Charging
No jargon. The three things you need to know, the equipment that actually matters, and the apps to download before you need them.
What does charging actually cost?
Forget kilowatt-hours. Here's a simpler way to think about it: one eGallon = 10 kWh of electricity, and an average EV goes about 33 miles per eGallon.
In Washington State, where electricity runs about $0.10/kWh, an eGallon costs roughly $1. In other states with higher rates (or with DC fast charging), it costs more. But it's almost always dramatically cheaper than a gallon of gas.
Read more in Cost Comparison.
Level 1 — "The wall outlet"
Adds about 4-5 miles of range per hour. A full overnight charge (8 hours) gets you roughly 35-40 miles. That's enough for most people.
The car comes with a cable that plugs into any standard outlet. Don't lose it — this is your primary charging cable for most daily situations. Store it in the trunk.
Think of it like your phone. You plug in at night, it charges while you sleep, you wake up at 100%. You don't think about "range anxiety" for your phone either.
The industry undersells this option because there's no money in it. But most people with home charging don't need anything else. The math works for the median driver.
Level 2 — "The dryer outlet"
Adds about 25 miles of range per hour. Most EVs fully charge in 4-8 hours overnight.
At home, this is typically a NEMA 14-50 outlet — the same outlet your dryer uses. Installation costs $200-400 with a licensed electrician and a dedicated circuit. You don't need a fancy "charger" box for this; the real charger is inside your car.
The Level 2 "EVSE" boxes people buy are mostly smart extension cords. Nice to have — scheduling, longer cable, app control — but not required. Good options: Emporia, Grizzl-E, ChargePoint Home Flex.
Public Level 2 chargers are everywhere. Malls, parking garages, workplaces. Often free. That's not a typo: many hotels, restaurants, and employers throw in free Level 2 because they want EV-driving customers to stay longer.
Level 3 — "DC Fast Charging"
20-30 minutes to add 150+ miles. These are the chargers you'll see at highway rest stops, Costco parking lots, and dedicated charging stations.
Two things to know:
- Not for daily use. Repeated fast charging accelerates battery degradation. Think of it like full-throttle acceleration — fine occasionally, destructive habitually. Most EV owners use DC fast charging less than once a month.
- For road trips only. You find one at a place you'd stop anyway — a restaurant, a rest stop with coffee, a grocery store. The charging happens while you're doing something else.
Networks:
- Tesla Supercharger: most reliable. Now open to most EVs via Magic Dock adapter.
- Electrify America: best hardware when it works. Reliability has been frustrating.
- ChargePoint: ubiquitous at Level 2, decent DC fast charging.
The Apartment Problem
If you don't have a dedicated parking spot with access to an outlet, home charging is hard today. This is the #1 real barrier to EV ownership and I won't minimize it.
Solutions exist but aren't perfect:
- Workplace charging (if your employer offers it)
- Public Level 2 (shopping centers, some apartment complexes)
- DC fast charging for weekly top-ups (less convenient than home, but workable)
None of these are as seamless as plugging in at home. If your situation means you can't reliably charge at home or work, be honest about that before buying an EV.
What You'll Need to Buy
Here's what I actually recommend after years of EV ownership. The industry will try to sell you things you don't need. This is the list of things that are actually worth it, ordered by necessity.
Some links below may earn a small referral fee — it doesn't affect my recommendations. These are just the things I actually use.
1. Your L1 cable (comes with the car) — $0
Don't lose this. This is your primary charging cable for most daily situations. Standard 120V plug, the same as you'd plug a lamp into. Store it in your trunk — you'll want it for friend's houses, rentals, or anywhere a Level 2 charger isn't available.
2. A quality extension cord — $30-50
For situations where the outlet isn't quite in reach. Maybe your parking spot is near the building but not right next to an outlet. Maybe the outlet is on the wrong side of your garage.
Requirements:
- 12-gauge wire (heavier duty than cheap extension cords)
- 25-foot maximum length (longer = too much resistance = overheating)
- Outdoor-rated if it'll be exposed to weather
It will get warm during charging — this is normal with a proper 12-gauge cord. Never use a light-duty household extension cord for EV charging. That's a fire hazard.
Find a proper extension cord on Amazon →
3. A NEMA 14-50 outlet installation — $200-400
If you want faster home charging, this is the smart upgrade. The same outlet your clothes dryer uses — a 240V circuit that adds about 25 miles of range per hour.
Have a licensed electrician install a dedicated circuit. Yes, this costs money. But you don't need a fancy "charger" box on top of it. The real charger is inside your car. The outlet gives you the power; your car does the rest.
This is the path most EV owners take. It's well-understood, the parts are cheap, and it future-proofs your home for any EV you might own in the future.
4. A Level 2 EVSE (optional) — $200-600
Adds scheduling, longer cable, app control. Nice but not required if you have a 14-50 outlet. Think of it as a smart extension cord.
Recommended models:
- Emporia — Best value, solid app, works with Home Assistant
- Grizzl-E — Simple, rugged, Canadian-made
- ChargePoint Home Flex — Premium option, great app
Skip the expensive smart features if you're on a budget. The basic functionality of any UL-listed EVSE works fine.
5. Charging apps — free
Download these before you need them:
- ABRP (A Better Route Planner) — For road trip planning. The best EV routing app by a wide margin. Enter your exact vehicle model and battery size. It shows optimized stops, arrival state of charge, total trip time including charging. Don't use Google Maps for EV road trips.
- PlugShare — Not a charging network, a community map. Shows real-time charger status and reviews from other EV owners. Essential for finding working chargers.
- ChargePoint — Largest network, especially for Level 2.
- Electrify America — For DC fast charging on the road.
What you don't need
- An expensive Level 2 charger before you even know your charging habits
- A charging subscription you'll rarely use
- Anything the dealer tries to add on at purchase — they almost always overcharge
- CHAdeMO adapters (that standard is dying; CCS is the future)