Yahoo Autos What Are the Different EV Charging Levels?
Jargon such as SAE J1772, DC fast-charging, or Level 1 and 2 chargers can make replenishing the charge of your electric car's battery seem far more complicated than it is. The truth is, charging your EV is arguably no harder than charging your cell phone, though it may take a bit longer depending on the specific charging setup your car's plugged into.
We want to demystify the act of recharging the battery of your EV (or plug-in hybrid), and as such, we've taken the time to break things down for you by explaining the basics of EV charging and the various "Levels" associated with it.
Electric Vehicle Charging Levels
The automotive engineering organization SAE International outlines three levels of EV charging: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. The one you use at a given time could depend on a few factors, such as your home's electrical system and the makeup of available public chargers in a given locality.
Level 1
Automakers often include Level 1 charging equipment with new electric cars. This device plugs into a typical household 120V outlet. The ubiquity of these ordinary household outlets makes Level 1 charging incredibly convenient, even if this type of charging replenishes your car's battery pack at a very slow rate. Plan on seeing your EV add around two to four miles of range per hour, depending on the efficiency of your specific battery-powered car, truck, or SUV. This type of charging is much slower and far less efficient than Level 2 charging.
Level 1 alone won't be enough to keep up with the charging needs of most EV owners. That said if you only drive 20 miles or so each day, you may be able to get by using only a Level 1 charger. One quick point of caution: Avoid plugging your Level 1 charger's cord into an extension cord, as the wire's additional length creates resistance that may overheat the extension cord.
Level 2
Level 2 charging operates at 240 volts and typically at three to four times the amperage of a lesser Level 1 unit. As such, the majority of Level 2 units add electricity to your EV's battery pack at a rate that's roughly six to eight times faster than Level 1 setups, equating to around 12–32 miles of driving range for each hour of charging.
But the charging rate of Level 2 can vary quite dramatically. A typical 240-volt, 24-amp unit can put out about 6.0 kW of continuous power. But the fastest possible Level 2 charging is at 80 amps, or 19.2 kW, making it more than three times faster than the aforementioned 24-amp setup. The hardware on your car dictates the maximum Level 2 charge rate, and most cars aren't capable of charging at 19.2 kW, so you'll want to match your charging equipment to what your EV can handle to avoid paying for capability you can't use.
We recommend installing Level 2 charging at home if you own an EV. If your vehicle's supplied or optionally available charging cord is incompatible with a 240-volt outlet, you'll need to purchase dedicated Level 2 charging equipment for your home. You may also need to add electrical capacity to your home. Consult an electrician to ensure your home's electric panel is up to the task.
Though installing Level 2 charging capability at home is an additional expense, some states and localities provide government incentives to offset some of the cost. Be sure to see if such incentives are available where you live.
Level 2 chargers are also the sort typically found in public spaces, such as parking garages and lots. The end of the cord that plugs into your EV looks identical to those you use for charging at home. These units can add a reasonable amount of range to your EV after only a couple of hours.
Level 3 or DC Fast-Charging
Level 3 chargers are the quickest of the bunch. Alternatively known as DC fast-chargers, Level 3 chargers are especially useful during long trips that necessitate charges between destinations, as this sort of charging can add around 100–250 miles of range in 30–45 minutes. Unlike Level 1 and Level 2 charging, Level 3 setups connect to the vehicle by way of a socket with additional pins for handling the higher voltage (typically 400 or 800 volts).
Tesla's Supercharger network offers Level 3 charging, as do many EVgo and Electrify America stations.
Level 3 charge rates currently range from as little as 50 kW to as high as 500 kW, depending on the charger. But charge rate is a two-way relationship. If your EV can only handle a maximum of 50 kW on a Level 3 charger, then it will not charge any faster than this, even if it's plugged into a charger capable of topping out at 500 kW.
Additionally, the charge rate of an EV on a Level 3 charger changes dramatically depending on the battery's state of charge, slowing considerably when the battery pack nears 80 percent capacity to prevent overheating or overcharging. For example, it may take just as much time to charge from 80 to 100 percent as it does from 10 to 80 percent.
Do All EVs Use the Same Connector?
The vast majority of EVs use the same type of connector. For Level 1 or Level 2 charging, this standard round port is called a J1772 connector. The fast-charging hookup is referred to as SAE Combo or CCS; this employs the same J1772 socket of Level 1 and Level 2 charging plus two extra pins that enable DC fast-charging.
Tesla uses a manufacturer-specific connector, dubbed NACS. This connection type is beginning to roll out to many other automakers, as well; however, as of this writing, no other automaker currently sells a vehicle with such a charge port. Adapters are available that allow CCS-equipped EVs to plug into cables with NACS connectors and vice versa.
The final type of fast-charging connector is CHAdeMO. Very few new cars use CHAdeMO these days, with the Nissan Leaf being among the last to employ this connector (the Leaf still uses a J1772 port for Level 1 and Level 2 charging). Surely it's only a matter of time until the industry adopts a uniform charging connector.
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