Guide On How To Charge Your Electric Car With Charging Stations
Electric cars (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles are relatively new on the market and the fact that they use electricity to propel themselves means a new infrastructure has been put into place, one which few are familiar with. This is why we have created this useful guide to explain and clarify the different charging solutions used to charge an electric car.
In this EV charging guide, you’ll learn more about the 3 places where it’s possible to charge, the 3 different levels of charging available in North America, fast charging with superchargers, charging times, and connectors. You’ll also discover an essential tool for public charging, and useful links to answer all of your questions.
Before we get into those concepts, it is good to know the various terms used for charging stations. They usually all refer to the same thing.
- Charging station
- Charging outlet
- Charging plug
- Charging port
- Charger
- EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment)
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Electric Car Home Chargers
Charging an electric car or plug-in hybrid is mainly done at home.Home charging accounts actually for 80% of all charging done by EV drivers. This is why it’s important to understand the solutions available, along with the pros of each.
Home Charging Solutions: Level 1 Level 2
There are two types of home charging: level 1 charging and level 2 charging.
- Level 1 charging happens when you charge an electric vehicle (EV) using the charger included with the car. These chargers can be plugged with one end into any standard 120V outlet, with the other end being plugged directly into the car. It can charge 200 kilometers (124 miles) in 20 hours.
- Level 2 chargers are sold separately from the car, although they’re often purchased at the same time. These chargers require a slightly more complicated setup, as they are plugged into a 240V outlet which allows charging 3 to 7 times faster depending on the electric car and the charger. All of these chargers have an SAE J1772 connector and are available for online purchase in Canada and the USA. They usually have to be installed by an electrician. You can learn more about level 2 charging stations in this guide.
For every electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid, the use of a level 2 home charging station is recommended to help you charge faster and enjoy your EV’s full potential. Provincial and municipal incentives are available in some regions to help with purchase and installation costs. You can also check the following websites for more information.
- Quebec incentives for electric car home chargers
- British Columbia incentives for electric car home chargers (the program is temporarily suspended)
- For the United States, we suggest you check your government website.
The pros of home charging
To enjoy all the benefits of charging at home, you need to use a level 2 home charger.
A fully charged battery in a few hours
A level 2 charger allows you to charge your electric car 5 to 7 times faster for a full-electric car or up to 3 times faster for a plug-in hybrid compared to a level 1 charger. This means you’ll be able to maximize the use of your EV and reduce stops to charge at public charging stations.
It takes around four hours to fully charge a 30-kWh battery car (standard battery for an electric car), which allows you to make the most out of driving your EV, especially when you have a limited time to charge.
Start Your Day Fully Charged
Home charging is normally done on evenings and at night. Just connect your charger to your electric car when you come home from work, and you’ll be sure to have a fully charged battery the next morning. Most of the time, an EV’s range is enough for all your daily travel, meaning you won’t have to stop at public chargers for charging. At home, your electric car charges while you eat, play with the kids, watch TV, and sleep!
Save Big on Charging Costs
- In Quebec, it is about 30% less expensive to charge at home than at a public charger and 6 times less expensive to drive 100 km (62 miles) on electricity than on gas.
- In Ontario, it is roughly 65% less expensive to charge at home than at a public charger and 5 times less expensive to drive 100 km (62 miles) on electricity than on gas.
- In British Columbia, it is roughly 30% cheaper to charge at home than at a public charger and 5 times less expensive to drive 100 km (62 miles) on electricity than on gas.
- In the United States, it all depends on the price of electricity and gas. You have to compare the consumption of electricity in kWh/100 miles of the EV multiplied by the cost of the kWh vs. the consumption of gallons/100 miles of the gas car multiplied by the price of a gallon of gas. That way, you will be able to quickly know how much you could save on your travel costs.
Electric Car Public Charging Stations
Public charging allows EV drivers to charge their electric cars on the road when they need to travel longer distances than allowed by their EV’s autonomy. These public chargers are often located near restaurants, shopping centers, parking spots, and such public spaces.
To locate them easily, we suggest you use ChargeHub’s charging stations map that is available on iOS, Android, and web browsers. The map lets you easily find every public charger in North America. You can also see most chargers’ status in real time, make itineraries, and more. We’ll be using our map in this guide to explain how the public charging works.
There are three main things to know about public charging: the 3 different levels of charging, the difference between connectors and the charging networks.
Charging Station Connectors
Charging Station Networks
Different Levels of EV Charging
A quick guide to all types of electric car charging, from Level 1 home charging to Level 3 fast-charging.
