The Different Types of EV Chargers

If you’re new to the world of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, you may be surprised at the variety of chargers out there. While they all essentially operate in the same way, there are some differences that you should be aware of if you plan to own an EV or hybrid in the future. In simple terms, there are three different levels of chargers with the first two being the most common and available for home charging and at public charging stations. Level 3 chargers work the fastest but are very expensive and tend to be mainly used for commercial and industrial EVs.

Level 1 Chargers

EV chargers that fall into the level 1 category are those that come standard with the vehicle when you buy it. Level 1 chargers plug directly into a standard 120V wall outlet from the vehicle so they do provide a certain level of accessibility that the others don’t since you can plug them in almost anywhere. But there is a downside to level 1 chargers and that is the amount of time they require to provide a full charge. Most level 1 chargers offer enough juice to drive for 2-5 miles per house and take 20 hours or more to provide a substantial enough charge to allow to drive more than 100 miles in an EV. It should be noted that level 1 chargers do charge plug-in hybrids more quickly due to the smaller battery.

Level 2 Chargers

Level 2 chargers are plugged into a 240V outlet and, as a result, provide a faster charge than level 1 options. They are also sold separately from the EV or hybrid, but they are often bought along with the vehicle since they offer more driving range on a per hour charging basis. While the voltage is double that of level 1 chargers, the level 2 option can actually charge several times faster, up to seven times quicker depending on the type of EV on battery. On average, a level 2 charger can provide the same 125-mile driving range of a level 1 charger in roughly five hours—about four times as fast.

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Level 3 Chargers

Known as “DC fast chargers,” level 3 is by far the fastest way to charge an EV and they’re rarely found as home charging or even public charging station options due to the high cost mentioned above. To reach the 125-mile driving range mark that we’re using to measure charging times, a level 3 can achieve that in 30 minutes. In an hour, they can double that, which means that you can do a lot more driving in a lot less time. An important distinction to note here is that not all EVs can use a level 3 charger.

Home Chargers v. Public Charging Stations

Public charging stations are almost all level 2 chargers, as are many of the home chargers that owners use to charge their EVs and hybrids. They strike a nice balance of affordability and quicker charging times that make them the most popular option. Another reason that level 2 chargers are the most common is that they can be used to charge any type of EV, while that’s not the case with level 3 chargers.