Electric Vehicle Charging is simply the method of supplying electric vehicles with electricity. There are 3 ways this is achieved:
- Level 1 charging – 120V
- Standard electrical outlet seen in most residential environments
- Level 2 charging – 208 – 240V
- Method used in most residential and office settings
- Works best when cars are parked for 6-12 hours
- DC Fast Charging (DCFC) – 480V, 3 phase
- Best for road trips or when a quick charge is needed
Level 1/2 Charging utilizes AC power and is converted to DC by the EV’s on-board power converter. DCFC receives DC power from the charging station, so does not need to be converted. With DCFC, the voltage architecture of the EV’s battery determines what voltage the DCFC outputs at. The image below is a good representation of the different types of EV charging:
From https://blinkcharging.com/what-are-the-different-methods-of-charging-an-electric-vehicle/
The plugs utilized for the below methods can be seen on the below image (made by Blink)
Level 1 charging is impractical for most commercial applications, so we are going to focus on Level 2 and DC Fast Charging for the remainder.
Level 2:
Voltage range: 208-240V
Amp range: Typically 32-80A (some chargers charge below 32A)
Charger Cost range: $700 – $4,000 per charger (see some of our favorite L2 chargers here)
Install Cost range: $5,000 – $20,000 depending on installation complexity
Plug type: J1772 (all non-Tesla), Tesla
Important technical info: Most EV drivers do not realize that their EV has a max Level 2 power (kW) acceptance rate! There are now many EV Chargers marketed as fast 80A chargers that can charge a vehicle at 19.2kW (on a 240V service); however, only a few cars on the market can even accept this amount of Level 2 power. See the image at right.
DCFC:
Voltage range: 150 – 1,000V
Amp range: 200 – 500A ; above 300A liquid cooled cables are often needed
Charger Cost range: $50,000 – $100,000 per charger (varies with kW output). Sona Energy offers one of the best values in DCFC on the market seen here!
Install Cost range: $50,000 – $500,000 depending on number of chargers, utility upgrades and site preparation needed
Plug type: CCS Combo (most EVs), CHAdeMO (popular with Japanese automakers until recently as they switch to CCS in North America), Tesla Supercharger
Important technical info: The charging speed dispensed by a DCFC station depends on 3 main things:
- the power rating of the station (kW)
- the max amperage the charging cable can handle (A)
- the voltage architecture of the EV Battery (V)
An EV with a 400V battery architecture using a station with a 200A cable can never get above 80 kW (400V * 80A = 80 kW) even if the station is a 150 A station. See image at right from BTC Power demonstrating the different characteristics of different Amp cables.
For more information, please visit our EV Charging Solutions page!