How it Works
The Electric
Vehicle (EV) is revolutionizing the way we fuel our cars. Most electric
car owners have a level 1 or level 2 “charging station”
in their home. While the actual AC to DC converter unit is mounted in the car,
most people call the home device that supplies electricity the charging station. The industry term for this unit is
Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE).
A Level 1 charging station uses your home’s standard electric
outlets. A set of cords is supplied with the car for simple charging. The Level
2 system uses EVSE and is usually installed in
the garage where the car will be parked during charging. The EVSE chargepoint should be located where it is
protected from physical damage and where the supplied cords can easily reach
the vehicle.
Level 1 charging uses low
amperage compared to a level 2 charging station. The higher the amperage on
your charging station, the faster your car battery will charge. Consider the
amount of driving you’re likely to do on a given day; for a daily commute of 30
or 40 miles, a level 1 charging station may be sufficient. Specifically, a
level 1 - 120 Vac - 15 amp charging station charges
about 2-5 miles per hour. A level 2 - 240 Vac - 40 amp station charges about 10-20
miles per hour.
Costs and Environmental Impact
Just how much can you save with
an electric car? According to the U.S.
Department of Energy’s vehicle comparison, an electric
vehicle using 30 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per 100 miles will save about
$9,250 in fuel costs over five years compared to the average new vehicle. An
electric vehicle also saves approximately 8,000 pounds of CO2 annually. The
cost of installing a Level 2 system can be upwards of $2,000 and it depends on
the model and installation requirements. If your electrical service needs to be
upgraded to handle the additional load, there will be substantial additional
costs.
Some utility providers have
off-peak or time-of-use rates. A simple two-tier rate may consist of a peak
period from noon-6 p.m., Monday through Friday, with all other times considered
non-peak. Electricity priced during the
non-peak hours is lower than during the peak times. Other utilities may have even lower rates for
overnight usage. If available, off-peak charging rates will reduce vehicle
operating costs even more.