The New Popular ICaur
We install the AC ICaur 7kw wall box chargers.
These chargers pull a significant amount of power and need to be installed by a registered electrician.
We will need to do a site visit, firstly to check the distribution board and the positioning of the charger.
With AC charging, the conversion happens inside the vehicle via its built-in onboard charger, which limits the charging speed. With DC charging, the conversion happens outside the vehicle within the charging station itself, allowing high-power direct current to flow straight into the battery for significantly faster charging.
Key Differences ExplainedThe Onboard Limitation:
When using an AC charger (like a home wallbox), the car's On-Board Charger (OBC) acts as a bottleneck. Because the OBC must regulate and convert the electricity, it cannot handle massive amounts of power at once.
DC fast chargers bypass the OBC entirely, feeding juice directly into the battery pack.Physical Size and Cost
AC charging infrastructure is small, lightweight, and relatively inexpensive because it only safely delivers grid power to the car.
DC chargers require massive, highly complex external inverter cabinets to transform high-voltage grid electricity, making them large and expensive to install.
The Charging Curve: AC chargers deliver power at a completely steady, flat rate from 0% to 100% battery capacity. DC chargers deliver power in a curve—they charge incredibly fast up to 80%, but slow down drastically for the final 20% to protect the battery from overheating.
AC Charging Limits AC Charging is the most convenient means of charging your EV or PHEV at home or anywhere from standard grid or solar electricity. Your vehicle’s On-Board Charger (OBC) converts AC to DC electricity, required to charge the battery. The OBC power rating determines the max AC charging speed: 7.4kW : 32 Amp 1-Phase AC charging only DC Charging is faster but more expensive and only available at commercial and public fast charging stations (typically 50kW – 200kW in SA). |  |