The Ultimate Owners’ Guide to Electric Vehicle Charging (2021 Edition)

Thinking about buying an EV, but concerned about charging? Here’s everything you need to know.

If you recently purchased a new electric vehicle, you are likely familiar with the many advantages of ditching the internal combustion engine. With gasoline and diesel prices increasing daily, driving an electric vehicle can save you a fortune in driving expenses while also saving you time stopping at gas stations, but those are the most obvious EV advantages. Modern EVs also offer an impressive range of performance, with even the least expensive models offering excellent acceleration, often outperforming their gas-powered counterparts. Also, with more EVs coming to market, we are seeing a steady increase in the levels of standard content among the affordable electric vehicles, so it isn’t just Tesla drivers who can truly enjoy the comforts of their car or SUV.

The biggest challenge with owning an electric vehicle is charging. Every EV comes with a portable charging system that stows in the trunk, tucking neatly into a designated area when not in use. These standard charging systems are designed for maximum ease-of-use, plugging right into a standard three-prong wall outlet. The key problem with these standard charging cable systems is that they can take a very long time to restore your EV’s battery system to full power. That isn’t a problem if you can always leave your vehicle plugged in for long periods of time, but for those EV owners who do a great deal of driving, the need will arise for a stronger, faster-charging system.

Regardless of what type of charging system you are using, you should keep in mind that as the battery system in your EV charges more slowly when it is nearly full. To protect the battery assembly, when charging systems area over 80% of capacity, the charging process slows dramatically. That is why many automakers and companies that produce charging systems will mention how long it takes to reach 80% of battery capacity, as the final 20% will take the most time. This is a key issue for those using Level 1 charging systems, but even the Level 2 system will charge noticeably slower as battery level nears 100%.

Today, we look at the various electric vehicle charging system options, both for use at home and when you are on the road.

Types of EV Charging Systems

There are three basic classifications of electric vehicle charging stations, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3, also known as DC Fast Charging.

Level 1 Chargers

Level 1 charging systems feature a plug-and-play design that works with any three-prong outlet. These operate on a standard 110/120-volt system. Level 1 chargers are portable and are generally included with the vehicle, allowing you to easily take them with you on trips. The downside to a Level 1 charger is that it is the slowest option, yielding between 3 and 6 miles of driving range per hour of charging time. Even at the fastest speed, a Level 1 charger will only yield around 70 miles in a 12-hour charging window, which is well-short of the capacity of most modern EV battery systems.

Level 2 Chargers

Level 2 chargers are offered both with and without a plug to connect to the power source, but they do not use a traditional power outlet and they are not intended to be portable. These charging units run on a similar 208/240-volt electric system to what your washer and dryer likely use, so they can be plugged-in if you have an available 240-volt outlet. The requirement for the heavier-duty electric system and the lack of portability are the only downsides to a Level 2 charging system. The upside is that they are dramatically stronger than Level 1 chargers, leading to much quicker charging activity. A level 2 charger offers anywhere from 12 to 60 miles per charging hour.

Level 3 Chargers

Level 3 charging stations are almost exclusively offered in commercial areas where a direct current (DC) power supply is available. These systems have to be hardwired into a unique electrical system, drawing as many as 600 volts when working at full power. These systems will fill the battery of an EV with a 100-mile range in a half hour, offering up to 178 miles of range per hour at peak operation. However, since they have such high electricity demands, Level 3 chargers require an elaborate, expensive power supply that leads to serious installation costs. It should be noted that not all-electric vehicles are designed to work with Level 3 DC Fast Chargers and there are three different plug designs, so these systems aren’t as universally functional as Level 1 and Level 2.

Costs to Install an EV Charger at Home

Level 1 Chargers

Provided that you have a modern three-prong, grounded power outlet, there is no real installation expense for the Level 1 charging system that came with your electric vehicle. If your home is older, it is a good idea to have an electrician inspect the circuit on which you plan to charge to insure that it will handle the load of EV charging, but in most modern homes, the wall outlets in your garage will work perfectly for your standard Level 1 charger.

Level 2 Chargers

There are many Level 2 charging options on the market, but they all share one feature – they require a 208-240-volt power supply. Most newer homes have 240-volt outlets for large appliances, so you might already have an available spot to plug-in a Level 2 charger. If you are that lucky, the only cost of installation is actually buying the Level 2 charging unit. However, if you do not have an available 240-volt circuit in your home, you will need to have one installed.

When researching the cost of Level 2 EV charger installation, we found a huge spread in pricing. Many sources stated that installing a Level 2 charger could cost as little as $300 and as much as $4,500, with prices varying mainly due to the location of your charger relative to the electrical panel. The further you are from the panel, the most you will incur. Fortunately, adding a 240-volt also adds value to your home, especially with the always-growing number of prospective home buyers with electric vehicles.

Level 3 Chargers

Installing a Level 3 charging system requires a direct current power source, which isn’t available in most residential areas, but in commercial areas, installing the components needed to safely feed a Level 3 DC Fast Charger can cost as much as $50,000.

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in Major Cities

If you live along the American East Coast or West Coast, the odds are good that the nearest metropolitan area has solid support for electric vehicles. It is no secret that the state of California has the strongest infrastructure in the United States, with plenty of charging resources near every major city. The folks at GreenBiz conducted a study of EV charging infrastructure in and around major cities, ranking the best and worst among 60 metropolitan areas. The 60 cities included represents 57% of the population of the United States.

10 Cities with the Best EV Infrastructure

• San Jose, California
• Denver, Colorado
• Sacramento, California
• Hartford, Connecticut
• Los Angeles, California
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Portland, Oregon
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• San Diego, California
• San Francisco, California

10 Cities with the Worst EV Infrastructure:

• Birmingham, Alabama
• Wichita, Kansas
• Albuquerque, New Mexico
• San Antonio, Texas
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• New York, New York

Can I Road-Trip in My EV? (Yes!)

Electric vehicles have always been ideal for daily commuters in dense cities, but their ability to embark on a long road trip has long been the biggest downside to pure-electric models. When you are driving a gasoline-powered vehicle across the country, just about every exit will have someplace to get fuel. Unfortunately, there is not a charging station at every exit and more importantly, it can be much harder to find Level 3 DC Fast Chargers in desolate areas through the American Midwest. That is the biggest obstacle in driving from the East Coast to the West Coast, but with careful planning, the cross-country EV trip is very possible.

The aforementioned study by GreenBiz also looks at the location of DC Fast Chargers in relation to the nation’s major highways. Their graphic below shows the largest highways in the United States along with an array of key cities, with blue circles that represent 50-mile areas around a Level 3 charging station. In every location where those blue circles overlap, an EV driver doesn’t have to worry about ever being more than 50 miles from a DC Fast Charger. There are a few stretches of highway running north-south through Minnesota and the Dakota where an EV owner will not be within 50 miles of a Level 3 charger, along with a few small east-west sections in that same area, but for the most part, an EV owner driving from New York to Los Angeles will rarely be more than 50 miles from a DC Fast Charger. On the other hand, driving from New York to Miami or Texas will present plenty of opportunities to charge quickly.

Of course, EV drivers hoping to drive thousands of miles should prepare to wait in the event that the charging station chosen is in-use when they arrive. Keep in mind that areas with great charging infrastructure typically has lots of EV owners who are looking to charge their vehicles, so travelers may have to hunt for an open charger or wait in line. With that in mind, EV drivers who are making a Great American Road Trip should try to plan charging breaks in areas with restaurants, shopping centers or other attractions where they can stay busy while waiting for their vehicle to charge.

Photos: Tesla, Ford, GM