How to Charge an Electric Car
Electric vehicles (EVs) are powered by batteries that provide energy to electric motors, driving motion to the wheels. Keeping the battery charged is key to keeping the vehicle moving and is just as easy as filling up on gas in a gas-powered car.
We’re here to explain all you need to know about charging an electric vehicle: step-by-step instructions, where to charge, how long it takes to charge and how far a charge lasts. We’ll also cover the different charging station output levels, the average cost of charging an EV and how to monitor your charge status.
How does charging work?
Charging occurs by connecting the EV to a power source known as a charging station. Once connected to the charging station, EVs use their charging port and onboard charger to convert the external power into battery charge. While all-electric cars (BEVs), such as the Tesla Model 3, must be repowered at a charging station, hybrid vehicles (HEVs and PHEVs) can be recharged at a charging station or refueled at a gas station.
Please return your EV rental with its battery charged to at least 10%. If you charge at a Tesla network station, we’ll pass through charging-related fees to the credit card you used to rent your Tesla. And if you charge at a third-party charging station, just pay on the spot.
EVs are able to charge at three different levels of power output. These different output levels impact where you can charge (home or public location) as well as the equipment and time required to charge. Home chargers use Level 1 or Level 2 charging equipment.
Level 1 uses a standard household outlet (120-volt connection).
EVs come with a standard 120V charging cord so you’ll be able to charge if you have access to an outlet.
Level 2 uses a higher 240-volt power source and can be compared to the power grid your oven is plugged into and charges much quicker than a Level 1 outlet.
DC fast chargers are found at public charging stations. These provide quicker charging times than Level 1 and 2 stations and are ideal if you require a boost of power in a shorter amount of time.
EV batteries also receive power through a process called regenerative (regen) braking. Regen braking uses torque to slow the car, recapturing energy that is normally lost in non-electric cars by using an inverter to invert energy from the brakes.
While regen braking does improve the battery charge, it is not the primary source of recharging for all-electric vehicles (BEVs). For maximum performance, a charging station is required to repower the battery.
HOW DO I CHARGE AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE?
Recharging an EV is just like filling up with gas, but rather than inserting a nozzle at a gas station, you insert a connector at a charging station. Use the following steps to charge Model 3:
- Open the charge port cover via the touchscreen or by pushing on the cover.
- Remove charging station connector from dock and insert into the car’s charge port. While charging, the charge port logo will flash green.
- The touchscreen will inform you of charge percentage and estimated time remaining. To optimize battery performance, your rental car will charge to 90%.
- When complete, press the connector button until the logo turns white, remove from car and return to dock.
While Model 3 is compatible with all EV charging stations, an adapter is required when using non-Tesla stations. Each of our Model 3 rentals comes equipped with a Mobile Connector kit which includes the adapter. After using the adapter, always be sure to remove it from the charging station connector and return it to the Mobile Connector kit.
Where can I charge the car?
As well as charging at home, public and private charging stations provide you with a place to recharge and restart your journey. There are currently over 40,000 official public charging stations available across the US, with nearly 100,000 charging outlets installed in public spaces. To meet the increasing demand for electric car energy, stations are rapidly being installed nationwide.
Requiring only limited space, EV charging stations can exist in similar locations to gas stations, such as off the highway or even at gas stations, and in locations not suitable for gas stations. Such locations include public parking garages, office and retail parking lots and even busy downtown streets.
There are a variety of ways to locate public charging stations. In Model 3, Tesla Supercharger stations appear as red pins on the navigation screen. You can also touch the lightning bolt on the touchscreen or ask for location options via voice command.
Apps, such as Plugshare and ChargePoint, are available as well to pinpoint your nearest charging location. You can also visit the US Department of Energy website and use their charging station locator to find stations throughout the US.
