Most people don’t even need to install a charger.
If you have a normal 120V 25A circuit available, you can just plug in a 20A charger and get ~40miles every night. Unless you average more than 250miles a week on your car, you’ll be fine with a normal outlet.
But with gas prices what they are today, even in an apartment, having to pay for public charging is quite a bit cheaper than gas.
Yep, my friends have been charging their massive electric Telluride SUV just from a standard outlet for like over a year now, I’m pretty impressed. Granted, I’m sure they also use EV charging stations when they’re out shopping.
This is what people don’t understand. If you live a US suburban lifestyle, the level 2 charger is a quality of life convenience but not required (let alone using public DC fast charging).
I have driven electric for over a year now and have done 90% of my charging overnight in my garage using cheap off-peak electricity, from a regular outlet. For the other 10% I spent essentially zero on public charging due to a charge credit package that came with the car lease.
Circuits in the US are not 25 amp. The standard circuit is 15 amp, with some being 20. The charger and car must also support a 20 amp draw, which most do not. The charger would need to have a horizontal pin to show that it’s a 20 amp device, blocking it from use in a 15 amp outlet. You also better hope that nothing else is on that circuit, because it will run at the limit.
40 miles per night is still accurate enough, depending on the car and how many hours it will be charging. It’s also the average daily commute, which means you have to charge every single night, no exceptions. And if you’re in the half of the population with a longer commute, you’ll be losing range each day, hoping to recover it by charging over the weekend. The end result is that you’ll spend a lot of mental energy thinking about charging and range, giving you even more range anxiety.
Can you make it work? Yeah, probably. But it won’t be the great experience that everyone with a level 2 has.
Source: Used level 1 for a few months while arranging the 240v installation. My bathroom outlets are on the same circuit, meaning no one can use a hairdryer while the car is charging.
True! I got my amp raitings confused. Was working off year old memory.
I have a 28mile commute. (typical in Albuquerque) I always plug in the car while parked at home. Just out of habit. Setup my 15A charger to go on/off with my local off peak schedule. I never think about it. Always a full battery.
And I don’t own a hair dryer.
And you don’t really need “hope” to make up extra on the weekends. You will.
Seriously. 250 miles per week. Or 1000 miles per month. Or 12,000 per year. If that sounds like you. You don’t really need 240V.
Around 50% of the population (and the vast majority of homes) have a hairdryer.
And you don’t really need “hope” to make up extra on the weekends. You will.
Unless you go places and do things on weekends.
I’m glad it’s working for you. I really am. But you’re a bit of an outlier. You have a short commute, a home that’s wired favorably, and a lifestyle that’s compatible. You’ve also gotten comfortable with the setup. These are all factors well beyond the 12k miles/year average mileage.
I was looking at electric motorcycles a while ago, don’t drive but if I did they is probably what I would go for. User removable battery and not unreasonable to get a second one for extra range, or to have one charging while you use the other one.
Fair few options for 4 figure price tags. I wonder if you could get a sidecar too? Load it with batteries for 1000km range.
Most people don’t even need to install a charger.
If you have a normal 120V 25A circuit available, you can just plug in a 20A charger and get ~40miles every night. Unless you average more than 250miles a week on your car, you’ll be fine with a normal outlet.
But with gas prices what they are today, even in an apartment, having to pay for public charging is quite a bit cheaper than gas.
Yep, my friends have been charging their massive electric Telluride SUV just from a standard outlet for like over a year now, I’m pretty impressed. Granted, I’m sure they also use EV charging stations when they’re out shopping.
This is what people don’t understand. If you live a US suburban lifestyle, the level 2 charger is a quality of life convenience but not required (let alone using public DC fast charging).
I have driven electric for over a year now and have done 90% of my charging overnight in my garage using cheap off-peak electricity, from a regular outlet. For the other 10% I spent essentially zero on public charging due to a charge credit package that came with the car lease.
Circuits in the US are not 25 amp. The standard circuit is 15 amp, with some being 20. The charger and car must also support a 20 amp draw, which most do not. The charger would need to have a horizontal pin to show that it’s a 20 amp device, blocking it from use in a 15 amp outlet. You also better hope that nothing else is on that circuit, because it will run at the limit.
40 miles per night is still accurate enough, depending on the car and how many hours it will be charging. It’s also the average daily commute, which means you have to charge every single night, no exceptions. And if you’re in the half of the population with a longer commute, you’ll be losing range each day, hoping to recover it by charging over the weekend. The end result is that you’ll spend a lot of mental energy thinking about charging and range, giving you even more range anxiety.
Can you make it work? Yeah, probably. But it won’t be the great experience that everyone with a level 2 has.
Source: Used level 1 for a few months while arranging the 240v installation. My bathroom outlets are on the same circuit, meaning no one can use a hairdryer while the car is charging.
True! I got my amp raitings confused. Was working off year old memory.
I have a 28mile commute. (typical in Albuquerque) I always plug in the car while parked at home. Just out of habit. Setup my 15A charger to go on/off with my local off peak schedule. I never think about it. Always a full battery.
And I don’t own a hair dryer.
And you don’t really need “hope” to make up extra on the weekends. You will.
Seriously. 250 miles per week. Or 1000 miles per month. Or 12,000 per year. If that sounds like you. You don’t really need 240V.
Around 50% of the population (and the vast majority of homes) have a hairdryer.
Unless you go places and do things on weekends.
I’m glad it’s working for you. I really am. But you’re a bit of an outlier. You have a short commute, a home that’s wired favorably, and a lifestyle that’s compatible. You’ve also gotten comfortable with the setup. These are all factors well beyond the 12k miles/year average mileage.
I was looking at electric motorcycles a while ago, don’t drive but if I did they is probably what I would go for. User removable battery and not unreasonable to get a second one for extra range, or to have one charging while you use the other one.
Fair few options for 4 figure price tags. I wonder if you could get a sidecar too? Load it with batteries for 1000km range.