It should be noted that this post was written in May 2023. Many things change quickly in the electric car market, so I share this with you as a disclaimer.
If you have been following along, you know that I’ve been sharing information about my experience of choosing an electric vehicle and buying an electric vehicle. You can use these links to check out those posts if you haven’t seen them and are interested in knowing a little bit more backstory of my switch to an EV.
After purchasing my Kia Niro, I needed to figure out a charging situation for the vehicle. This post is meant to be informational about the general types of chargers that are available for EVs as well as the charger I ended up purchasing.
Levels of EV Chargers
If you aren’t already aware, there are three levels of charging for electric vehicles. My Niro came with a level 1 charger. I compare this to plugging in a lamp. This plug can go into any basic 110 volt plug, just like one you use for your lamp, but it is a slowwww charge. It is often called a trickle charge because it is barely trickling energy into your batteries. For my vehicle, it can take up to 2 days to get to a full charge from 0 on the trickle charge.
Another option I had is that there are four electric vehicle chargers at the Walmart in my town. These chargers, and what you will most likely see at gas stations, are a level 3 charger. These are the fastest level of charger for electric vehicles. You can go from a 0 charge to a full charge in only a few hours. But these are public chargers and tend to be more expensive to use. Additionally, the EV manufacturers tend to recommend not relying on this type of charger all of the time because it can be hard on the batteries themselves. So that left with me the level 2 charger.
The level 2 charger is in the Goldilocks zone of “just right” charging. The level 2 charger is a relatively fast charging option, compared to the level 1 trickle charge. It may be slower than the level 3 charger, but it isn’t as hard on the batteries. The level 2 charger can be compared to plugging in your clothes dryer. Dryers and EV level 2 chargers use 240 volt plugs. Ultimately deciding on the level 2 charger meant another purchase because I would need to be able to install this charger at my house.
Finding the right EV Level 2 Charger
I did my research, again, on finding a suitable level 2 charger to buy. I took on Eric’s methods and scoured websites. I read reviews and compared prices. I called my electric company. I should also note that I own my home. (If you are a renter, obviously there are some other hurdles for you to consider in thinking about how you will charge your EV because installing a charger may not be a practical option.)
I also did not have a garage to install this charger in. It turns out, much like the public chargers, they can withstand the weather (within reason obviously). Not having a garage or other indoor space to charge is not a big deal. That was something I specifically looked for in my research on which level 2 charger to purchase, though. I kept an eye out for any concerns of having the charger outside. I also had to check my electric box to determine if I had the room to install this additional load. In doing this, I realized I had the location and the capacity to install.
I purchased the Emporia Energy Level 2 48 amp Indoor/Outdoor Car Charger. It has a 24 foot cable and connector that connects to all electric cars (but does need an adapter for Tesla models). It connects to Wifi and has an app to help you in managing your charging. From the app, you can schedule your charging windows for if you want to plug the car in when you get home but delay the charging to overnight charging or at other non-peak times. This charger was an easy install and has been super easy to use. Other than maybe two times that a little ice built up in the connector, which I could easily use a hair dryer to remove, I have had no issues with this charger.
Installing the EV Charger
My dad, who is an electrician, installed the charger for us. He too did research and watched YouTube videos before beginning the work since he’s never installed an electric car charger before. We put the additional ask onto him of not fully wiring the charger into our house. You would want to do this if you are planning on living at your location for a long time. We know that we will eventually move, and we want to take our charger with us. So dad wired an external 240 watt plug on the exterior of our house, with a cover, and modified the plug cord so that it could fit into this configuration. You can see this in our picture of our install.
My EV Charging Habits
I do about 90% of my charging at home with the Emporia Energy level 2 EV Charger. With the limited amount of miles I travel in a week, usually less than 250, I charge less than once a week. It was two months before I tried using a public charger for the first time, which can be an adventure of its own! Overall, though, I am very glad that I purchased and installed a level 2 charger at my house. It is the most cost effective and convenient way to charge my EV. You may be wondering what my final thoughts are on owning an electric vehicle. That will be coming in my next post!
Do you have questions about owning electric vehicles? I’m compiling a FAQs page and would love to know what questions you have. Send them to me or share them below.