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Are you considering buying an electric car? Do you want to know more about how EV charging works? There are several ways you can charge an EV. Each one requires different types of plugs, and their charging times, cost and potential savings vary. The type of charge you choose will depend on your driving needs.
All home charging options (with the exception of Tesla vehicles) use a standard EV plug to connect to the car. The other end of the charging cord can either be hardwired or plugged into an existing outlet.
Home charging can use either a 120 volt outlet or 240 volt circuit (like an electric clothes dryer uses). Since almost all EVs include a 120 volt charging cord and 120 volt outlets are common, this is likely the cheapest and easiest option.
Using a 240 volt outlet or circuit requires the purchase of a home charging unit and possibly the need for modifications to the home electric system. However, using a charger powered by a 240 volt circuit has the advantage of charging much faster, from 2 to 8-fold faster depending on the amperage and vehicle.
Level 1—Home Charging: Level 1 charging cords are standard equipment on a new EV. Level 1 charging only requires a grounded (three-prong) 120V outlet and can add about 40 miles of range in an eight-hour overnight charge. Overnight Level 1 charging is suitable for low- and medium-range plug-in hybrids and for all-electric battery electric vehicle drivers with low daily driving usage.
Level 2—Home and Public Charging: Level 2 charging typically requires a charging unit on a 240V circuit, like the circuit used to power a common electric clothes dryer. The charging rate depends on the vehicle''s acceptance rate and the maximum current available. With a typical 30 amp circuit, about 180 miles can be addedduring an eight-hour charge.
Level 2 chargers are the most common public chargers, and you can find them at places like offices, grocery stores, and parking garages. Public Level 2 chargers have a standard EV connection plug that fits all current vehicles, except for Teslas, which require an adapter.
DC Fast Charging—Public Charging: DC fast charging is the fastest currently available recharging method. It can typically add 50 to 90 miles in 30 minutes, depending on the station''s power capacity and the make of EV.
Tesla''s Superchargers are even faster, adding up to 170 miles of range in a half hour. DC fast chargers are most useful for longer trips, cars in use most of the day (like taxis), and drivers who have limited access to home recharging.
DC fast chargers use three different plug types and are not interchangeable. Japanese automakers typically use the CHAdeMO standard; most European and US makers use the CCS system. Tesla''s Supercharging stations use a proprietary connector specific to their vehicles.
The length of time required to recharge depends on two factors: how much energy has been used and the power output of the charger. A Level 1 charger (120 volts) can replace about 4-5 miles of driving each hour of charging. Plug-in hybrid vehicles often have an electric range of 20-50 miles, so recharging even a fully depleted battery can be done in eight hours. Level 2 chargers are faster, delivering about 15-25 miles of range per hour. These chargers can fully recharge most long-range battery electric vehicles during an eight-hour charge. Using a DC fast charger allows for rapid recharging at public stations, adding 50 to 170 miles of range in 30 minutes (depending on the power output of the station and vehicle capacity).
The cost to charge an EV varies, depending on your local utility and ability to charge at home. In our recent analysis of home recharging costs, we found that recharging an EV was substantially cheaper than the costs to refuel the average new gasoline car. The savings vary, but on average drivers would save almost $800 per year by switching from gasoline to electricity.
However, where you live and what electric rate plan you choose can change your savings. For almost all EV drivers, choosing atime-of-use (TOU) electric rate planis needed to see the largest savings.
A TOU plan gives cheaper electric rates during off-peak periods (often late at night), with higher rates for using electricity during high-demand times. Because most EVs are parked at home overnight, TOU rates are a good fit for most EV drivers.
In some cities, especially in California, TOU rates are essential for saving money on fuel costs. For example, in Oakland, CA, recharging using the standard electricity plan is equal to buying gasoline at $3.34/gallon, while using the TOU plan only costs the equivalent of $1.03/gallon.
The costs to charge at public charging stations varies considerably. Some stations are free, while others can cost over twice as much as home charging. However, the impact of public charger costs is often muted by the high preponderance of home charging. For example, a San Francisco driver that uses higher-cost DC fast charging for 20 percent of charging would only see their average fuel costs increase from $0.78/gallon equivalent to $1.35/gallon.
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Only a few years ago there were very little choices for electric vehicle charging equipment. When I got my MINI-E in 2009, BMW partnered with ClipperCreek to supply the home charging station, or as BMW called it, the "Wallbox" to charge the fleet of 450 MINI-Es in service in the US. Tesla also reached out to ClipperCreek back in 2008 to supply the charging equipment for the initial Tesla Roadsters. Neither company really had any choice, because at the time ClipperCreek was pretty much the only company that could deliver this specialized EV charging equipment.
One example of the new, lower-priced units is the AmazingE. The AmazingE has been available for a little over a year now, and seems to have a relatively high customer satisfaction rate. It has an Amazon rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars, and the reviews on many online EV forums are mostly satisfactory.
Before we start the comparison, we''d like to talk a little about the power delivery of these units. Some manufacturers like to boast about the charging speed of these units in their advertisements, and it can sometimes get a little confusing. We''ve seen claims of "charges three times as fast" and "lightning fast" being used, and some people new to EVs may not fully understand how EV charging works. Some EVs can only accept 16-amps of power, while others, like the new Audi e-Tron for instance, can accept up to 40-amps. Therefore, make sure you know your car''s charging capabilities before you purchase charging equipment, or you may not pair the correct device with your car''s charging ability, and your driving needs.
Most EVs today come with a 120-volt portable EVSE. Some EVs however, come standard with a portable level-2 unit, and this trend seems to be increasing. Tesla for instance, provides a 120-v/240-v Mobile Charger with every car they sell. Therefore, Tesla owners typically wouldn''t be in the market for a portable unit like those we''re comparing here. Audi is also going to be providing a high-powered (40-amp) portable 240-v EVSE with every e-Tron, so it''s possible that more OEMs may start to follow Tesla''s model of including a 240-v EVSE with the car.
If your EV comes with a portable 240-volt charger, then you probably have no need for another one. In that case, you''re more likely to be in the market for a higher-amperage wall mounted unit. As for charging speed, it is true that a 16-amp portable 240-volt EVSE will charge an EV at nearly three times as fast as a 120-volt, 12-amp unit as the ads claim. Just make sure you know exactly what charging equipment came with your EV before making a purchase, or you may end up buying something that isn''t really better than what you already have. The advertisments that claim their products will "charge your car 3 times faster" don''t always tell the whole story.
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