First, we want to clarify that it is fine to charge your EV at any voltage level, namely: Contact online >>
First, we want to clarify that it is fine to charge your EV at any voltage level, namely:
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Opinions vary when talking about the best voltage to charge an EV.
Knowing which voltage is best to charge an EV shouldn’t be overcomplicated. However, many people still tend to over-worry about this. We think it stems from the fact that most of us perceive charging time as a disadvantage of owning an EV compared to traditional fossil fuel vehicles. This is another discussion for another time.
For now, let’s cover the basics of the voltage level selection process for you.
First, we want to clarify that it is fine to charge your EV at any voltage level, namely:
Now, we understand that some of you prefer to optimize and nitpick which voltage level is best for your situation. Therefore, we’ll share our primary considerations when choosing the best voltage to charge your EV.
Stick with us, and you’ll also learn:
Well, it depends on what you value and how much you are willing to spend. After all, choosing the “best” electric car charging voltage is often a trade-off between convenience and cost.
For instance, we agree with some of you that DCFCs are the most convenient chargers because you can charge your Tesla Model 3 or Y fully in only 10 to 30 minutes at that level. However, level 3 charging stations are scarce, and they’re more expensive in terms of $ per kWh and require sophisticated infrastructures first.
The table below summarizes your key considerations when choosing an EV charging station.
As you can see, a 120V charging station is the easiest to install among the bunch, while a 480V DC fast-charging station still isn’t economical for home installation, but it gives the quickest charging time.
Given the trade-offs of choosing chargers at the ends of the spectrum, we think that choosing the best voltage to charge an EV becomes a Goldilocks exercise where the middle option (208V-240V) is your best bet.
Alternatively, charging your EV during peak (4 – 9 p.m.) and partial-peak (3 – 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. – 12 a.m.) hours would lead to electricity rates that are twice as expensive. Oof!
Now you can see why having a level 2 charging station in your home that charges four times as fast as a level 1 charger will come in handy in this situation.
But why are you not encouraging DC fast-charging stations? Is it because they ruin your batteries?
Do they shorten the lifespan of your EV batteries? Just a tad, but only if you use them all the time. In general, you don’t have to worry too much about 480V chargers ruining your EV battery too early.
But what we do want to point out are the current limitations of DC fast-chargers. Right now, putting up infrastructures to support 480V chargers is very expensive. That’s why expect “pay-as-you-go” or “subscription-based” DCFC stations to be more pricey per kWh.
In California, “pay-as-you-go” DC-fast chargers cost 40 cents per kWh, while level 2 chargers charge 30 cents per kWh.
Another limitation of DC fast-chargers you should be aware of is that they are not as common as the other EV charger levels. According to what we found, there are seven times as many public level 2 charger stations (42,103 station locations) in the united states right now than DC fast-chargers (6,130 station locations).
Hopefully, those insights and information have already served of great value to you.
Now, let’s explain how voltage level and current affect the EV charge rate.
This section touches on the technical fundamentals concerning EV charging time and voltage. Knowing the basic tenets of electrical circuits will be helpful in the upcoming discussion.
Using the power formula, we can determine the kW charging rate of your charging station.
Therefore, a typical level 2 charger can provide 6.2 kWh to 7.2 kWh of energy per hour, as shown in computations below:
By now, it should be evident that estimating the charge rate of your EV charger boils down to knowing basic electrical engineering formulas and simple arithmetic.
With the same methodology, we can determine the charge rate of a level 1 charger using typical data.
We’ll leave the DCFC computation as an assignment for you.
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