There are considered to be 2 levels of home charging available for your car.
Level 1 Charging
If you’ve just bought an EV be it a Nissan LEAF, Hyundai Ioniq, BMW i3, Renault Zoe, Volvo or Mitsubishi you will have been supplied with a portable Level 1 Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (or EVSE/Charger).
This unit enables you to charge your car from an ordinary household power outlet. However, it is limited by the 10 Amp current supply and is, therefore, the slowest charging mode for an electric vehicle.
- Uses a standard 120 or 240V 10 Amp outlet
- Takes 5 to 20 hours to fully charge a vehicle, depending on how depleted the battery is and whether it’s a hybrid or fully electric vehicle – Check out the relevant EV Cars Guides page for your target vehicle for more information
- Typically adds (up to) 7 miles (10 km) of range per hour charged
- Little or no set-up costs – just plug into a nearby standard socket
Level 2 Charging
Now you’re talking.. the best option for home charging!
Consider upgrading to a level 2 charging station if your vehicle has an electric drive range of around 50 kms or more, or you simply want a faster charger. Uses a 240V circuit and 15 amps or more.
- Takes 2 to 8 hours to fully charge a vehicle, depending on how depleted the battery is and whether it’s a hybrid or fully electric vehicle
- Typically adds between 19-40 km of range per hour charged
- May require a new circuit to be installed by a qualified electrician – note: we can arrange this for you, check the Installations page.
- Available at some work and public sites
So Should You Upgrade To A Level 2 Charger?
If you can get by with the combination of the slow level 1 charger and use of public charging stations then maybe you’ll be fine. However, a more capable charging solution is highly recommended. The standard speech from seasoned EV owners is that they perform the majority of their charging at home.
Here are the top 4 reasons our customers upgrade to a faster level 2 Wall Chargers:
- I don’t have a suitable power point in my normal parking location.
- I don’t want the hassle of unraveling the portable charger every time I want to charge at home.
- I want the insurance of having ‘more range more often’.
- I don’t want to get caught out in the event of an unexpected trip.
Another consideration has to be the convenience of a wall charger. It will be installed in the correct location relevant to the charge port on your car. It will become second nature to plug in on your return home.