Electric vehicles have lots in common with gasoline-powered cars—room for four-plus passengers, range of several hundred miles, good safety—plus that one big difference: recharging with a plug at versus refueling from a pump. W We've all pumped gas and know it's a five- to 10-minute process. Rec Contact online >>
Electric vehicles have lots in common with gasoline-powered cars—room for four-plus passengers, range of several hundred miles, good safety—plus that one big difference: recharging with a plug at versus refueling from a pump. W We''ve all pumped gas and know it''s a five- to 10-minute process. Recharging takes longer and there are far fewer charging stations than the tens of thousands of public gas stations across the country.
With a gas-engine car, most owners drive until it''s low on fuel because gas stations are everywhere, and gassing up is a quick stop. But empty-to-full charging is not what EV owners do most of the time. They top off every night or two, and as long as the car is charged in the morning, charging time doesn''t matter and range anxiety isn''t an issue for daily driving. Some use public charging, especially for fast charging that isn''t available at home. But 83% of all EV charging is done at home, according to the JD Power U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Home Charging Study.
Range and charging time may not be a big issue if the EV is the secondary household vehicle. But if an EV is the only car, for a long summer or holiday trip, owners can do what owners of compact gasoline-powered sedans might do: Rent a midsize or larger SUV for that two-week vacation. Or find a hotel with on-site charging.
For those who charge at home, you need to have the right charging equipment and the proper electrical supply. With EV charging, there isn''t a one-size-fits-all solution. Electric vehicles have different charging capabilities and every owner also has their own driving needs.
First, let''s clear up some nomenclature. Technically, the charger for an electric vehicle is built into the car. The device that you plug into your car is best known as an EVSE, short for "Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment." The EVSE simply supplies the voltage, while the in-built charger within your car physically charges the battery within. But as many will equate their EV with another battery-powered device in their hands or in their pocket, it''s easier to think of the EVSE as a charger.
Most electric cars come standard with a portable charging cable. However, every manufacturer provides a different unit, with varying levels of charging capabilities. In some cases, the same manufacturer provides different standard charging equipment depending on which of its EV offerings you purchase or lease.
Some of these supplied charging devices are powerful and can fully recharge your EV overnight. These are called Level 2 chargers because they need to be plugged into a 240-volt outlet. (Memory aid: for Level 2, think Level 240 volts—even if that''s not why it''s called Level 2.) In the U.S., 240-volt outlets are commonly used for clothes dryers and electric ranges. A Level 2 device can typically supply between 10 to 20 miles of charging per hour.
Some standard, EV-maker-supplied charging devices plug into a regular 120-volt household outlet (Level 1) and deliver power much more slowly than the Level 2 devices, typically in the range of about 3 miles of charging per hour. These Level 1 chargers are fine for most plug-in hybrids. PHEVs have smaller batteries than fully electric vehicles do. PHEVs have batteries of about 5 to 20 kilowatt-hours (kWh). Pure EVs are on the order of 60 kWh to 100 kWh.
For home charging, EVs sold today can accept between 30 amps and 48 amps. Therefore, it''s important to know how much power your EV can accept when you shop. However, you shouldn''t necessarily let your current EV''s charging rate dictate your purchase, because your next EV may be able to accept more power.
With daily charging, EV owners are usually only topping off, rather than filling up. A common mistake that new EV owners make is buying the most powerful charger, only to later realize they could have managed just fine with a lower-powered, less expensive charger. You''ll rarely pull into your garage with an empty battery, so the time it takes to charge your EV from 0% to 100% shouldn''t be the primary consideration. You only need to replenish the amount of energy used that day.
Don''t rush to get the most powerful EV charger until you examine how many miles of range you''ll need to replenish daily. We''ve assembled the chart below to help you understand how many miles per hour of range you can replenish depending on the power output of your EV charger.
The table shows how fast common charger types recharge a medium EV battery (such as the Chevrolet Bolt EV ''s 65 kWh battery) and large EV battery (Tesla Model S is up to 100 kWh): How much power each charger type delivers in kilowatts, how much range is added per hour and the typical charge time from 0% charge. Look for a charger that gets the battery from empty to full overnight.
One thing to remember is that chargers that deliver 40 amps or less can be ordered as plug-in units, whereas chargers over 40 amps must be hardwired. There are a few EVs available today that can accept 48-amps, so you may be tempted to buy a 48-amp charger, but that will then require that you have the unit hardwired. It will also require lower gauge (thicker) wires, which may add considerable cost to the installation.
The additional 8-amps you get with a 48-amp charger may not be worth it, as a 40-amp unit will most likely fully charge your EV overnight anyway. We suggest that a 40-amp plug-in charger installed with a NEMA 14-50R outlet (don''t worry, the electrician will understand) may be the best balance of power and cost while still offering portability.
Finally, don''t worry that your chosen charger can deliver more power than your EV can accept. The car always dictates the amount of power it accepts. When you plug the charger into the vehicle, there''s a communication process between the charger and the car, and the car tells the charger the maximum power it can accept.
Once you''ve selected your charger you''ll need to install it. EV chargers draw a lot of power and must be installed on a dedicated circuit. According to the National Electrical Code (NEC), the circuit must be capable of delivering 125% of the power the charger will deliver. Therefore, if you buy a 32-amp charger, it needs to be installed on a 40-amp circuit (32 x 125% = 40). Likewise, a 40-amp charger requires a 50-amp dedicated circuit.
Hardwired units are mounted on the wall first, and then the wiring is run directly from the circuit breaker. Plug-in units are simply mounted to the wall near the 240-volt outlet, and then plugged in. Plug-in units are more popular because of the ease of installation and portability.
Regardless of the power level or if the unit needs to be hardwired or plugged in, always obtain the services of a licensed electrician to install your EV charging equipment. EV chargers deliver a lot of power for many continuous hours, typically every day. It''s important to make sure the work is done properly and up to code, so you don''t experience issues that could damage your car or your residence. This is more complex than a homeowner extending a 15-amp 120-volt outlet in the basement.
Once you''ve installed your charger, you''ll want to make sure it remains in good working condition for many years of service. We''ve listed a few best-practice recommendations below:
Some EV manufacturers recommend not charging the vehicle to 100% every day, in order to prolong the battery''s lifespan. If your EV has a recommended daily charge limit that''s less than 100% (often it''s 80% recommended), you should adjust the charge limit in the vehicle''s settings and only change it to 100% when you need the extra range for the occasional long road trip.
There''s no need to rush to unplug the charger once the vehicle finishes charging. Leaving the connector attached to the EV won''t hurt it. Once the vehicle reaches its desired charging level, it will stop charging and cut off the power. You can leave the charger plugged into the vehicle for as long as you''d like without any negative effects.
Conversely, there are chargers available that allow non-Tesla vehicles to charge from Tesla home chargers and Tesla Destination chargers. These adapters do not work on Tesla''s fast-charging Superchargers in public locations. However, almost all automakers selling EVs in the U.S. have announced moving to the Tesla standard, allowing those EVs to charge at Tesla Supercharger stations beginning in the near future. These new models will be equipped with NACS charging ports.
You may be able to save money on your electricity bill by switching to a time-of-use (TOU) electricity plan. In doing so, you''ll schedule your EV to charge during off-peak hours, when electricity costs less. Many EVs allow you to set a charging schedule within the vehicle settings, and smart-chargers also allow the user to establish a schedule for TOU electricity plans. Check with your electricity provider to see if a TOU plan will work for you.
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