination with the rest of the energy consumption.

And that is one of the great advantages of electric mobility when it is well integrated: energy is no longer managed blindly, but becomes part of a smarter daily routine.

How to choose the right charger step by step

To choose an EV charger without making things too complicated, it helps to follow a simple process.

First, ask yourself where you will charge most of the time. Then consider how much range you normally need to recover, without getting stuck on the idea of always charging from 0 to 100%. Finally, check the available power and the characteristics of your vehicle.

At that point, you can understand whether you need a wallbox with a cable or a socket, whether a smart solution makes sense and whether you want to prepare the installation for solar panels, more users or more vehicles in the future.

A useful checklist could include:

• do I mainly charge at home, in a shared building or at work?

• how many kilometres do I drive each day?

• how much power do I have available?

• is my installation single-phase or three-phase?

• do I want to control charging from an app?

• do I already have, or plan to install, solar panels?

• could there be more electric vehicles in the future?

• do I need to manage multiple users?

• do I want a solution that is ready to grow over time?

Answering these questions is much more useful than comparing chargers only by price or power.

Common mistakes when choosing an EV charger

One of the most common mistakes is assuming that any solution will work for any user. In reality, a charger should match the vehicle, the electrical installation and the driver’s charging habits.

Another frequent mistake is choosing based only on power, without checking whether the car or the installation can actually make use of it. It is also easy to forget about the future: today there may be only one electric car, but tomorrow there could be two, solar panels may be added or charging may need to be shared with other users.

The mistakes to avoid include:

• buying the most powerful charger without checking the electrical installation;

• using a product designed for emergencies as the main charging solution;

• overlooking connectivity or app control;

• ignoring power management;

• failing to consider future needs;

• choosing based only on price;

• separating the charger choice from the assessment of the electrical system.

A charger is used for years. That is why it is worth choosing a solution that does not just solve today’s needs, but can also support the evolution of electric mobility over time.

Which charger to choose based on your user profile

Every user has different needs. That is why a good choice always starts with the context.

If you mainly charge at home, a smart home wallbox is often the most convenient solution. It lets you control charging from an app, schedule charging times and adapt charging to your daily routine.

If you live in an apartment building or shared residential property, it is better to choose an organised, safe solution designed to manage individual consumption. In these cases, planning the installation is just as important as choosing the charger itself.

If you have solar panels or plan to install them, the ideal choice is a charger that is compatible with self-consumption and energy management. This allows vehicle charging to be better coordinated with solar production.

If you manage a business, it is best to prioritise scalable, connected solutions that can manage users, consumption and several vehicles at the same time.

If you manage a hotel, car park or commercial activity, the charger should be easy to use, durable and reliable. Charging becomes part of the customer experience, so the simpler it is, the better.

And if you are already thinking ahead, it is worth choosing a solution that is ready to grow: more vehicles, more users, solar energy or new energy management needs.

Daze solutions for EV charging

Daze develops charging solutions designed for different contexts: homes, shared residential buildings, businesses, car parks and shared spaces.

The goal is not just to offer a charger, but to provide a simpler, more connected charging experience that is ready to integrate with energy management.

For home charging, a smart wallbox allows the car to be charged in a convenient, safe and connected way. In shared buildings and shared spaces, user management, consumption control and scalability help organise the infrastructure more effectively.

For businesses, car parks and fleets, scalable solutions make it possible to adapt charging to more vehicles and evolving needs. And when charging is integrated with solar energy, battery storage and energy management systems, the electric car becomes part of a wider ecosystem.

The goal is not just to install a charger, but to make energy easier to manage every day.

Frequently asked questions about EV chargers

What types of EV chargers are available?

There are portable chargers, home wallboxes, charging points for shared buildings or businesses, and rapid chargers. Each one is designed for a different type of use.

What is the best charger for an electric car?

The best charger is the one that suits your vehicle, your electrical installation and your charging habits. For many home users, a smart wallbox is often the most convenient solution.

Is it better to choose a charger with a cable or a Type 2 socket?

For home use, an integrated cable is often more practical. For shared residential buildings, businesses or shared spaces, a Type 2 socket can offer more flexibility.

What power should an EV charger have?

It depends on the vehicle, the installation and the kilometres driven each day. Higher power is not always the best choice, especially if it cannot be used properly.

Which charger is best if I have solar panels?

It is best to choose a charger that is compatible with self-consumption and energy management, so vehicle charging can be coordinated with solar production.

Which charger is best for a business or shared residential building?

For businesses and shared residential buildings, it is best to choose scalable, connected solutions that can manage users, consumption and available power.

Choosing well means charging better

EV chargers are not all the same, because the needs of the people using them are not all the same. The right solution depends on where you charge, how much range you need, what kind of electrical installation you have and how you want to manage energy every day.

A good wallbox can make charging more convenient, safer and more efficient. And if it is also ready to integrate with solar energy, app control and smart management, charging stops being a simple technical operation and becomes a natural part of the routine.

In the end, choosing the right charger means exactly that: charging better, with fewer worries and with a solution that is ready to support you over time.