When your charging station is connected to your home electrical system, you’ve achieved a kind of self-sufficiency that is enviable among other drivers. An EV charger in the home can look like several things, depending on your needs, your budget and your vehicle. Whatever your needs, there are a few straightforward means by which to install your own electric vehicle charger in your home.
Types of Stations
When it comes to a car EV charger, there are different types of stations, differentiated by cost and power. Effectively, there are two types of home charging stations, Level 1 and Level 2. While there is a Level 3 charging station, it is neither cost-effective nor could it mesh with your current electrical system because it requires too much power.
Level 1 charging stations are the slowest and, in some ways, the simplest. In theory, you could plug an EV charging cable straight into your wall socket and charge your car without an actual charging station. Level 1 charging occurs when you use the cable that came with the vehicle; these can be plugged into any 120-volt outlet. When dealing with Level 1 charging stations, there is no need to call in a professional.
Level 2 charging stations are sold separately from the vehicle, though often at the same time. Because these chargers are plugged into a 240-volt outlet, they are able to charge at a faster rate, depending on the vehicle and the charger. It also means that these cannot simply be plugged into the outlet in the garage.
The process by which to install an appliance that uses so much voltage is not dissimilar from installing an oven or dryer, which also employ 240 volts, too. Installing the proper circuit breaker to your own electrical system will likely require calling in a professional to keep things safe and to ensure peak service.
How Long It Takes To Charge
Level 1 charging stations are capable of charging 120 miles in 20 hours. Although you enjoy the convenience of home charging, this is comparatively slow. Level 2 chargers are capable of charging between three and seven times faster than Level 1 chargers. They can charge a battery that’s on empty in four to ten hours. For a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the charging time from empty is closer to one or two hours.
With the improvement in technology that will surely accompany the continued rise of EVs and PHEVs, you can expect the charging equipment to offer more and more convenience and speed.
Installing your own EV battery charger in your home is liberating in that you can always begin your trips on a full battery charge. Learning what your options are is tantamount to mounting the perfect installation. EVs and PHEVs are the trend of the future and you can expect charging stations to arrive at more and more homes as EVs overtake to the roads. Visit an online auto parts site to check out EV charging cables and inquire about EV charging station components today.