How to charge an electric car at home: socket, wallbox and safety

Short answer: an electric car can be charged at home in three ways: with a portable charger on a standard household socket (3.7 kW), with a portable charger on a dedicated industrial socket (7.4–22 kW), or with a wall-mounted home charger (wallbox, 7.4–22 kW). If you charge at home every day, a home charger is the fastest and safest option.

1. Charging from a household socket

A portable charger (Mode 2), supplied with the car or bought separately, plugs into a standard earthed socket. It costs nothing extra but is limited to 3.7 kW; filling a 60 kWh battery takes over 16 hours. As the socket and circuit carry 16 A for hours, the wiring must be sound and earthed and the socket must not heat up. Don't use household extension leads or power strips.

2. Charging from an industrial socket

You can have a blue single-phase 32 A or red three-phase 32 A industrial (CEE) socket installed in the garage on its own fused circuit and use a matching portable charger – up to 7.4 kW on single phase and 22 kW on three phase. Ready-made fused combination sockets with residual current protection make this easier.

3. Home charger (wallbox)

A wall-mounted charger supplied by its own circuit from the distribution board. On three-phase power it charges at 11–22 kW and offers an app, scheduled charging, RFID cards and load balancing. Tethered models give plug-and-charge convenience every day. It requires installation; in Bursa the average price for up to 10 m of cable is about TRY 15,000 + VAT.

Safety checklist

Use a dedicated breaker and residual current protection for the charging point; don't add load to existing socket circuits.
Don't use household extension leads or power strips; if needed, choose a heavy-duty cable rated for the charging current.
Outdoors, choose at least IP54 equipment, and IP65 where it is directly exposed to rain.
Have your contracted power checked; if it isn't enough, run the charger at a lower power or request an increase.

How much does home charging cost?

Cost depends on the car's consumption and the electricity price. For a car using 18 kWh/100 km, home charging typically costs about a third of public charging. Use our charging cost calculator to work it out with your own figures.

Frequently asked questions

Can an electric car be charged from a normal socket?

Yes, with a portable charger on a standard earthed socket at up to 3.7 kW. The wiring must be sound and extension leads or power strips must not be used. For daily charging, a home charger is faster and safer.

Do I need a wallbox to charge at home?

Not necessarily, but charging from a household socket is very slow. The energy of a day's driving can be recovered overnight; for fast top-ups and safety, a wallbox is recommended.

Can I charge at home in an apartment block?

Yes. A cable can be run from your flat's board to the car park, or the building's shared infrastructure can be used; this is planned with the building management. Load-balancing chargers share the available capacity.