ADAC: Wallboxes are becoming cheaper - and quickly pay off

Charging an electric car at a wallbox instead of a household socket is not only safer and more comfortable, but also more efficient because there are fewer charging losses. This is the conclusion of the latest analysis by the automotive club ADAC. Moreover, the prices for good wallboxes have significantly decreased, so that the acquisition costs could be amortized after a short time. However, there are some things to consider with inexpensive wallboxes.

A few years ago, the acquisition costs were still in the upper three-digit range, which led the federal government at the time to even introduce state subsidies. Nowadays, wallboxes can be purchased in the price range between 200 and 400 euros, as a recent ADAC research in various online shops and discount stores shows. The mobility club has already tested some of these now reduced-price wallboxes in similar versions in 2021 and 2022 and found them to be good, including models from ABL, Vestel, KEBA, and Heidelberg.

Wallbox with fewer charging losses than household electricity

An inexpensive wallbox can pay off in just a few years due to significantly lower charging losses compared to charging at a household socket. Charging losses are inevitable when charging an electric car; this means that more electricity is drawn from the grid (and has to be paid for) than is actually fed into the battery. The losses occur due to the operation of control devices, but also, for example, due to heat losses. The ADAC found in an investigation that charging at a wallbox - depending on the vehicle - resulted in charging losses between 6 and 10 percent. When charging at a household socket, the losses were between 13 and 24 percent. One reason: the charging process at a wallbox with 11 kW is about four times faster than charging at a household socket with 2.3 kW. Therefore, the control devices in the vehicle are active for shorter periods and consume less electricity, which saves real money. For example: with an annual charging requirement of 2000 kWh and an electricity price of 40 cents/kWh, the costs for charging losses at 8 percent (160 kWh) at a wallbox amount to 64 euros. With a household socket with 15 percent charging loss (300 kWh), you pay 120 euros - almost double.