EV FAQs
FAQ
The Basics
An electric vehicle motor runs on AC electricity, the same alternating current that comes into your home. Like a laptop or phone, however, the electricity stored in the battery is direct current (DC), so between the car’s battery and the motor is an inverter that converts DC electricity to AC.
The inverse happens when you charge your EV. Just as the charger for your phone or laptop has a little brick that converts AC to DC, there’s an inverter between your AC outlet and the car that converts the electricity to DC.
How often you charge your electric car depends on the battery size of the vehicle, how energy-efficient your vehicle is, and, of course, your driving habits.
Recent electric vehicles have ranges of more than 600kms, with batteries that can store from 50 to 200 or more kilowatt-hours (kWh).1 EVs get, on average, two to six km per kWh, so a 50 kWh battery has a range of somewhere between 100 and 300 kms, depending on how efficient the car is at using energy.2 (As in a petrol vehicle, how efficient your EV is depends on your driving habits.)
No. EV manufacturers recommend you keep your battery charged between 20% and 80% of charge, which extends the lifetime of the battery. Only charge your battery up to 100% when you plan on going on a long trip.
It’s also recommended that you leave your vehicle plugged in if you’re going away for an extended period of time.
Public Charging
Public EV charging stations with Level 3 chargers (also known as a DC Fast Charger) can sometimes charge an electric vehicle fully in as few as 30 minutes, depending on the car. Either way, it takes longer than it does to refuel a gas tank. The good news is that you don’t always need to refuel your EV to 100%. Many EV drivers refuel at public charging stations only enough to get them to their destination if they have the ability to charge overnight at home or at a hotel.
Home charging is far cheaper than public charging anyway, and many accommodations offer free EV charging, so it’s worth waiting to fully charge until you get there.
Unlike petrol stations, there is no universal charging port shared by all electric vehicles and all charging stations. Every EV has a J1772 port, which is good for Level 1 and Level 2 charging speeds. Most but not all charging stations have J1772 chargers.
Not all stations will have high-speed, Level 3 charging. For Level 3 charging, there are two types of connectors, CHAdeMo and CCS, which are incompatible with each other. Most EVs have multiple charging ports, so it’s likely that you’ll be able to plug something in.
There are also a variety of networks of public charging stations. To use their charging services, you are required to either have a RFID card or an app installed on your phone that’s tied to your credit card. See what charging networks are in your area, and sign up for their (usually free) membership.
Even if you only charge at the more expensive DC fast chargers, electricity is always cheaper than petrol. And it’s also cleaner nearly everywhere.
Most electric vehicles will give you a warning when your battery is running low, and their navigation system can identify the nearest charging stations. When your charge gets dangerously low, your EV is likely to shift into economy mode. This reduces the maximum speed you can drive and sets regenerative braking to its highest level.
When your EV’s display says your battery is down to zero, it’s not really down to no electrons. It’s down to zero usable battery capacity. Your EV’s battery management system maintains a reserve supply of electrons to protect the battery from degradation.
In short, if you’ve never run out of gas, you’re not likely to run out of electricity either.
If you are expecting extreme weather that might threaten your power supply, it’s a good idea to fully charge your vehicle beforehand. That should give you two or three days of electricity to run your vehicle. For longer outages, you may have to drive some distance to find a public charging station that still has power. Charging your EV with solar panels on your roof, especially with a battery backup, will also help you weather any outage.
All batteries, including those in EVs, store DC power, so the AC current coming from the grid must be converted. It’s not a question of if, but rather where this conversion happens that highlights the key difference between AC and DC chargers.
AC chargers are the most common (and generally slower) type. Without getting too technical, this is because the conversion happens inside your vehicle and is limited to the power it can process. In most cases, AC charging can reach up to 22 kWh.
To avoid getting too technical, let’s give a practical example. In order to fully charge a Tesla Model S (that has a 100 kWh battery) with a 22 kW Level 2 charging station, it would take about 7 hours, while it would take an 11 kW charging station approximately 10 hours to do the same.
With DC charging, the electricity is converted from AC to DC by the charging station before it reaches your car. This allows it to bypass the car’s slower onboard converter and achieve much higher power outputs, up to 350 kWh as it feeds power ‘directly’ to the battery. As a result, charging an EV with a DC charger takes mere minutes rather than hours.
