Remember our Electric Cars article we posted a year ago? I’m sure most of you have considered buying your own electric vehicle after reading that! Wait, you’re still undecided? This article is for you guys then! Here we tell you more about the electric car charging component and hopefully, convince you to finally buy an electric car. How exactly do you recharge an electric car? Is it the same as plugging it into a regular socket?
On-board charger
There’s no doubt that electric car charging is different from fueling a car with gasoline. In general, it is much more convenient to charge an electric car. Around 95% of electric car charging is done at home. There are a couple of common ways to charge but one simple way is to just plug it into a standard electricity outlet. This is possible because all electric cars have what is termed an “on-board charger” in the car itself. So, all you need is to use the charging cord you get with your car to connect your car to a source of electricity.
The Electric Vehicle Service Equipment
Simply plugging your car’s charger into the wall won’t charge your car very fast though. What it does is just add about 4 miles of charge or driving range in one hour of charging. If you want to charge faster, you probably want a home “Electric Vehicle Service Equipment” or an EVSE. An EVSE is any device which brings AC power to your car, where it is then turned into DC power and fills your car’s battery. Is it not already included in buying an electric car? No, you will need to buy one yourself.
Choosing the Right EVSE
A capable and durable EVSE will cost around $600 to $700 but this does not include installation. You should buy an EVSE that can handle at least 30 amps. The rule of thumb is that 30-amp service will give you the ability to add 30 miles of range in an hour. You should also consider the length of the charging cable. Measure the distance between where the EVSE will hang on your wall, and where the charging port is on your car. Cables usually run from approximately 15 to 25 feet. Do consider getting a portable EVSE too if you’re thinking about moving soon.
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