EV Charging For Dummies

The first thing to realise that unlike petrol and diesel vehicles there are a number of different ways to charge your car. There’s essentially two pieces of key terminology you need to understand and apply to your vehicle

• Charging Levels – the power at which you can charge your electric vehicle, grouped into a few key bands (levels 1 to 3).
• Charging Types – the physical plug connector type that plugs into your electric car.

What are the different levels of EV charging?

Unlike petrol stations, there are a few different levels or charging rates. While they all provide electricity they do so at different speeds. The charging rates are referred to as “Levels“ – typically, the higher the level, the faster the charging.

The best way to think of charging rates the amount of range in kms added for every hour connected. 

• Level 1-2 also known as Destination Chargers
• Level 3 also known as (DC) Fast Chargers

Up to 2.4kw 7-10 km/hr of charge.

This is best suited for smaller battery sizes such as those in PHEVs or when longer charging time is available. Level 1 charging at work could also be a supplement for people driving over 40km per day, or even a substitute for those who can’t charge at home.

EVolution recommends only choosing this charger if you drive under 4000km a year. 

2.4-22kw 10-100 km/hr of charge.

The vehicle is connected directly to the electrical network via a specific socket, plug, and dedicated circuit. This is the most common home and public charging level. Level 2 allows for a wide range of charging speeds, all the way up to 19.2 kilowatts (KM), or about 70 miles of range per hour of charging. Level 2 charging is much quicker because it is done at a higher voltage and higher amperage. But it requires more rugged equipment and more robust wiring to handle the extra electrons and heat they generate.

10-200kw 60-800 km/hr of charge.

DC Level 3 requires significant panel and service upgrades, being the most expensive to deploy (typically 70km of range for every 10 minutes of charging). These stations require more power than your house, which is generally more than you’ll need for your daily commute.

EVolution recommends Level 3 DC Fast charging for petrol station operators, motorways, street side charging, fleet vehicles and for certain commercial users. 

AC charging is done at the lower Levels 1 or 2. When you do this there is an AC to DC inverter inside the car that converts the AC power (provided by the power point) into DC power allowing it to be stored in the battery.

Most Level 3 charging is DC. This means the electricity by-passes the AC/DC inverter and is put straight into the battery allowing for more efficient charging. The picture below is of the Nissan LEAF charge ports which illustrate it perfectly. 

While the charging stations themselves are referred to with “Levels” the physical plugs you plug into the cars are normally referred to as “Types”

Most manufacturers choose a standard and stick with it. For example, Mitsubishi and Nissan universally use the Type 1 J1772 connection. However, some manufacturers equip their vehicles with different connectors depending on the region. BMW and Hyundai are a good example of this, they get even more complicated in such countries as NZ where cars from different markets are imported. So there could be two identical cars side by side one with a J1772 connector and the other with Mennekes.

If you are not sure what connector you have, then select your vehicle from the EV Cars Guides Menu above. If you’re still not sure, don’t hesitate to send us a photo and we will help you choose your cable or charger accordingly.

Note: We sell adaptors from Type 1 to Type 2 and vice versa so whichever charge station you rock up to, we can provide the correct cable so you can get a charge up in every occasion.

CHAdeMO DC Fast Charge connector most commonly used by Mitsubishi and Nissan

CCS2 Combo DC Fast Connector – most commonly used by Hyundai, Kia some BMWs and Jaguar.

Tesla Supercharger Connector

Note: other than a Chademo to Tesla adaptor (available from Tesla direct there is currently no way to adapt between these Level 3  protocols.