For context, and quick comparison; what would this mean when fast charging a Tesla Model S? This would only take around 30 minutes.
However, –as you can probably imagine– DC charging infrastructure requires a lot of power and is therefore unsuitable for most residential, commercial, and municipal environments.However, –as you can probably imagine– DC charging infrastructure requires a lot of power and is therefore unsuitable for most residential, commercial, and municipal environments.
Charging at Home
Many EV owners get by with just a standard household 240-volt outlet. Even if a Level 1 “trickle charge” takes seven to 10 hours to fully recharge your vehicle, it can be ready for you in the morning.
A Level 2 charging station might be convenient if you need a quicker charge because you drive more miles on a daily basis. The purchase and installation of a Level 2 charger can cost $1,200 or more. If the need for fast charging is infrequent, it may be less expensive to use a high-speed public charging station for the few times you need it.
Linked to the car’s charging capacity is the charger’s capacity, in other words, how much power it can provide. Broadly speaking, there are 3 types of charging stations.
- Level 1 chargers are the slowest, most common type. They can be connected to a wall socket at home and deliver up to 2.3 kWh, or around 6 to 8 km of range per hour.
- Level 2 chargers provide higher speeds but require professional installation. They are the most common type found in residential, commercial, and municipal settings. Most level 2 chargers can deliver at least 7.4 kWh or 11 kWh, with some capable of up to 22 kWh. Charging on those power outputs adds about 40 km, 60 km, and 120 km per hour respectively.
- Level 3 chargers, also called DC or fast chargers, can deliver the most power and highest charging speed. They require bulky transformers and are not cost-effective for residential and most municipal uses. The highest-rated level 3 chargers can deliver up to 350 kWh, although lower outputs such as 50 kWh, 125 kWh, and 150 kWh are more common. At those rates, most EVs can charge up to 80% in less than an hour, sometimes even as little as a few minutes.
Finally, weather conditions, particularly temperature, can impact charging speed. Indeed, batteries have a narrow optimal operating range of around 21°C. When the temperatures are significantly higher or lower, the battery will use some energy to heat or cool itself, increasing the time it takes to charge it.
The Basics
An electric vehicle motor runs on AC electricity, the same alternating current that comes into your home. Like a laptop or phone, however, the electricity stored in the battery is direct current (DC), so between the car’s battery and the motor is an inverter that converts DC electricity to AC.
The inverse happens when you charge your EV. Just as the charger for your phone or laptop has a little brick that converts AC to DC, there’s an inverter between your AC outlet and the car that converts the electricity to DC.
How often you charge your electric car depends on the battery size of the vehicle, how energy-efficient your vehicle is, and, of course, your driving habits.
Recent electric vehicles have ranges of more than 600kms, with batteries that can store from 50 to 200 or more kilowatt-hours (kWh).1 EVs get, on average, two to six km per kWh, so a 50 kWh battery has a range of somewhere between 100 and 300 kms, depending on how efficient the car is at using energy.2 (As in a petrol vehicle, how efficient your EV is depends on your driving habits.)
No. EV manufacturers recommend you keep your battery charged between 20% and 80% of charge, which extends the lifetime of the battery. Only charge your battery up to 100% when you plan on going on a long trip.
It’s also recommended that you leave your vehicle plugged in if you’re going away for an extended period of time.
harging using a standard 240-volt outlet will give your battery about 7 kms of range per hour.3 That would mean charging for at least six hours daily if you commute 50 kms per day. Considering this, most EV drivers charge their vehicles overnight at home, while they’re sleeping. Note that charging speeds are slower in cold weather.
Electric Car Charging at Home: How It Works and What You’ll Need
Should I install a high-speed charger at home?
Many EV owners get by with just a standard household 240-volt outlet. Even if a Level 1 “trickle charge” takes seven to 10 hours to fully recharge your vehicle, it can be ready for you in the morning.
A Level 2 charging station might be convenient if you need a quicker charge because you drive more miles on a daily basis. The purchase and installation of a Level 2 charger can cost $1,200 or more. If the need for fast charging is infrequent, it may be less expensive to use a high-speed public charging station for the few times you need it.
