6 Things Every EV Owner Needs To Know Before Installing A Home Charger – SlashGear

When you’re looking at chargers, you’ll likely see Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 referenced. They’re effectively distinctions of voltage: Level 1 means a 110-120V charger compatible with the regular outlets found in North American homes. Level 2, meanwhile, refers to a 220-240V charger. (Those people who live in countries where 220-240V is the standard for domestic outlets don’t need to worry about the distinction.)

A Level 1 charger can usually provide around four to five miles of range per hour that the EV is plugged in. In contrast, a Level 2 charger could add 50+ miles of range per hour connected. Level 3 is a reference to DC fast chargers commonly used at public stations; they’re capable of delivering exceptionally fast recharge times, but they’re not intended for domestic use as they require seriously potent electrical wiring (and come with seriously high price tags, too).

While Level 1 chargers have the benefit of plugging into easily-found outlets, most EV owners will want a Level 2 charger at home. Some need to be hardwired; others plug into a 240V outlet, typically a NEMA 14-30, 14-50, 10-30, 10-50, or 6-50. If you’ve got an electric dryer in your garage, you might already have a compatible outlet, though that’s still no guarantee that you’ll get the fastest charging speeds that your EV and your charger officially support. Different Level 2 chargers put out different amounts of power, measured in kilowatts (kW). Typically that can range from 3.6 kW to 19.2 kW, though it’s worth noting that not every electric vehicle supports those higher kilowatt figures — 9.6 kW is fairly commonplace in current EVs.