By Nick Kurczewski Published: Nov 15, 2022
You don’t need a degree in rocket science to charge an electric vehicle. Plugging in an EV to charge is no more difficult than fueling a gas-powered car. That said, things can get a bit confusing if you begin digging into the weeds of the different charging equipment and speeds. Jargon such as SAE J1772, DC fast-charging, or Level 1 and 2 chargers can make replenishing the charge of your EV’s battery seem far more complicated than it is. With that in mind, we’ve taken the time to break things down for you by explaining the basics of EV charging and the various Levels associated with it.
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Electric Vehicle Charging Levels
The Society of Automotive Engineers outlines three levels of EV charging: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. The one you use at a given time could depend on a few factors, such as your home’s electrical system and the makeup of available public chargers in a given locality.
Level 1
Automakers often include Level 1 charging equipment with new electric cars. This device plugs into a typical household 120V outlet. The ubiquity of these ordinary household outlets makes Level 1 charging incredibly convenient, even if this type of charging replenishes your car’s battery pack at a very slow rate. Plan on seeing your EV add around two to four miles of range per hour, depending on the efficiency of your specific battery-powered car, truck, or SUV. This type of charging is much slower, far less efficient, and will cost you more than Level 2.
Level 1 alone won’t be enough to keep up with the charging needs of most EV owners. That said, if you only drive 20 miles or so each day, perhaps you could get by with Level 1 only. One quick point of caution: Never plug your Level 1 charger’s cord into an extension cord, as the wire’s additional length creates resistance that may overheat the extension cord and could also cause the charging equipment to fault out and stop charging.
Level 2
Level 2 charging operates at 240 volts and typically at three to four times the amperage of a lesser Level 1 unit. As such, the majority of Level 2 units add electricity to your EV’s battery pack at a rate that’s roughly six to eight times faster than Level 1 setups, equating to 12–32 miles of driving range for each hour of charging.
But the charging rate of Level 2 can vary quite dramatically. A typical 240-volt, 24-amp unit can put out about 6.0 kW of continuous power. But the fastest possible Level 2 charging is at 80 amps, or 19.2 kW, which is more than three times faster. The hardware on your car dictates the maximum Level 2 charge rate, and most cars aren’t capable of charging at 19.2 kW, so you’ll want to match your charging equipment to what your EV can handle to avoid paying for capability you can’t use.
We recommend that any EV owner install Level 2 charging at home. If your EV’s supplied or optionally available charging cord is incompatible with a 240-volt outlet, you will need to purchase dedicated Level 2 charging equipment for your home. You may also need to add electrical capacity to your home. Consult an electrician to ensure your home’s electric panel is up to the task.
Though installing Level 2 charging capability at home is an additional expense, a number of states and localities provide government incentives to offset some of the cost. Be sure to see if such incentives are available where you live.
Level 2 chargers are also the sort typically found in public spaces, such as parking garages and lots. The end of the cord that plugs into your EV looks identical to those you use for charging at home. These units can add a reasonable amount of range to your EV over the course of a couple of hours.
Level 3 or DC Fast-Charging
Level 3 chargers are the quickest of the bunch. Alternatively known as DC fast-chargers, Level 3 chargers are especially useful during long trips that necessitate charges between destinations, as this sort of charging can add around 100–250 miles of range in 30–45 minutes. Unlike Level 1 and Level 2 charging, Level 3 setups connect to the vehicle by way of a socket with additional pins for handling the higher voltage (typically 400 or 800 volts).
Tesla’s Supercharger network offers Level 3 charging, though the American automaker uses a proprietary plug that only works with its vehicles. Drivers of other EVs can find Level 3 chargers at a number of stations from providers such as EVgo and Electrify America.
Level 3 charge rates currently range from as little as 50 kW to as high as 350 kW, depending on the charger. But charge rate is a two-way relationship. If your EV can only handle a maximum of 50 kW on a Level 3 charger, then it will not charge any faster than this, even if it’s plugged into a charger capable of topping out at 350 kW. Additionally, the charge rate of an EV on a Level 3 charger changes dramatically depending on the battery’s state of charge, slowing considerably when the battery pack nears 80 percent capacity in order to prevent overheating or overcharging. For example, it may take just as much time to charge from 80 to 100 percent as it does from 10 to 80 percent. That’s why, on long drives with EVs, the quickest way to get back on the road is typically to charge no higher than 80 percent.
Do All EVs Use the Same Connector?
