EV chargers, aka Electric Vehicle Chargers, are used to charge both fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Just like gassing up at a pump, EV chargers “fill up” or charge your electrical battery from an outlet, like any other device you plug into your standard wall outlet at home.
It really is that simple, and if you have a short commute, can charge your car for many hours at a time, then you may be suited for a level one charger. It has the lowest cost to charge, as it doesn’t require a dedicated circuit and uses 110-120-volt AC power already found in your home. It will charge 4 to 6 miles of range per hour. To put it in perspective, if you drive 30 miles per day, and only need to “top off” for extended hours overnight, Level 1 charging may suffice. However, charging a long-range vehicle from empty to full could take up to four days. While Level 1 charging is definitely possible, it’s not practical in most cases, especially if you’re trying to charge the EV’s battery in full.
Level 2 charging uses a 240-volt outlet, the kind that is used for dyers, electric ranges, and air-conditioning units, and are the better choice over Level 1 when charging at home as it’s suitable for full overnight charging. You can either plug it in directly, which charges at approximately 40 amps or have it hardwired and charge up to 48 amps. Depending on your car’s battery capacity, it will take just under 10 hours to fully charge an EV using either the level 1 or level 2 AC charging stations.
While the first two levels use AC (alternating current) charging system, Level 3 is DC, using direct current (DC). DC charging stations can deliver up to 400-900V of maximum power. This can charge your car from zero to 80% in just under 30 minutes. Because of the incredible power it requires, a DC fast charger cannot be used as a home charging station. You’ll often see these in commercial EV charging stations. Think Tesla, EVgo or the many other public pay-to-charge stations.
Whether the ability to charge your car in the time it takes to have lunch, while you sleep or in just a few hours, contact us to evaluate your system for a home charging station. It’s simple, sustainability through solar energy, be energy independent!