Electric car chargers

EV charging station: power, connector, installation

Updated 20 October 2026

Wall box, portable charger or fast DC

A home charging station (wall box) is mounted on the wall in a garage or parking space and charges with alternating current (AC). It is the main choice for daily charging at home. A portable charger (EVSE cable) plugs into a socket or a power socket and is handy to carry, but its power is limited by the supply. A fast DC charger is a station for business, car parks and fleets: it is expensive and needs a serious connection. For most electric car owners, a wall box is the right one.

Connector and power: what you must check

The connector must match the car. Check which standards are usual for AC and fast DC charging where you live, because some imported or older models come with a different standard. Check in the car's papers which connector it has, and do not rely on the make, because one model is sold in different versions. For another standard there are sometimes adapters.

Power is limited by the car's on-board charger. A single-phase supply gives one level of power, three-phase a higher one, for example 11 or 22 kW, but the car has to accept it. A 22 kW station will not charge faster than the car allows. Also check what your supply and the breaker in your meter board allow.

What to put in the request

• Type of charger: wall station, portable or DC.
• Connector: Type 2, CCS2 or another.
• Power: kW, phases or current, for example 22 kW, 3 phases.
• Car make and model: for example Hyundai Kona Electric.
• Features: Wi-Fi or an app, RFID, current adjustment, schedule, cable length, outdoor protection.
• Installation: whether you need fitting and connection, the distance from the meter board.
• Station model, if you have already chosen one.
• City and budget.

Example: “I need a wall-mounted Type 2 charging station of 22 kW, 3 phases, with Wi-Fi and a 7 m cable for a Hyundai Kona Electric. Installation is needed, the meter board is 15 m from the place. Johannesburg, budget up to R 8,800.”

Installation: don't save on safety

A charger runs on a high current for hours. So you need a separate breaker with the right rating, a suitable cable, a residual current device and earthing. In the offer, ask what the installation price includes: cable to the board, breaker, chasing the wall, warranty on the work. A connection to a three-phase supply may need approval from your electricity distribution company, so ask the specialist about it.

How BlaBlaPrice helps

You write one request with your car and conditions, and sellers and electricians reply in the chat: which station suits, the price with installation and the timing. The site shows the best offer first, with reviews of the seller beside it. Contacts are hidden, and you exchange them only with the one you choose. Details are on the “How it works” page.

You will find other things for your car in the “Car accessories” section, and for keeping the cable an organiser for the boot will do.