As mentioned above, Teslas rely on a manufacturer-specific connector for charging. Adapters that allow Teslas to charge at public or at-home charging stations that do not use this Tesla-specific connector are available. In addition, there are adapters for plugging a non-Tesla EV into Level 1 or Level 2 Tesla charging equipment.
The vast majority of EVs use the same type of connector. For Level 1 or Level 2 charging, this standard round port is called a J1772 connector. The fast-charging hookup is referred to as SAE Combo or CCS; this employs the same J1772 socket of Level 1 and Level 2 charging plus two extra pins that enable DC fast-charging.
The third type of fast-charging connector is CHAdeMO. Few cars use this adapter, including the Nissan Leaf, though the Leaf still uses a J1772 port for Level 1 and Level 2 charging. That said, Nissan is ditching the CHAdeMO socket for CCS on its new Ariya
Tips for Finding a Charge Station to Make Sure You Can Cover the Planned Distance in Your EV.
Electric vehicles are energy-efficient, friendly to our natural environment and offer a wealth of other, great benefits, but just like conventional cars, they won’t run without energy. While conventional cars can be filled at standard filling stations, electric cars need to be plugged at one of the electric charging stations available through public networks, through the network offered by your employer or to a home charging station. Here is a quick guide to finding the right place to charge your vehicle before your car gets depleted.
Types of Electric Charging Stations
Electric vehicles can be charged at home or through public networks that offer access to charge points either for free or for a small fee. The electric charging stations available for the general public are usually differentiated based on the speed of the charging process. The three main types are Rapid, fast and slow – here are the features offered by each of them:
- Rapid chargers – these chargers are the fastest units used for charging electric vehicles. They use DC charging and they can be further differentiated into ultra-Rapid chargers that charge at capacities up to 100 kW (units capable of charging at 150 kW or even at 350 kW are increasingly common these days) and conventional Rapid chargers, capable of 50 kW;
- Fast chargers – these units charge between 7 kW and 22 kW, being powerful enough to charge a standard EV in 3-4 hours;
- Slow chargers – these units charge up to 3 kW and take 6-12 hours to charge a pure EV and between 2-4 hours to charge a PHEV.
Finding Electric Charging Stations
Public charging stations are the points that make it possible for electric vehicles to cover any amount of miles, points of access to the “fuel” used by EVs. Each type of electric vehicle offers a specific range – a specific amount of miles that the car is able to cover on a single charge. Public charging station networks are prepared for range-related limitations, so whichever direction you choose to hit the road in your EV, you will surely find a suitable charging station before your EV gets depleted. At the beginning of 2019, there were over 61,000 electric charging stations distributed all over the US and the number of public charge points is increasing quickly, making it possible for EV owners to travel across the country without any charging-related difficulties.
If you are on a long road trip and want to eliminate the stress of having to get to the next charging station in time, the good news is that there are lots of great online resources that you can use to locate nearby charging stations and to plan your trip. When you get to the charging localized through websites or apps, you might find that you also need an online account to be able to start charging, so here are some of the best online resources in both categories:
- Apps for locating EV charging stations – one of the best apps for locating stations is PlugShare, a free application available for Android as well as for iOS, that will show you the location of nearby stations. The app is based on user-generated content and works with a large global community, that’s why it is very useful not only when you are travelling in the US, but all over the world. The app will also display the type of the plugs supported by the station of choice as well as information about the other services available at the station, such as wireless internet or restaurants. ChargeHub is another free app that can be downloaded for Android as well as for iOS and it displays charging stations on the territory of the US and in Canada;
- Apps for charging your EV – ChargePoint is one of the best and most popular free apps of the kind. It works through near-field communication, so you will need to tap your phone against the charging station’s sensor to start the charging process. It will display the most important details related to the process, including charge time, charge level, estimated miles gained and costs if the charging station that you use is not a free EV charging facility. Greenlots is another excellent app that helps you locate electric charging stations in your area and assistance with the charging and payment process as well.
EV Charger Types
EV chargers are classified into three categories: Level 1, Level 2 and direct current (DC) fast chargers.
EV chargers are classified into three categories: Level 1, Level 2 and direct current (DC) fast chargers.
Important differences include:
- Input voltage. This is how much power a charger requires to operate and is expressed in volts.
- Power output. This is how much power a charger can generate and is expressed in kilowatts (kW).
- Charging speed. This is the number of miles added to the EV’s battery per hour of charging and depends on the charger’s power output.