Public EV charging stations with Level 3 chargers (also known as a DC Fast Charger) can sometimes charge an electric vehicle fully in as few as 30 minutes, depending on the car. Either way, it takes longer than it does to refuel a gas tank. The good news is that you don’t always need to refuel your EV to 100%. Many EV drivers refuel at public charging stations only enough to get them to their destination if they have the ability to charge overnight at home or at a hotel.
Home charging is far cheaper than public charging anyway, and many accommodations offer free EV charging, so it’s worth waiting to fully charge until you get there.
Unlike petrol stations, there is no universal charging port shared by all electric vehicles and all charging stations. Every EV has a J1772 port, which is good for Level 1 and Level 2 charging speeds. Most but not all charging stations have J1772 chargers.
Not all stations will have high-speed, Level 3 charging. For Level 3 charging, there are two types of connectors, CHAdeMo and CCS, which are incompatible with each other. Most EVs have multiple charging ports, so it’s likely that you’ll be able to plug something in.
There are also a variety of networks of public charging stations. To use their charging services, you are required to either have a RFID card or an app installed on your phone that’s tied to your credit card. See what charging networks are in your area, and sign up for their (usually free) membership.
Even if you only charge at the more expensive DC fast chargers, electricity is always cheaper than petrol. And it’s also cleaner nearly everywhere.
Most electric vehicles will give you a warning when your battery is running low, and their navigation system can identify the nearest charging stations. When your charge gets dangerously low, your EV is likely to shift into economy mode. This reduces the maximum speed you can drive and sets regenerative braking to its highest level.
When your EV’s display says your battery is down to zero, it’s not really down to no electrons. It’s down to zero usable battery capacity. Your EV’s battery management system maintains a reserve supply of electrons to protect the battery from degradation.
In short, if you’ve never run out of gas, you’re not likely to run out of electricity either.
If you are expecting extreme weather that might threaten your power supply, it’s a good idea to fully charge your vehicle beforehand. That should give you two or three days of electricity to run your vehicle. For longer outages, you may have to drive some distance to find a public charging station that still has power. Charging your EV with solar panels on your roof, especially with a battery backup, will also help you weather any outage.
All batteries, including those in EVs, store DC power, so the AC current coming from the grid must be converted. It’s not a question of if, but rather where this conversion happens that highlights the key difference between AC and DC chargers.
AC chargers are the most common (and generally slower) type. Without getting too technical, this is because the conversion happens inside your vehicle and is limited to the power it can process. In most cases, AC charging can reach up to 22 kWh.
To avoid getting too technical, let’s give a practical example. In order to fully charge a Tesla Model S (that has a 100 kWh battery) with a 22 kW Level 2 charging station, it would take about 7 hours, while it would take an 11 kW charging station approximately 10 hours to do the same.
With DC charging, the electricity is converted from AC to DC by the charging station before it reaches your car. This allows it to bypass the car’s slower onboard converter and achieve much higher power outputs, up to 350 kWh as it feeds power ‘directly’ to the battery. As a result, charging an EV with a DC charger takes mere minutes rather than hours.
For context, and quick comparison; what would this mean when fast charging a Tesla Model S? This would only take around 30 minutes.
However, –as you can probably imagine– DC charging infrastructure requires a lot of power and is therefore unsuitable for most residential, commercial, and municipal environments.
Linked to the car’s charging capacity is the charger’s capacity, in other words, how much power it can provide. Broadly speaking, there are 3 types of charging stations.
- Level 1 chargers are the slowest, most common type. They can be connected to a wall socket at home and deliver up to 2.3 kWh, or around 6 to 8 km of range per hour.
- Level 2 chargers provide higher speeds but require professional installation. They are the most common type found in residential, commercial, and municipal settings. Most level 2 chargers can deliver at least 7.4 kWh or 11 kWh, with some capable of up to 22 kWh. Charging on those power outputs adds about 40 km, 60 km, and 120 km per hour respectively.
- Level 3 chargers, also called DC or fast chargers, can deliver the most power and highest charging speed. They require bulky transformers and are not cost-effective for residential and most municipal uses. The highest-rated level 3 chargers can deliver up to 350 kWh, although lower outputs such as 50 kWh, 125 kWh, and 150 kWh are more common. At those rates, most EVs can charge up to 80% in less than an hour, sometimes even as little as a few minutes.