A new experience
As someone whose primary vehicle is a motorcycle, the Bolt is basically the opposite of everything I’m used to: It’s quiet, comfortable, and very easy to drive. I hit the road intent on making my way up the California coast from my home in San Diego, with a loose timeline and half-baked itinerary. By a wide margin, California is the state with the most EV chargers in the U.S., so armed with the PlugShare app, Chevy’s myChevrolet app, and Google Maps on my phone, I figured that locating charging stations would be the least of my issues.
It only took me a few hours to realize I was wrong.
I had decided to plan my days of driving around my charging breaks by looking up Level 3 charging stations, also known as DC fast chargers (see details on different charging levels below), along the route in places where it would also make sense to stop for lunch.
The first stop on my first day of travel was at a Target in Orange County. Shopping centers are popular places for charging stations since you can run errands while the car is charging—and some stores even offer free charging to shoppers. This particular store had three chargers lined up along one end of the parking lot, but as I pulled into the closest spot I noticed a sign stating that the charger was out of order. In fact, none of the three chargers were working.
As any avid roadtripper knows, road trips are a lot more enjoyable if you’re able to roll with the punches. I’m typically always prepared to switch to a plan B—but I don’t normally have to do it within the first few hours of leaving my house.
After sitting in the car for a few minutes pondering my next move, a work truck pulled in next to me and a group of men in bright orange vests jumped out. “Do you need to charge?” one of the men asked me. “Pull in over here and I’ll charge you up.”
After doing as I was told, the man attached the charging plug to my car and pressed some buttons on the charger, and a few moments later my dashboard display lit up with a progress bar, stating I was 55 minutes away from an 80 percent charge.
The next charge
While my first charging experience turned out both worse and better than expected—the process took longer than it should have due to the charger issues, but I didn’t have to pay for the charge—the rest of the trip was less eventful. The main issue, I quickly learned, was finding fast chargers in remote places or small towns. As soon as I ventured away from larger cities, I was limited to Level 2 chargers, which can take up to 8 hours for a full charge. In a few places, all chargers were already being used by other drivers, adding extra time while waiting for them to finish. And on one occasion, the only available charger was unable to communicate with my vehicle, for reasons still unknown to me.
When traveling through the U.S. in a gas powered vehicle, I typically don’t spend much time thinking about or looking up gas stations along my route in advance. Even on my motorcycle, which gets about 200 miles out of a full tank, I generally feel confident that I will encounter plenty of easy-to-spot gas stations well before I’m at any risk of running out of gas.
What surprised me most about my EV road trip was how much time I ended up spending thinking about my next charge, looking for charging stations, and—if I found one—waiting around for the car to charge.
It became clear that even though electric vehicles may be the way of the future, the future—including its necessary infrastructure—isn’t here quite yet.
tips for getting the most out of an EV road trip
If there’s one thing I learned during my trip, it’s that the key to a successful EV road trip is planning, planning, and more planning. Here are some tips for making the trip as enjoyable as possible.
Drive in a way that maximizes your range
The Bolt can get an estimated 259 miles out of a full charge, which is on the higher end of the more affordable segment. For those able to splurge on, for example, a newer Tesla Model S, that number jumps significantly, to up to 390 miles. However, these numbers are just estimates, and will be affected by how and where you drive. Since everything in an electric vehicle runs off the battery, minimizing battery use can help extend the range. This includes avoiding use of the heater or air conditioner whenever possible, going easy on the accelerator, and using regenerative braking to slow down.
According to Shad Balch at Chevrolet Communications, the Bolt battery’s ideal temperature is around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that if you’re in a cold climate, the first thing the car does when you start it in the morning is to bring the battery up to the right temperature, a process that uses a lot of energy. “One of the tricks that you can do, if you’re in your garage or a place where there’s a charger, is to keep the vehicle plugged in while you power it up,” Balch says.
Plan charging stops around activities or meal breaks
When traveling in a gas powered vehicle, you can typically fill up at a gas station and be back on the road again within minutes. This is not the case for EVs. But if you can find a DC fast charger along your route, getting your vehicle’s battery up to 80 percent or more typically takes less than an hour. “If you know that there are charging stations available all the way, go as far as you possibly can before stopping to charge, even at night,” Balch recommends.
