Although never needing to stop at a gas station is one of the major perks of owning an electrical vehicle (EV), you’ll spend more time at public charging stations than you ever did pumping gas.
By investing in an EV charging station installation for your home using a Tesla-certified installer, you can plug your car in when you get home, letting it charge while you sleep, do chores or spend time with your family. And if your area has low utility prices overnight, your fuel savings grow!
Blanco AC, Electric & Plumbing can bring the luxuries of this convenience straight to you with our EV charging options. Keep reading to find out how to make sure your EV is always ready to take you wherever you need to go.
Charging Your Electrical Vehicle At Home
In the same way that a smartphone is plugged into an electrical outlet to restore the amount of electricity stored in its battery, EVs need a charging station to plug into and refill the amount in their batteries. That electricity is then consumed when the vehicle is in use. Without electricity stored in the pack, it won’t go anywhere.
The plug used to charge your phone converts the 120-volt electrical current from normal wall outlets into a current suited to your phone’s charging outlet. EV charging stations work similarly. They convert your home (or garage) outlet’s 120-volt or 240-volt electrical current into a flow compatible with the batteries in your EV.
Commercial charging stations, found in parking lots or along highways, have voltages much higher than standard outlets installed in homes, so they charge EV batteries quickly. Although power stations of this capacity are not ideal for installation in residential areas, there are efficient ways to charge your vehicle from your home.
Types Of EV Charging Stations
Level 1
The simplest type of EV charging station is a Level 1 (L1). Charging cables for L1 stations use a three-prong plug to connect to basic (110 to 120-volt) grounded wall sockets found in houses.
L1 cables come with an EV purchase or lease and are the cheapest, easiest way to charge your vehicle from your home. But, they charge EVs very slowly — ranging from four to six miles during each hour of charging. That means an EV with a range of 200 miles can take up to 50 hours to recharge from empty.
L1 stations are best to use if your vehicle is a plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV), which can easily be recharged overnight.
Level 2
EV Level 2 (L2) charging stations use circuits from 240-volt electrical outlets, like the ones for clothes dryers, to charge your vehicle. They have a multi-pronged plug that is the same as the one used for your laundry room outlet.
If you don’t want to unplug your dryer every time you need to charge your EV, L2 installations usually involve running a 240-volt circuit to the garage to make the power more accessible. Electricians will then either hardwire the station into the circuit or make it a standard 240-volt outlet, leaving your charging cable portable so it can stay with you on the road.
Although this may seem like a costly hassle, L2 stations can recharge EV batteries four times faster than L1 stations. EVs with a range of 200 miles will charge in 10 hours, while PHEVs will charge in under four hours.
Rest And Recharge
Once you realize your L1 station isn’t quite cutting it for your charging needs, it is hard to ignore the importance of dependable residential charging stations. If your vehicle is completely electric-powered, an L2 station is the best option for reliable, efficient charging from your home.
Thankfully, Blanco AC, Electric & Plumbing is Tesla-Certified to install EV charging stations! Our team of trained technicians are more than capable of helping determine which charging station meets your needs and your budget, so you’re completely satisfied every step of the way.
Contact us today to learn more about our convenient installation services and financing options!