The Rise of EVs in Mauritius
Electric vehicles are gaining momentum in Mauritius, driven by government duty exemptions, rising fuel prices, and growing environmental awareness. If you are considering an EV, home charging is the most convenient and cost-effective way to keep it powered.
Types of Home Chargers
There are three main levels of EV charging:
- Level 1 (Standard plug): 2-3 kW, adds roughly 10-15 km of range per hour. Painfully slow.
- Level 2 (Dedicated charger): 7.4 kW single-phase or 22 kW three-phase. Adds 35-40 km per hour. The sweet spot for home use.
- Level 3 (DC fast charging): 50+ kW. Not practical for home installation -these are for commercial stations.
For most Mauritian homes with single-phase CEB supply, a 7.4 kW Level 2 charger is the right choice.
How Home EV Charging Works
A dedicated EV charger is hardwired to your electrical panel with its own circuit breaker. You plug in your car when you get home, and it charges overnight or during the day.
Key components:
- EVSE (charging unit): Wall-mounted unit with Type 2 connector
- Dedicated circuit: 32A breaker on a separate MCB
- Cable: 6mm twin and earth from panel to charger location
- Installation: Typically takes half a day by a qualified electrician
Pairing EV Charging with Solar
This is where it gets exciting. If you have a solar system, you can charge your EV with free sunshine:
- Solar surplus mode: The charger only draws power when your panels are producing excess
- Hybrid mode: Uses a mix of solar and grid power for faster charging
- Boost mode: Full speed charging from any source when you need range quickly
A 10 kW solar system can comfortably charge an EV during the day while still powering your home.
Cost of Charging vs Petrol
The economics strongly favour electric:
- Petrol car: At current Mauritius fuel prices, roughly Rs 8-10 per kilometre
- EV on CEB grid: Approximately Rs 2-3 per kilometre
- EV on solar: Essentially free -Rs 0 per kilometre once your system is paid off
For a driver covering 15,000 km per year, that is a saving of Rs 90,000-150,000 annually on fuel alone.
CEB Requirements
If you are adding an EV charger to an existing CEB connection:
- Your main breaker must support the additional load (typically need 40A+ main breaker)
- A dedicated circuit is required -you cannot share with other appliances
- If upgrading from single-phase to three-phase, a CEB application is needed
- Solar + EV systems under the Households 2026 scheme need combined engineering approval
Our Solar + EV Package
TropicVolt offers an integrated solar + EV charging package: 10 kW solar panels, battery backup, and a 7.4 kW smart EV charger -all installed together with a single CEB application.
Thinking about going electric? Contact us for a combined solar + EV quote.