Finally, weather conditions, particularly temperature, can impact charging speed. Indeed, batteries have a narrow optimal operating range of around 21°C. When the temperatures are significantly higher or lower, the battery will use some energy to heat or cool itself, increasing the time it takes to charge it.
Unlike petrol stations, there is no universal charging port shared by all electric vehicles and all charging stations. Every EV has a J1772 port, which is good for Level 1 and Level 2 charging speeds. Most but not all charging stations have J1772 chargers.
Not all stations will have high-speed, Level 3 charging. For Level 3 charging, there are two types of connectors, CHAdeMo and CCS, which are incompatible with each other. Most EVs have multiple charging ports, so it’s likely that you’ll be able to plug something in.
There are also a variety of networks of public charging stations. To use their charging services, you are required to either have a RFID card or an app installed on your phone that’s tied to your credit card. See what charging networks are in your area, and sign up for their (usually free) membership.
Even if you only charge at the more expensive DC fast chargers, electricity is always cheaper than petrol. And it’s also cleaner nearly everywhere.
Most electric vehicles will give you a warning when your battery is running low, and their navigation system can identify the nearest charging stations. When your charge gets dangerously low, your EV is likely to shift into economy mode. This reduces the maximum speed you can drive and sets regenerative braking to its highest level.
When your EV’s display says your battery is down to zero, it’s not really down to no electrons. It’s down to zero usable battery capacity. Your EV’s battery management system maintains a reserve supply of electrons to protect the battery from degradation.
In short, if you’ve never run out of gas, you’re not likely to run out of electricity either.
If you are expecting extreme weather that might threaten your power supply, it’s a good idea to fully charge your vehicle beforehand. That should give you two or three days of electricity to run your vehicle. For longer outages, you may have to drive some distance to find a public charging station that still has power. Charging your EV with solar panels on your roof, especially with a battery backup, will also help you weather any outage.
All batteries, including those in EVs, store DC power, so the AC current coming from the grid must be converted. It’s not a question of if, but rather where this conversion happens that highlights the key difference between AC and DC chargers.
AC chargers are the most common (and generally slower) type. Without getting too technical, this is because the conversion happens inside your vehicle and is limited to the power it can process. In most cases, AC charging can reach up to 22 kWh.
To avoid getting too technical, let’s give a practical example. In order to fully charge a Tesla Model S (that has a 100 kWh battery) with a 22 kW Level 2 charging station, it would take about 7 hours, while it would take an 11 kW charging station approximately 10 hours to do the same.
With DC charging, the electricity is converted from AC to DC by the charging station before it reaches your car. This allows it to bypass the car’s slower onboard converter and achieve much higher power outputs, up to 350 kWh as it feeds power ‘directly’ to the battery. As a result, charging an EV with a DC charger takes mere minutes rather than hours.
For context, and quick comparison; what would this mean when fast charging a Tesla Model S? This would only take around 30 minutes.
However, –as you can probably imagine– DC charging infrastructure requires a lot of power and is therefore unsuitable for most residential, commercial, and municipal environments.
Linked to the car’s charging capacity is the charger’s capacity, in other words, how much power it can provide. Broadly speaking, there are 3 types of charging stations.
- Level 1 chargers are the slowest, most common type. They can be connected to a wall socket at home and deliver up to 2.3 kWh, or around 6 to 8 km of range per hour.
- Level 2 chargers provide higher speeds but require professional installation. They are the most common type found in residential, commercial, and municipal settings. Most level 2 chargers can deliver at least 7.4 kWh or 11 kWh, with some capable of up to 22 kWh. Charging on those power outputs adds about 40 km, 60 km, and 120 km per hour respectively.
- Level 3 chargers, also called DC or fast chargers, can deliver the most power and highest charging speed. They require bulky transformers and are not cost-effective for residential and most municipal uses. The highest-rated level 3 chargers can deliver up to 350 kWh, although lower outputs such as 50 kWh, 125 kWh, and 150 kWh are more common. At those rates, most EVs can charge up to 80% in less than an hour, sometimes even as little as a few minutes.
Finally, weather conditions, particularly temperature, can impact charging speed. Indeed, batteries have a narrow optimal operating range of around 21°C. When the temperatures are significantly higher or lower, the battery will use some energy to heat or cool itself, increasing the time it takes to charge it.