While you shouldn’t expect to find charging stations at a trailhead or next to a scenic fishing lake, there are ways to maximize your time while waiting for the vehicle to charge. Many charging stations are located in shopping centers and near restaurants, so it makes sense to combine charging with a meal break or supply run.
If you’re traveling with your own activities—bicycles, skateboards, roller skates, or games—this may also be a good time to bring those out. Another option is to plan a visit to an interesting site nearby while the car is charging—look for museums, parks, historic buildings, and public art.
Use available apps and map out your mileage in advance
There are plenty of different ways to locate public charging stations. Download apps specifically designed for this purpose, such as PlugShare, ChargeHub, or Open Charge Map, or use Google Maps to search for the type of charging station you need. The Roadtrippers app can also help you locate chargers along your route.
Remember that your vehicle’s estimated range will be affected by your driving style, the climate you’re driving in, and your use of creature comforts such as air conditioning or heat. Take this into consideration when planning your route and daily mileage. Look for chargers ahead of time, especially near places you’re already planning on stopping, and don’t wait until your range is down to 10 miles before finding a charging station.
Be flexible and have a backup plan
As I learned the hard way, charging stations may be down for maintenance, busy charging other vehicles, or simply not able to communicate with your specific car for whatever reason. When your car’s battery is low, it’s wise to not drive straight to a remote area with only one public charging station available. What do you do if that charger is not working? Having a backup plan—for example, knowing someone in the area who may allow you to plug in to an outlet in their garage overnight—can be the difference between a successful, memorable road trip and one you’d rather forget.
EVs are better for urban adventures than going off the grid
Even in California—the state with the most EV chargers anywhere in the U.S.—it can be difficult to find fast chargers outside of major cities. Traveling to more remote places, like national parks, will require more advance planning in an EV than sticking to urban areas. This is especially true in states with fewer available charging stations. That’s not to say that you can’t drive across the country in an electric vehicle—it’s absolutely possible, as long as you plan ahead.
Different kinds of charging stations
Level 3 or DC fast charger: Whenever available, this is the type of charging station to use on a road trip. A fast charger can often get your battery level to about 80 percent in 30 to 60 minutes.
Level 2: Commonly found in public and commercial spaces and in more remote locations, Level 2 chargers can typically get you close to a full charge in about 8 hours. These work well when charging during the day at your workplace, or overnight at a hotel, but they can be cumbersome and time consuming when you’re eager to get back on the road.
Level 1: This is the slowest type of charging, and can typically be done using a regular wall outlet and adapter for your car. A full charge can take up to 24 hours (or sometimes longer), so this type of charging is best done in your own garage when not using the vehicle, or as an emergency backup.
Tesla Superchargers: Tesla’s proprietary charging network provides fast and readily accessible chargers all over the country, and they can add up to 200 miles of range in about 15 minutes. This network is only available to Tesla vehicles, and chargers can be located through the internal navigation system.
automakers form massive EV charging network joint venture
The collaboration will create one of the largest public EV charging networks in North America and will include 30,000 high-powered chargers.
Dive Brief:
- BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Stellantis and the Mercedes-Benz Group will collaborate in a new joint venture to install at least 30,000 high-powered electric vehicle chargers along major highways and in urban locations in North America, the companies said Wednesday.
- The chargers include two plug options: the Combined Charging System and Tesla’s North American Charging Standard.
- The first charging stations will open in the U.S. in the summer of 2024, the companies said in a statement.
The joint venture will leverage both public and private funds to build a high-powered EV charging network in North America. By including the CCS plug, the joint venture can access 7.5 billion in federal funding available under the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law to expand the EV charging network in the U.S.
The joint venture will leverage both public and private funds to build the network to build a high-powered EV charging network in North America. By including the CCS plug, the joint venture can access 7.5 billion in federal funding available under the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law to expand the EV charging network in the U.S.
