Charging
The three things you need to know about charging you car.
Measuring Range
Electrical energy is measured in kilowatt-hours. If you don't want to think about electrical engineering, I created a useful conversion: call 10 kWh an eGallon.
One eGallon is similar to one Gallon of gas. The typical EV travels 30 miles per eGallon and holds 8-12 eGallons of charge. Nationally, the average cost of electricity is $1.80 per eGallon.
Charging Levels
There are three "levels" of charging. For anyone who drives fewer than 50 miles per day, Level 1 (a standard wall outlet) is sufficient. For anyone who drives between 50 and 200 miles per day, Level 2 charging is sufficient.
Level 1 — "The wall outlet"
Adds about 2 eGallons in 12 hours.
Your car will come with a cable that plugs into any standard outlet. Store it in the trunk.
The industry undersells this option because there's no money in it, but most people with home charging don't need anything else.
Level 2 — "The dryer outlet"
Adds about 8 eGallons every 12 hours.
This uses the same kind of outlet that your dryer uses. A licensed electrician can install one for you for a few hundred dollars.
A fancy "charger" box is optional. The real charger is inside your car. The Level 2 charger boxes people buy are mostly smart extension cords. Nice to have, but not required.
Level 3 — "DC Fast Charging"
Adds about 8 eGallons in 30 minutes.
These are the chargers you'll see at highway rest stops and dedicated charging stations. Electrify America and Tesla Superchargers are L3.
These are closest to the experience of just stopping in a gas station, but not what most EV owners are using daily. In fact, I only use L3 charging a few times a year.
Free Charging Apps
There are two apps you will want to have on your phone. The first is PlugShare for finding Level 2 chargers. The second is ABRP (A Better Route Planner) for road trip planning.