- Equipment and installation cost. While basic EV chargers are inexpensive and can be plugged into a standard outlet, others have higher upfront equipment and must be installed professionally by an electric vehicle service provider (EVSP).
- EV power intake. Depending on your EV, the power output pulled from a charger (in kW) may be limited by how much the EV’s battery can withstand. Check your vehicle’s specifications to know which charging level your vehicle can use.
Numerous manufacturers produce EV chargers, with a variety of products, price points, applications and functionality. Because of these differences, it is important to choose an EV charger that fits your intended use and budget.
Direct Current Fast Charging
How fast is DC fast charging?
Depending on the EV, DC fast chargers can currently produce a 10-80% charge for a 300-mile range battery in approximately 20 minutes (~540 miles of electric drive per hour of charging).
What is the input voltage for a DC fast charger?
Currently available DC fast chargers require inputs of at least 480 volts and 100 amps, but newer chargers are capable of up to 1000 volt and 500 amps (up to 360 kW).
How much do DC fast chargers cost?
A CALeVIP Cost Data analysis found that the unit cost per charger for rebate recipients ranged from a minimum of 18,000 to a maximum of 72,500. The mean and median unit cost per charger was 29,135 and 23,000, respectively.
In addition to higher equipment costs, DC fast charger installations require a commercial electrician from the initial planning phase due to the electrical load and wiring requirements.
Is a DC fast charger the right EV charger for me?
DC fast chargers are the highest-powered EV chargers on the market. They often are used as range extenders along major travel corridors for long-distance trips and in urban environments to support drivers without home charging or very high mileage drivers. At current charging speeds, they are ideal for places where a person would spend 30 minutes to an hour, such as restaurants, recreational areas and shopping centers.
It is important to note that not every EV model is capable of DC fast charging, and therefore, they cannot be used by every EV driver. Further, DC fast chargers have multiple standards for connectors, whereas there is only one common standard for Level 1 and 2 charging (SAE J1772). DC fast chargers have three types of connectors: CHAdeMO, CCS and Tesla, though CCS is increasingly becoming the industry standard.
Level 2 Chargers
How fast is Level 2 charging?
A Level 2 charger can currently produce a full charge for a 300-mile range battery in about 6-8 hours and is perfect for destination and overnight charging.
What is the input voltage of a Level 2 charger?
Level 2 chargers typically require 220V or 240V service.
What is the power output of a Level 2 charger?
Level 2 chargers are available with a variety of power outputs from 3 kW to 19 kW, which can sometimes be adjusted.
How much do Level 2 chargers cost?
CALeVIP Cost Data show that rebate recipients reported average L2 equipment costs ranging from 685 to 6,626 per connector. The mean and median were 5000,976 and 5000,884 per connector, respectively.
Is a Level 2 charger the right EV charger for me?
Level 2 chargers are typical solutions for residential and commercial/workplace settings. Most offer higher power output than Level 1 chargers and have additional functionality.
Non-networked vs. networked chargers
In general, Level 2 chargers are distinguished between non-networked chargers and networked chargers.
Networked chargers have advanced capabilities, such as charge scheduling, load management and demand response. They are more common in commercial/workplace settings where payments are required or at multiunit dwellings (MUDs) where the property’s electricity bill is shared by multiple residents.
They may be designed for indoor or outdoor use (e.g., NEMA 3R, NEMA 6P, NEMA 4x rated).
Some models of networked chargers also can limit charging to certain hours, which allows the operator to maximize a time-of-use (TOU) electricity rate structure and only allow charging when electricity is the cheapest (usually sometime between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.). This type of control also increases the likelihood of participating in utility demand response programs.
Some of the enhanced features of a networked Level 2 charger include remote access/control via Wi-Fi or cellular connection, access control/ability to accept multiple forms of payment, load balancing across multiple chargers and more. Additionally, California will soon begin allowing the use of submeters already embedded within networked chargers to bill electricity use. For more information on submetering, visit the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website.
Non-networked Level 2 chargers are used both in single-family residences and MUDs. They may be designed for indoor or outdoor use (e.g., NEMA 3R, NEMA 6P, NEMA 4x rated). Non-networked Level 2 chargers are useful for installations at MUDs or commercial sites that are powered by the residents’ or tenants’ subpanels.
In this case, any electricity used by the chargers will be charged to the individual’s electricity bill, thus eliminating the need to separately meter the chargers. Further, when electrical capacity is available, non-networked Level 2 chargers are useful for site hosts that need higher power than Level 1 charging but do not have a large budget.