Guide to Electric Vehicle chargers

Guide to Electric Vehicle chargers It may surprise you to learn that an electric car’s charger is found on board…

It may surprise you to learn that an electric car’s charger is found on board the vehicle. It’s the equipment buried in the the car that takes AC power from your house, and converts it to DC—so your car’s battery pack can be charged.

This fact doesn’t stop nearly everybody from calling the wall-mounted box that supplies 230 volts of electricity a “charger.” Actually, that box, flex and plug has a technical name—Electric Vehicle Service Equipment or EVSE—and if you have an EV, you’re going to want to install one at home.

So, it’s slightly misleading to say we’re providing guidance about chargers, because we’re really talking about buying an EVSE—which is essentially no more than an electrical device allowing drivers to safely connect an electric car to a 230-volt source of electricity. It’s not rocket science, and you should not overthink the selection and installation of an EVSE.

That said, there are important differences between the various home chargers (uh, I mean EVSEs). And there are a few best practices to keep in mind.

Amperage Capacity

You should buy an EVSE that can handle at least 32 amps. The rule of thumb is that 32-amp service will roughly give you the ability to add 30 miles of range in an hour—just as 15 amps will add about 15 miles in an hour of charging. (These range numbers are somewhat optimistic.)

Keep in mind that most plug-in hybrids (and the Nissan LEAF prior to the 2013 model) don’t take full advantage of the faster rate. That’s okay. It’s still wise to have the capacity to charge at least at the 32-amp level, even if your current car can't fully utilize the higher amperage, so you don’t have to upgrade in a few years if/when you buy a new EV that has a faster on-board charger. Also, it’s nice to allow friends with faster-charging EVs to get a full charge from your garage.

Note: A 32-amp EVSE will need a circuit breaker rated for at least 40 amps.

Length of Charging Cable, and EVSE Location

Before you buy an EVSE, imagine where your electric car will be parked. Think about the ideal location for this piece of equipment. Now measure the distance between where the EVSE will hang on your wall, and where the charging port is on your car. Cables usually run from approximately 3 to 8 meters. Make sure your cord can easily reach where it needs to go, and think about its length for a potential second plug-in car in your driveway or garage.

Because you’ll charge almost every night, you want it to be as convenient as possible.

Connectivity

If tracking electricity usage of your EV (for work or tax purposes) is an absolute must, you'll want to either meter your charging separately, or keep your eye open for add-on devices that perform this function via integration with the smart grid. These solutions are currently being evaluated in pilot projects.

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