Guides
Charging an EV at home in Pakistan: meter, wallbox, cost
What you need to charge an electric car at home in Pakistan: portable cable or wallbox, the time-of-use meter, sanctioned load, safe wiring, and the monthly cost.
Home is where an electric car is cheap to run. Charged overnight on the off-peak rate of Rs 23.57 per kWh, 100 km costs about Rs 401, against roughly Rs 3,257 in a petrol car at 12 km/l. Getting there takes three things: something to charge with, the right meter, and wiring that can carry the load safely for hours at a time.
Portable cable or wallbox
The portable cable comes with many cars: a plug at one end, the car connector at the other, and a control box in the middle. It runs from an ordinary wall socket at about 2 to 3.5 kW, which is slow but enough for most people. Overnight it puts back 100 km or more.
A wallbox is a charger fixed to the wall on its own circuit. On a single phase it charges at about 7 kW, roughly three times as fast. On a three-phase supply an 11 kW wallbox is faster again, but only if the car's own charger takes 11 kW: many cars sold here stop at 6.6 or 7 kW whatever the wallbox can give. Every car page lists its maximum AC power.
How long a 20 to 80 percent charge takes on a 60 kWh battery, allowing for the tenth or so lost between the wall and the battery:
| Charger | Power | 20→80% on 60 kWh |
|---|---|---|
| Portable cable | about 2.3 kW | about 17 hours |
| Wallbox, single phase | about 7 kW | about 5.5 hours |
| Wallbox, three phase | about 11 kW | about 3.5 hours |
If you drive less than 60 km on most days and park at home every night, the portable cable is enough. If you drive more, have two EVs, or want the car full by morning after a late return, a wallbox is worth it.
The time-of-use meter
The subsidised off-peak rate needs a meter that records when you use power, not only how much. Your distribution company fits it on application: LESCO, K-Electric, IESCO, FESCO and the rest each run their own process. Each city page names the company that supplies that city.
Once it is fitted, the meter only saves money if the car charges off-peak. Set a charging schedule in the car or its app to start when the evening peak ends, and the car does the rest. The cost guide has the rates side by side.
Sanctioned load
Your bill prints your sanctioned load, the maximum your connection is approved for. A 7 kW wallbox running at the same time as two air conditioners can push a house past it. Check the number before you buy, and if you need more, raising it is an application to your distribution company. Charging overnight, when the air conditioners are often off, also helps.
Wiring it safely
A car draws full power for hours, which is harder on wiring than a kettle or an iron that runs for minutes. Have a qualified electrician do this, and ask for:
- A dedicated circuit from the distribution board, with its own breaker, for a wallbox. A 7 kW wallbox draws about 32 A.
- Cable sized for the full current over the full length of the run. The electrician should calculate it, not guess it.
- An RCD on the circuit. Many wallboxes detect DC leakage themselves, in which case a Type A RCD is enough; otherwise the circuit needs a Type B. The wallbox manual says which.
- A tested earth. A charger relies on its earth to detect faults safely, and older houses do not always have one that tests well.
For a portable cable, use a good wall socket on a circuit that is not shared with an air conditioner, and never an extension lead or a multi-plug adaptor. They are not built to carry full current for hours, and a warm plug is the first warning.
Where to put it
Most wallboxes are rated for outdoor use, but a covered, shaded wall is better. A charger in direct summer sun runs hot, and a hot charger slows itself down. Mount it where the cable reaches the car's socket without stretching across a path or the gate.
What it costs a month
At the off-peak rate, a car doing 1,500 km a month uses about 255 kWh and costs about Rs 6,010 a month to charge at home. The same distance in a petrol car at 12 km/l costs about Rs 48,849. A full charge of a 60 kWh battery at home costs about Rs 1,414. Every car page works out the figure for that car's own battery, and the EV vs petrol cost calculator does it for your own distance and charging mix.
If you cannot charge at home
Flats and rented houses without parking make this harder, and it is worth being honest about: an EV charged only at public DC chargers still costs less per kilometre than petrol, but the saving is much smaller. Look for an AC point at work, at a mall you visit often, or near where you park overnight. The city pages list every public charger, and the Sarai app shows which are free right now.