Everything is going electric, especially when it comes to your car. As we evolve our awareness of what it means to be green and eco-friendly, and with car manufacturers streamlining their products to EV, you’re going to need to understand everything about EV charging at home.
Obviously charging your vehicle is not complicated as you only need to plug it in and wait for your EV to charge. However simple as you may perceive it, there are other factors you will want to consider when using an electric car charger for home.
Let’s break this down so you quickly become an expert in all things pertaining to home EV charging.
Level 1 vs Level 2 (Voltage)
When shopping for a home EV charging station, you will notice they’re marketed with “level 1” and “level 2” (sometimes called tiers instead of levels). This is what the industry refers to when measuring what voltage your charger uses. This essentially identifies the amount of electricity that is being used to charge to your battery and this impacts the speed your EV’s battery will replenish.
What’s the difference between level 1 and level 2 EV charging?
- Level 1 Charger – Uses a standard home outlet 120-volt outlet. This type of EV charging will eventually replenish your EV’s battery but will take a while. Think about how long it takes to charge your laptop or smartphone and then imagine how long it would take using the same voltage to charge your EV’s huge battery. If you’re not in a hurry or don’t travel many miles, this is a convenient method to charge your vehicle as you can plug it into virtually any electrical outlet and its usually a little cheaper type of charging infrastructure. The energy consumption would be the same as a level 2, it just takes longer.
- Level 2 Charger – A much faster charge than level 1 but requires a 240-volt outlet. This is the type of outlet that you sometimes see behind certain large appliances like a w/d, range, and refrigerator. If you want a faster charge or put a lot of daily miles on your EV, it is highly recommended to have a 240-volt outlet installed in your garage. It may cost more to install, but it would also add value to your home. These are all things to consider when factoring the overall cost of charging electric vehicle at home
When shopping for a level 2 home charging station, you don’t need to understand the engineering of a Level 2- or 240-volt outlet to understand it gives more power to charge your EV quicker.
- Level 3 Charging – This is a 480-volt supply that almost all homes and business cannot support. These (DC or Direct Current) are super chargers that can replenish your EV’s battery at incredible speeds. You will only find these in specific commercial locations such as public charging stations, some corporate offices, and malls.
NEMA 6-50 vs NEMA 14-50
You will mostly see two types of level 2 home charging station outlets defined as 14-50 and 6-50. It’s good to know exactly what you have or need before installing electric vehicle charging station at home. This way, you know all chords and outlets are compatible and you can freely charge your EV. An electrician can help you as well, but you will need to know this when purchasing a charging station.
- NEMA 6-50 – Newer so less common, more affordable, easier to install, doesn’t require a neutral connection.
- NEMA 14-50 – More common, doesn’t require a neutral connection.
They both will give off the same amount of amperage to your EV. Essentially it comes down to, what outlet do you have or should you install in your home. If you plan on travelling a lot with your own charging station, you will find more 14-50 outlets than 6-50.
Amperage
One last thing to consider when purchasing your EV home charging station is the Amperage. A 240 volt outlet can supply 50 amps of juice so its pretty simple to understand that the more amps your charging station can support, the faster your EV’s battery will charge.
Best Home EV Charging Stations
The good news is, because of the conscious effort to go green and save the planet, there are many universal chargers like the ones below that are compatible with all EV and hybrid plug-in vehicles. Whether you’re driving a Tesla or a Nissan Leaf, just plug and charge.
Now that you know pretty much everything you will need to understand when choosing a charging station to install at home, let’s have a peek at a few of the best charging options. A hardwired installation 50-amp option which does not use an outlet and is a very fast charge. As well as two 40-amp options, one offering an in-body holster, while the other offers a second wall box mount for the holster and cable management. Both 40-amp versions are available in NEMA 6-50 and 14-50 outlets.
Autel MaxiCharger Level 2 50A EV Charging Station with Separate Holster and Hardwired Input
- 50 Amps of Maximum Current – This is pretty much the fastest home EV charger.
- 25ft long Universal Charging Cable – With a separate wall box with holster and cable management.
- Hardwired Input – This does not use an outlet maximizing up to 50 amps of power by being a hardwired installation.
- Autel Charge App – Remote start, stop, monitor, schedule, and manage your home EV station from your smartphone.
- Connectivity via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet.
- Compatible with all EV and hybrid plug-in vehicles.
- Autel 3-Year Warranty
Autel MaxiCharger Level 2 40A EV Charging Station with Separate Holster NEMA 6-50
- 40 Amps of Maximum Current
- NEMA 6-50 Input Cable
- 25ft long Universal Charging Cable – With a separate wall box with holster and cable management.
- Autel Charge App – Remote start, stop, monitor, schedule, and manage your home EV station from your smartphone.
- Connectivity via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet.
- Compatible with all EV and hybrid plug-in vehicles.
- Autel 3-Year Warranty
Autel MaxiCharger Level 2 40A EV Charging Station with In-Body Holster NEMA 6-50
- 40 Amps of Maximum Current
- NEMA 6-50 Input Cable
- 25ft long Universal Charging Cable – With an in-body holster and cable management.
- Autel Charge App – Remote start, stop, monitor, schedule, and manage your home EV station from your smartphone.
- Connectivity via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet.
- Compatible with all EV and hybrid plug-in vehicles.
- Autel 3-Year Warranty
Autel MaxiCharger Level 2 40A EV Charging Station with Separate Holster NEMA 14-50
- 40 Amps of Maximum Current
- NEMA 14-50 Input Cable
- 25ft long Universal Charging Cable – With a separate wall box with holster and cable management.
- Autel Charge App – Remote start, stop, monitor, schedule, and manage your home EV station from your smartphone.
- Connectivity via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet.
- Compatible with all EV and hybrid plug-in vehicles.
- Autel 3-Year Warranty
Autel MaxiCharger Level 2 40A EV Charging Station with In-Body Holster NEMA 14-50
- 40 Amps of Maximum Current
- NEMA 14-50 Input Cable
- 25ft long Universal Charging Cable – With an in-body holster and cable management.
- Autel Charge App – Remote start, stop, monitor, schedule, and manage your home EV station from your smartphone.
- Connectivity via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet.
- Compatible with all EV and hybrid plug-in vehicles.
- Autel 3-Year Warranty
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