Charging Locations
Home
Refer to "EV Charging" for more information about 3 types of charging capabilities. Charging at home is by far the most cost-effective and if possible most people use this method as their primary source of electricity. Level 1 charging is slow, typically a couple of days to charge your EV from a fully depleted battery, but the easiest because all you have to do is plug the provided cable into a normal wall socket and the other end into the EV.
Level 2 charging is faster, typically will charge your EV overnight, but requires a 240V receptor. Most garages do not come with a 240V receptor so an electrician is required to install one. Then, you may need to purchase an EVSE charger, if one is not provided as part of your vehicle purchase. The EVSE will come with the necessary J-1772 plug to connect to the EV. The cost to install both is roughly $1,000, but could be more if extra effort is required by the electrician to install the wiring and/or 240V receptor in the necessary location.
Neighborhood or Work Chargers
Perhaps you live in an apartment or house that does not have a garage or other accommodations for installing a home charger. If this is the case, you may want to investigate how you will charge your EV before your purchase.
Options could include:
- Work chargers. Some employers install Level 2 chargers at their work locations for their employees to use. That's great, but as more EVs are on the road, the availability of those chargers may be become limited.
- Neighborhood chargers. Near your home or work there are likely opportunities to charge your EV. They could be Level 2 or DC fast chargers and will probably involve a cost to charge. You should investigate the best overall option for your situation before your purchase. Even if you have to pay for electricity, it should be less than paying for gas.
Charging on Long-Distance Trips
Refer back to "EV Charging" for the essentials on charging speed levels and the different connectors you might encounter.
If you plan to do a lot of long-distance trips with your EV, you should know that Tesla has the most efficient and convenient charging infrastructure in the US. It's a plug and charge drama-free system with payment integrated through your Tesla account. Charging speeds are consistent between stations and they are very reliable.
Unfortunately, the rest of the US charging infrastructure is not nearly as easy to use. It is expanding and improving, but still has a long way to go. There are numerous charging providers, all with their own App and charging initiation procedures, costs vary greatly, charging speeds differ, available connectors can be different, payment options also are different (some accept credit cards - which don't always work, and some don't and you need to have an account and pay through the App), some have good customer service if you need to call for help - and some don't, and generally they just can be finicky. All this usually costs you precious time when you are on a long trip.
This is not to say that they don't work - they do, it's just not as easy as Tesla's infrastructure.
TIP: Whether you are planning to drive a Tesla or another vehicle, I recommend using PlugShare.com to plan your trip (see PlugShare.Com map and embedded link below). PlugShare is a great resource of charging facilities around the US and Canada – they provide details such as exact location, connector type, charging speed, provider, cost, user comments, and an overall rating. It is a great trip planning tool (used along with GoogleMaps to determine distances between charge stops) to determine the best and most cost-effective places to charge. Telsa has a very good trip planner as well, however, only includes official Tesla chargers and excludes other chargers that may be necessary to complete your trip especially in rural areas.
