It’s possible to recharge your EV or plug-in hybrid by simply using the supplied cable that came with the car and a nearby 120-volt outlet, the kind found in most North American homes and garages. But this method is very slow; every hour of charging will add only about 3 miles of range.
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For drivers who use their EVs daily, a 240-volt Level 2 wall charger—sometimes called electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE)—is practically a must. It increases charging speeds to 25 miles of range per hour or more depending on the vehicle and charger combination. We think it’s also a worthwhile investment because charging at home is usually much cheaper than plugging in at public charging stations. And it’s clearly more convenient.
Owners of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) may not need a 240-volt charger because PHEVs can run on gasoline when they run out of charge. And our tests have found that many PHEVs can recharge fully overnight on a 120-volt outlet. But models with larger batteries, such as the BMW X5, take more than a day; 120-volt charge times for PHEVs can be found in the Ratings and Specs section for each model.
Make sure the charger you buy has a connector that fits your vehicle. Most non-Tesla EVs manufactured before have what’s called a J connector, while Tesla vehicles come with a NACS connector, short for North American Charging Standard. Converters are available, although there are currently far more options to convert from a J cord to a vehicle with a NACS outlet than in the other direction. Starting thisyear, more non-Tesla vehicles will come standard with a NACS plug, so keep that in mind if you’re planning to buy a new EV in the near future.
No matter which charger you buy, make sure it has a UL and/or ETL certification mark on the unit itself. This shows that it meets safety and quality standards. Be wary of brands you haven’t heard of, and avoid those with low ratings from owners. If something goes wrong with a charger, it could damage your vehicle or even cause a fire.
With that said, most chargers are pretty reliable. Fewer than 3 percent of survey respondents told us they had problems with their home chargers. The most common were the inability to connect to an app and chargers that stopped charging before the vehicle battery was full.
When shopping for a home charger, consider the following factors, roughly in descending order of importance:
Amperage: We’ve used 40- and 50-amp chargers, but some homes can accommodate 80-amp chargers. Although they cost more, they can nearly double the speed at which some cars charge at home.
Cable length: The length of the charging cable affects where you can mount the EVSE and how easy it will be to reach the car’s charging port. Remember that your next EV may have a charging port in a different location, and you’ll want to be able to reach it. Most cables are between 20 and 25 feet long, and we recommend going for the longest you can afford, usually 25 feet.
Cable management: It’s handy to have a hook to wrap the unused portion of the cable around. Otherwise, if the cable is scattered, it adds clutter in the garage, collects dust, and might cause someone to trip over it. The ability to place the holster for the connector away from the unit might add flexibility in a tight single-car garage. If your connector doesn’t come with a hook, a wall-mounted holder for a garden hose will do the trick and can be found at any hardware store.
Ease of plugging/unplugging: We like to see a high-quality, substantial coupler that lets you smoothly and effortlessly plug and unplug into and out of the car’s port. A solid and secure holster is an advantage, and it gives you confidence that the coupler will stay secure. One is usually included with top brands.
Location: Where you install your charger could determine how easy it is to plug in your car and how much the installation costs. If you have to dig a trench for wiring, even a few feet can add hundreds of dollars. Even indoors, you can save money by installing a charger closer to where electrical service already exists. Ideally, you’ll want to install your charger so that a cable can easily reach the car’s charge port whether it’s on the front, rear, left, or right of the vehicle. Otherwise, you might have to drag the cable across the car’s roof. Consult an electrician before getting your heart set on where a charger can go.
Size: Once you’ve determined where a charger should go, measure to see how much space you have. A wide wall charger or a thick one that sticks out far from the wall may encroach on space or your flexibility in placing it in the garage. Look at all placement options. For instance, a narrow unit might fit on the small strip of wall between two garage doors.
Ability to delay charging via app: Many cars allow you to control the charging time from within the car or via an app, so you can benefit from cheaper off-peak electricity costs, depending on your utility company. If your car doesn’t have this feature, consider a charger that does. Remember that this functionality may not work if the company that manufactured the charger discontinues support. (That’s what happened when the company that made JuiceBox chargers left the U.S. Owners could still charge their cars, but they lost access to the JuiceBox app.
Weatherproofing (optional): For those without a garage, look for a charger that can stand up to inclement weather. Most are claimed to be weatherproof by manufacturers. If you plan to install yours outside, we recommend finding a charger with a NEMA rating of 3, which is a standard set by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association that defines how resistant a product is to environmental hazards. A NEMA 3 rating, which is common on most home chargers, means they’re resistant to nearly all ambient temperatures in addition to the rain, sleet, and snow that the average U.S. consumer would face. The Grizzl-E has a NEMA 4 rating, which means it’s even more watertight. Note that a charging cable can become brittle in extremely cold weather.
