Investing in an electric vehicle (EV) will reduce your carbon footprint resulting in less impact to the environment. Consideration should be given before purchasing an EV as to what charging might look like at home or on the road. The time it will take to charge an electric vehicle typically depends on the type and size of the charger you’re using, as well as the configuration of the car’s battery.
Types of Electric Vehicle Chargers
There are three main types of EV charging devices:
- Rapid chargers, as the name suggests, are the fastest way to charge an EV. Found at high visibility . Rapid chargers can fill an EV’s batteries in as little as 30 minutes, but more typically take around 1 hour on a standard 50 kW rapid charge point. The Tesla Supercharger Network is a well-known example of rapid chargers. Vintage Electric is a commercial and home Tesla Certified Contractor.
- Fast chargers are typically rated at either 7kW or 22kW. A 7kW charger takes around 4-6 hours to charge an EV, which has a 40kW battery, while a 22kW takes one or two hours to charge the same vehicle.
- Slow chargers are rated at 3kW or 6kW. A 3kW charging unit takes around 6-12 hours to charge fully.
How to Charge an EV at Home
Charging your car at home is a convenient and cost-effective method of charging with two levels of charging available: Level 1 (slow) and Level 2 (rapid).
- Level 1 charging occurs when you charge using the charger included with the car. These chargers can be plugged into a standard 120V outlet. These types of chargers take approximately 20 hours to recharge a vehicle.
- Level 2 chargers are sold separately from the car, but are often purchased at the same time. These chargers require a dedicated 240V circuit installation in the home’s garage. Level 2 chargers generally charge three to seven times faster than a Level 1 charger, depending on the car and charger model.
Get Your Level 2 Charger Installed
Like most, If you’re looking to have a Level 2 charger system installed, get in touch with Vintage Electric. Our experts install a dedicated circuit and a Level 2 EV charger for faster charging ensuring your vehicle is always ready to go! Vintage Electric is a Tesla Certified contractor.