“North America is one of the world’s most important car markets, with the potential to be a leader in electromobility,” BMW CEO Oliver Zipse said in a statement. “Accessibility to high-speed charging is one of the key enablers to accelerate this transition.”
Participating automakers will allow EV drivers to access the network via their vehicle’s infotainment screens, with features such as route planning and navigation and energy management. The network will also leverage more convenient plug charge technology to allow drivers to pay for charging sessions without using an app or credit card.
The charging locations will offer amenities such as canopies with restrooms, food service and retail options within the same complex or nearby. The joint venture also plans to build flagship charging stations that offer premium amenities.
“GM’s commitment to an all-electric future is focused not only on delivering EVs our customers love, but investing in charging and working across the industry to make it more accessible,” CEO Mary Barra said in a statement. “The better experience people have, the faster EV adoption will grow.”
The joint venture charging network announcement comes as the participating automakers accelerate their electrification plans, which will increase EV charging demand in the U.S. Joint venture partners General Motors and Mercedes-Benz are also adopting Tesla’s North American Charging Standard for their future EVs to gain access to roughly 12,000 additional Superchargers as part of an agreement with the electric automaker.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that 182,000 publicly accessible DC fast chargers are needed to create a large enough network to support up to 42 million EVs in the U.S. by 2030. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are roughly 55,000 EV charging stations in the U.S.
The joint venture partners intend to use renewable energy to power the network.
GM’s electric vehicles will gain access to Tesla’s charging network
General Motors CEO Mary Barra speaks during the opening of contract talks with the United Auto Workers on July 16, 2019, in Detroit.
DETROIT — Electric vehicles made by General Motors will be able to use much of Tesla’s extensive charging network beginning early next year under an agreement the two companies announced Thursday.
In addition, GM will adopt Tesla’s connector, the plug that links an electric vehicle to a charging station.
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GM joins Ford in shifting its electric vehicles to work with about 12,000 of Tesla’s roughly 17,000 chargers, and both Detroit automakers are pushing to make Tesla’s connector the industry standard. GM CEO Mary Barra and her Tesla counterpart, Elon Musk, made the announcement during a Spaces conversation.
Their discussion comes two weeks after Ford CEO Jim Farley joined Musk to announce that Ford’s electric vehicles would gain access to much of Tesla’s EV-charging network, the largest in the nation. Farley also said Ford would switch to Tesla’s charging network connector rather than to a different one that is used by the rest of the industry.
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At first, GM and Ford EV owners will need an adapter to hook into the Tesla stations, which have their own connector. But both GM and Ford will switch to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard connector starting in 2025.
Tesla has about 17,000 Supercharger stations in the U.S. There are about 54,000 public charging stations in the U.S., according to the Department of Energy, but many charge much more slowly than the Tesla stations.
Like Ford, we see this as an opportunity to expand access to charging, Barra said, adding that GM hopes the rest of the industry will move to the Tesla charging connector, which is different from the standard one used by most other EVs.
ChargePoint Home Flex – Level 2 EV Charging Station (16-50 Amp)
Probably the best Chevy Bolt Charger that you can buy is the ChargePoint Home Flex. Now the Chevy Bolt has an on-board charger that can support a charging rate of up to 11.5 kW and this EV Charging Station can match that. It is a 50 Amp Level 2 Charger that can deliver a 12 kW charging speed.
You can either plug it into an existing wall socket, a NEMA 14-50 or NEMA 6-50 240-volt outlet but if you want to maximize its power it is better that you hardwire it directly to a 60 Amp Circuit breaker. Either way you’re going to achieve fast charging times.
By our estimation, the ChargePoint at its peak power could charge a Chevy Bolt with the 65 kWh battery pack in about 6.5 hours. This doesn’t account for any kind of throttling that the on-board charger might apply in order to protect the battery in the long term.
It comes with a charging cable that is 23ft long (7 meters) which will be compatible with your Bolt’s J1772 plug and most EVs in the US.
This is a Smart charger with Wi-Fi connectivity. You can connect to it via your smartphone by downloading the ChargePoint app. This app is both useful at finding a public charging station from their large network but also remote controlling this home charging station.