How Many Amps Do You Need?
The higher the amperage of a home charger, the faster the charge, but just how fast depends on the electrical system of your car and your home. First, you need to determine how much amperage your home’s electrical system can handle. An electrician can help you figure that out. We recommend at least a 32-amp charger.
Then check to see what kind of charge your vehicle can accept, a spec that can be found on CR’s vehicle model pages. For instance, a Hyundai Ioniq 5 has an 11 kW onboard charger, so it can benefit from a 48-amp charger. A Toyota bZ4X only has a 6.6 kW onboard charger, so it won’t benefit from charging at higher than 30 amps. Several newer EVs are capable of charging at 60 to 80 amps. For applications above 48 amps, it’s recommended that the EVSE is hardwired as opposed to plugged into an outlet like a clothes dryer. Don’t be swayed by low-priced chargers that might charge less quickly. We recommend avoiding 16-amp chargers entirely. Onboard charger size and amperage information can be found in the Ratings and Specs section for the EV you’re interested in.
Should You Hardwire or Plug In Your Charger?
It depends. A plug-in type benefits from portability. These chargers can be readily replaced as needed, and they’re easy to take with you when you move or even when you’re on vacation if you rent a home. But a plug-in charger may not be able to run at as high an amperage as a hardwired model, so it may charge a little bit slower. Some high-amperage chargers require hardwiring.
Should You Buy a Smart Charger?
Not necessarily. Most EVs, like those from Nissan shown below, allow you to view charging status and get notifications through the car manufacturer’s app, and smart WiFi-connected chargers tend to cost more up front. But many utility companies offer rebates only on WiFi-connected models, which can cover the added expense.
Do You Have Frequent Power Outages?
If you live in an area that has frequent power outages, charging might not resume once the power is back on, and you could be surprised to find out that your EV isn’t sufficiently charged when you’re ready to drive. Some chargers and vehicles require the user to manually restart the charging session after a power outage. In those situations, it may be helpful to get a smart charger that can send an alert to your if charging is interrupted, or buy an EV with a similar feature. If you have a generator for your home, consult an electrician to make sure it can handle charging an EV when the power is out.
kW: Kilowatt, or one thousand watts. This is the unit for electrical power. Multiply volts (240) by the amperage rating of your charger and divide by 1,000 to determine how many kW can be sent to your vehicle.
kWh: Kilowatt hour. A unit of energy that’s stored inside a battery, expressing the battery’s capacity. Think of a battery’s kWh capacity as the equivalent of how many gallons of gas a tank can hold.
Level 2 charger: A 240-volt charger that can be installed at home or in a public place. It adds 20 to 40 miles of charge per hour and can fully charge an EV’s battery overnight. Public versions can be free or cost money depending on the location and provider.
NEMA: National Electrical Manufacturers Association. A trade group that sets standards for electrical products, such as types of plugs.
Type 1 connector: Also called J, this is a type of charger plug used on many American and European EVs and PHEVs that aren’t made by Tesla.
NACS (North American Charging Standard) connector: Also called J, this is a combination AC/DC charging plug used on Tesla vehicles that’s being introduced on EVs from other brands. Adapters exist to convert between NACS and CCS.
UL Listed: It’s wise to pick an EVSE that’s UL or ETL (Edison Testing Laboratories) listed, which indicates it complies with safety standards established by nationally recognized testing labs. Every charger featured here has such a safety rating, indicated by a seal on the box, the owner’s manual, or the unit itself.
Voltage: A measure of the force that moves electrical current. At the same amperage, a 120-volt outlet moves electricity more slowly than a 240-volt outlet, so an EV will charge less quickly when plugged into a 120-volt outlet. That’s why you have to install a special kind of outlet to plug in a Level 2 EV charger.
EV adoption is growing steadily, so if they aren’t already doing so, you should be prepared for more of your existing and potential residents to request access to EV chargers at your locations. Failing to plan ahead could put you at risk of falling behind the competition as EVs become the standard auto technology of choice in the years ahead.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website EV Charging Adapter.
Meeting this demand is not, however, as simple as merely installing a handful of EV chargers throughout your parking areas. Differences in charging speed and vehicle compatibility, onboard communication and intelligence features, and solutions to better incorporate your chargers into your larger electrical ecosystem should all be carefully considered before you go about putting chargers on the wall or in the ground.
Not sure where to start? Here are seven key questions to help guide you as you plan your EV charging infrastructure rollout.
Level 1 chargers typically use a standard household 110V outlet. These plugs provide the slowest charge — usually around 5 miles per hour. An overnight charge with a Level 1 plug, then, would top a car up by about 50 miles of charge, depending on the vehicle. For most drivers (unless driving is done infrequently), using a level 1 charger is a temporary solution until they or their landlords can install the faster, Level 2, charger.
