If you already have an electric vehicle or you are thinking of purchasing one in the near future, what it comes down to is the charging itself. We all know that there are many benefits in owning an environmentally friendly vehicle or the cost effectiveness of cutting out the need for gas, but if an electrical vehicle takes too long to charge or if it can’t get a reliable charge then investing in an electrical vehicle is not worth it. There are two types of chargers that you probably need to know about before you decide to invest in an electrical vehicle.
A level 1 charger is the slowest type of charging equipment. Level 1 charging is just plugging into a standard outlet. Level 1 charging can be convenient for home use but it charges very slowly. The charging only adds 5 miles of range per hour. Level 1 charger is only useful for electrical vehicles that will be parked for several hours. When purchasing an electric vehicle, typically this type of charger comes with it and will deliver around 1.2 KW to the vehicle. Typical charging time for this type of charger will take around 11-20 hours.
A level 2 electric vehicle charging station delivers an electrical current from an outlet or hardwired unit to the vehicle via the connector, which is similar to a standard-issue charger. Level 2 charging adds about 25 miles of range per hour, this means that this type of charger charges faster than a level 1 charger. A level 1 charger is just too slow for the amount of time that most drivers have. Level 2 chargers need a 208-240 Volt and a 40 AMP circuit. Typical charging time for this type of charger will take about 3-8 hours.
As you can see, a level 2 charger is a lot faster than a level 1 charger. Therefore, when you are thinking of buying an electrical vehicle, first think about the charger and make sure you buy a level 2 charger so that you will be able to use your vehicle a lot more.
