7 kW vs 11 kW vs 22 kW EV Chargers: Which One Does Your Home Need?

For most Sydney homes, a 7 kW single-phase charger is the right choice. It adds roughly 35-45 km of range per hour, which replaces a typical day's driving in an hour or two overnight. An 11 kW charger only charges faster if your home has three-phase power and your car accepts 11 kW on AC, and a 22 kW charger rarely helps at home because relatively few cars accept that much AC power. The deciding factors are your daily kilometres, your car's onboard charger and your electricity supply.

What the numbers mean

Home EV chargers deliver AC power, and the car's onboard charger converts it to DC for the battery. The three common sizes line up with standard supply arrangements:

These figures ignore charging losses and vary with the car, battery temperature and state of charge.

Your car sets the real limit

A charger only offers power; the onboard charger decides how much the car takes. Before choosing a size, check your vehicle's maximum AC charging rate:

• Many battery EVs accept around 7 kW on single-phase and up to 11 kW on three-phase.
• Relatively few models accept 22 kW AC, and on some it is an optional extra.
• Some cars charge on one phase only. On an 11 kW charger, which supplies 16 A per phase, such a car may charge at only about 3.7 kW, slower than on a 7 kW single-phase unit.
• Plug-in hybrids commonly have small onboard chargers, often around 3.3-3.7 kW, and small batteries.

If your car's onboard charger is limited to 11 kW, a 22 kW charger still delivers 11 kW. Paying for capacity the car cannot use adds cost without adding speed. Think about your likely next car too, but plan for realistic needs rather than the fastest possible option.

Work backwards from your daily kilometres

Charging time depends on how much energy you used today, not on the size of the car's battery. Using 15-20 kWh per 100 km:

A car plugged in from 7 pm to 7 am on a 7 kW charger can receive around 84 kWh, far more than a typical day's driving uses. Unless your car is regularly home for only short periods between long trips, extra charger power mainly shortens the time spent plugged in rather than changing how much range you leave with.

Single-phase and three-phase homes

Most Sydney homes have single-phase power, which makes a 7 kW charger the practical maximum. If your home already has three-phase supply and your car accepts 11 kW, an 11 kW charger is a reasonable choice and spreads the load across phases. Upgrading a home from single-phase to three-phase just for faster EV charging is rarely worth it on its own, because it involves network approval, a meter change and sometimes work in the street. It makes more sense combined with other reasons, such as a larger solar system, a big battery or heavy electric heating and cooling loads.

Capacity, switchboards and load management

A 7 kW charger draws around 32 A for hours at a time, which is a lot for an older supply already running air-conditioning, an oven and a pool pump. Before installation, a licensed electrician should check your main switchboard, the capacity of the supply and the cable run to the charger. Where capacity is tight, a charger with load management measures household demand and reduces its charging current automatically so the main supply is not overloaded. This is often a cheaper answer than upgrading the supply.

Where the charger goes matters too

Charger location often affects the installed price more than the charger's rating. The longer the cable run from the switchboard to the charger, the heavier the cable a 7 kW or larger unit needs, and runs through ceilings, under slabs or across a driveway add labour. Before choosing a spot, think about:

• which side of the garage or carport the car's charging port sits on;
• whether a second EV will park in the other space later;
• weather exposure, if the charger is mounted outdoors;
• keeping the cable clear of doors, walkways and garden beds.

A charger mounted close to the switchboard is usually the simplest installation, and our team will suggest options during the site visit.

If you expect to move to three-phase power or add a second EV within a few years, ask whether the cable can be sized for that future now. Swapping a charger at the wall later is usually straightforward when suitable cabling is already in place, whereas replacing cable through finished walls or under concrete costs far more than the difference in cable today.

When a bigger charger does make sense

• Your home has three-phase power and your car accepts 11 kW or more on AC.
• Two EVs share one charger and both need topping up overnight.
• You drive long distances with short gaps at home, such as shift work or running a trade business.
• You want to fit more charging into a shorter, cheaper tariff window.

If you mainly want to charge from rooftop solar, a larger charger will not help much, because charging speed is then limited by spare solar output rather than the charger's rating. We explain how solar-matching chargers work in a separate article on our blog.

Next steps

On our energy market, a 7 kW Home EV Charger starts from $1,690, an 11 kW Three-Phase EV Charger from $2,190 and a 22 kW AC EV Charger from $3,490, each supplied and installed. Prices are indicative and confirmed after a site assessment of your switchboard, supply and cable run. Try our EV charging calculator with your own daily kilometres, then request a quote and our team will recommend the charger size that suits your car and your home.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a standard power point instead of a wall charger?

A portable charging cable in a standard power point can work for low daily driving, but it is slow, typically adding only around 10-15 km of range per hour, and it places a sustained load on a circuit that may not be designed for it. Have a licensed electrician confirm the circuit is suitable. A dedicated wall charger is faster, better suited to daily use and usually adds scheduling and load management features.

Does a faster home charger wear out the car's battery?

AC charging at 7 kW, 11 kW or 22 kW is gentle compared with DC fast charging, and the car's battery management system keeps charging within safe limits whichever charger you use. For long battery life, habits such as not leaving the car sitting at 100% charge for long periods matter more than charger size, so follow the vehicle manufacturer's guidance on everyday charge limits.

How much will an EV add to my electricity use?

It depends on how far you drive. At 15-20 kWh per 100 km, driving 10,000 km a year uses roughly 1,500-2,000 kWh, and the cost depends on your tariff when you charge. Charging from surplus solar or in a cheaper overnight window keeps costs down, while charging at peak evening rates costs the most. Our EV charging calculator can estimate the difference for your household's driving pattern.