Level 2 chargers are the standard for multifamily properties. Charging speeds are much faster with Level 2 compared to Level 1, providing the driver with around 15-25 miles of range per hour. In most cases, it’s easy to get a car to fully charge overnight. However, installing many level 2 chargers can pose a challenge in older buildings with dated electrical infrastructure without intelligent load management — more on that below.
Level 3 chargers, often called “DC Fast Chargers,” provide a lot of power very quickly… but that comes at a much greater cost. This design is closer to that of a gas station pump and usually allows a driver to park and fully charge their car in 25-30 minutes. While it seems like a benefit to have a machine that charges so quickly, it’s usually unnecessary for home living situations, and each individual charger often will cost more than a hundred thousand dollars, making them prohibitively expensive. These kinds of chargers also tend not to offer the kind of charging experience EV drivers actually want at home.
Understanding the current and projected demand for EV charging at your multifamily property is crucial to sizing your EV charging system and any electrical upgrades properly.
Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind as you plan:
Costs are often cited as the main reason why property owners are hesitant about installing EV chargers. Upgrading electrical infrastructure can be a significant cost — especially in cases where the building was not constructed with EV charging in mind. But there are ways to alleviate your costs, both in the short and long term.
One tool that’s integral to almost any system is load management. Load management is the ability to share electricity across multiple electric vehicle charging sessions at the same time. It can mean the difference between having to make an enormously expensive electrical upgrade or not, thereby putting the installation of EV charging infrastructure well within reach for buildings where such projects would otherwise be too expensive or difficult (including many older buildings).
For example, SWTCH Control is our load management technology and is used to help property operators install and manage up to 4 chargers on the same circuit — most often allowing the building to forgo expensive electrical infrastructure upgrades. With this tool in place, you can intelligently manage your EV chargers’ energy use in real-time, and ensure that all cars are fully charged by the morning.
Learn from the pros: Here is a great example of a MURB that kept installation costs low by using SWTCH’s load management system.
Another extremely effective way to lower the costs of rolling out this kind of project is to take advantage of local incentives and rebates. They can significantly reduce the cost of installing EV charging — up to 100% in some areas! You can contact us for help digging into incentives that may be available for your properties.
The number of chargers you need will be determined by the estimated number of EVs in your building. With EV ownership on the rise, the question becomes one of how many chargers to install each year. You don’t want to break the bank in your initial installation, but you also don’t want to fall behind your competition.
Lay a solid foundation by taking the following steps.
Just getting chargers installed isn’t the whole story. Once they’re in, maintenance and management of those chargers are required to ensure they deliver what tenants and visitors need.
There are steps that can be taken during the installation phase to minimize your maintenance requirements. These include:
It’s also advisable to do preventative maintenance to keep chargers in good working order. Ideally, once a year, someone from your maintenance team should inspect each station for the following:
Note that the frequency of this kind of inspection may need to be adjusted for shared or publicly accessible chargers that get frequent use from many drivers, as well as chargers that are unable to be kept safe from outdoor elements.
If you notice that your chargers develop problems more frequently, you will likely want to conduct preventative maintenance inspections more often.
There are also some EV charging partners that offer maintenance plans as part of their installation or ongoing software agreements, which can allow you to offload this portion of maintaining your network to a trusted partner.
As for charger management, it’s made far simpler when all your chargers are connected, either wirelessly or via a wired internet connection, to your local network, and made accessible via a centralized management solution. This will make it much easier to understand charger usage patterns, see when a charger is in need of repair, and handle pricing and payments.
Take a look at our connected charger management system, SWTCHOS
If you want to precisely meter the electricity consumed by chargers on your properties and ensure that the right people are paying for the electricity that is consumed, it’s essential that you invest in networked chargers that can be remotely managed by your team, as well as a solution that allows for charging sessions to be billed directly to the EV driver, and not requiring management to determine who charged when.
This solves two problems at once:
When it comes to EV charging stations, reliability is essential. Drivers depend on regular and accessible charging, so a defective charger presents a major setback for them and something that could potentially harm their relationship with the charger owner.
Keeping up with preventative maintenance, as mentioned earlier, is key to ensuring reliability. Other considerations include:
Charger reliability is one of the biggest pain points for EV drivers today, so taking care to set your installation up the right way, and to be proactive about handling repairs and inspections, will go a long way to keeping your EV drivers happy.
Keeping things simple, and putting into practice the recommendations from throughout this article, is ultimately the way to go:
For the majority of drivers, all that matters is that they have access to EV chargers, that they work when needed, and that starting and paying for charging sessions is a painless experience. If you can deliver on that, you’ll have created the kind of user experience that is likely to keep your tenants and visitors happy.
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