The app can provide you with key info on the charging process like the Amps, Voltage or how many miles of range per hour are being added. You can also check out a log of your previous charging sessions, control it via your voice through Amazon Alexa / Google Assistant to the degree that you can just ask it how much you’ve been spending this month on charging your EV.
Of course, one of the essential functions is charge scheduling and it is there, you can schedule it to only charge during off-peak hours and that way you get to reduce your charging cost.
The holster on this EV Charger is very well built since it makes it very easy for you to holster the connector and the backlight behind it will make it easy for you to find the charger in the dark. The entire enclosure is NEMA 3R rated, which makes it more fragile than other wall chargers and this is why we recommend installing it in a more secure place where there’s a lower chance of water getting to it. It comes with a 3-Year warranty and you get 24/7 customer support from the manufacturer.
Grizzl-E Classic Charger – Level 2 EV Charging Station (16-40 Amp)
The Grizzl-E Classic takes a different approach to the Chevy Bolt Home Charger. If the ChargePoint is packed with Smart features, this one is not. It was designed to be easy to install and use, to just plug in and be done with it.
This is a 40-Amp Level 2 charger that can achieve a 9.6 kW charging rate. The cable stretches out to be 24 feet long (7.3 meters) and uses an SAE J1772 connector. You can either plug this home charger for the Chevy Bolt into a NEMA 14-50 or 6-50 outlet or you can hardwire it directly.
Now at this charging rate, we estimate that it will charge the Chevy Bolt with the same 65 kWh battery pack in about 7.5-8 hours which is still within the range of a good night sleep.
Even though it does not have any kind of Wi-Fi connection or smartphone app, one of the main strengths of this particular EV home charger is its IP67 enclosure. This is as good as it can get in terms of sheer toughness and durability. This means you can throw it into the sea then take it out, dry it up and it will still work. It also comes with a 3-Year warranty from the manufacturer.
ENEL X JuiceBox 40 – Level 2 EV Charging Station (40 Amp)
The Enel X is one of our favorite chargers for Chevy Bolt EVs. It can output 40 Amps of electrical current at a 10 kW charging rate. It can be plugged into a NEMA 14-50 wall outlet or hardwired and it comes with a charging cable that stretches out to be 25 feet long.
Because this has essentially the same charging rate as the Grizzl-E charger, you can expect the time to fully charge the Bolt to be essentially the same.
There are plenty of Smart features too that you can access through the Juicenet app. It lets you set charging schedules for each day, find out exactly how fast the car is charging, what’s the status and battery level. You can also check out extensive reports with detailed graphs showing how much you’ve charged your EV each day and there’s a total metric that tells you how much CO2 you’ve saved since using your EV together with this charger.
Of course, there is Alexa integration so you can use your voice to control it and it helps you keep track of charging costs which is essential.
The enclosure is NEMA 4X rated which would equivalate to IP66, meaning that this is waterproof and dustproof up to a high extent. It is almost as tough as the previous one and comes with a 3-Year warranty.
Mustart – Level 2 Portable EV Charger (40 Amp)
The Mustart Level 2 Portable is our last Chevy Bolt EV Charger and the reason we chose to include it is because this is a different form factor. Often times you can have a charging station at home but also carry a portable one with you in case you need it.
This is a 40-Amp charger that can deliver the same amount of power as these more powerful charging stations, 9.6 kW. You just plug it into a NEMA 14-50 or a 6-50 outlet, there’s no point to hardwire this since the ability to move it around is its greatest strength.
There are no Smart features, you just get the charger with the 25ft J1772 cable and a control box that displays some key info on an LCD screen. However, you do get 2 buttons: one will let you cycle between different Amp settings and one will let you set a charging timer which basically tells the unit to start charging after a certain number of hours.
The control box is IP65 rated and it comes with a 2-Year No-Hassle warranty. Even if you’ve a charging station for your Chevy Bolt, it is still a good idea to have one of these at hand.