Mobile charging station: Price, advantages and disadvantages

There are dozens of electrical outlet standards around the world. Domestic, industrial, round, square, equipped with different pins, three-phase or single-phase… To charge your electric car in all circumstances, it is possible to obtain a “mobile charging station”. A particularly useful accessory for nomads, who cannot necessarily recharge their electric car at home.

If electricity is distributed almost everywhere on earth, you can only consume it with the appropriate plug standard. A simple piece of metal and plastic, but just as essential for connecting your smartphone, computer or hair dryer as for recharging your electric car.

There are dozens around the world, the shape of which varies according to the geographical area, the type of application (domestic, industrial), local safety standards or the type of current delivered (alternating or direct current, single-phase or three-phase). Without the appropriate socket, it will be impossible for you to recharge, even at the foot of a power station!

The mobile charging station saves you from carrying a panoply of adapters on a daily basis

Fortunately, sockets dedicated to electric cars today focus on three main standards: Combo CCS for DC charging, Type 2 and E/F (domestic outlet) for AC charging. In Europe, the vast majority of private and public terminals and cars are designed to operate with these standards. No need to carry a whole panoply of adapters to recharge on a daily basis. The cable(s) usually supplied – if they are not already attached to the terminal – and the charging port integrated into the vehicle are more than enough.

However, adventurers wishing to recharge on a very wide variety of sockets – even the rarest ones – can satisfy their need by purchasing a ” borne de recharge mobile “. The tool comes in the form ofa cable equipped with a small electronic box. The latter ensures optimal charging performance regardless of the source and the vehicle connected. One end of the cable has an irremovable connector suitable for your vehicle (usually Type 2) and the other has an adapter on which you can attach different types of plugs.

Mobile charging station VS fixed charging station: identical cost

A fan of camping trips will, for example, opt for the single-phase CEE17 connector, to which caravans and motorhomes usually connect. A motorist frequenting industrial sites will rather choose the CEE17 three-phase connector, when a frequent traveler will order foreign plugs (useful in particular in Switzerland and the United Kingdom).

You can also choose to recharge at home on a daily basis with a borne de recharge mobile. Simply install an outlet suitable for your needs in your garage and plug the cable into it. This solution can be economical: a single-phase 32 A female CEE17 socket costs less than €30 and will allow you to recharge up to 7 kW of power. If your home is equipped with three-phase, you can even increase the power to 22 kW, the maximum accepted by a mobile charging station.

Count from 600 to 1,000 € for the cable depending on the length chosen and from 70 to 150 € per adapter. Packs including the cable and a certain number of adapters are also marketed around €1,000 all inclusive. The total cost of a mobile charging station is therefore similar to that of a fixed station of good quality. Each has its own pros and cons, which we’ve compared in the table below.

Mobile charging station and fixed charging station: the advantages and disadvantages

At the same price, all you have to do is choose the solution that best suits your needs!