Time to electrify your fleet? In this week’s blog, we’ve written out a full guide to help you discover which charging solution will best fit your needs. First things first, let’s define the three levels of EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment), also known as EV charging stations. These three levels are categorized by the rate at which an electric vehicle can charge. Below are our brief summaries of the differing types of EV charging:
Level 1 Charging
Level 1 charging utilizes a standard 120-volt alternating current (VAC) outlet. Unlike the other levels, Level 1 chargers do not require the installation of additional equipment since a majority of electric vehicles come with a Level 1 cord set charger. These chargers have the lowest cost but are generally the slowest, delivering only two to five miles of range per hour of charging. For fleet vehicles, Level 1 charging may be a good option if your fleet covers relatively short distances, approximately less than 40 miles per day, and has the time flexibility to plug in overnight.
Level 2 Charging
Level 2 charging utilizes a 240-volt alternating current (VAC) outlet. Unlike Level 1 chargers, they do not use the same standard wall outlet and must be installed by a professional electrician. They do, however, use the same connector and charge port as Level 1. The amount of range per hour heavily depends on the charging station’s capacity and the vehicle’s onboard charger. They roughly deliver 10 to 60 miles of range per hour of charging. Some advantages to Level 2 chargers are their more advanced controls and monitoring abilities compared to Level 1.
Level 2 even offers networked and non-networked charging. Over the network, a Level 2 EVSE transmits data over the Internet to a network host, providing more advanced controls, billing options, and energy usage analytics. Level 2 charging is an excellent option for longer range EVs that require more electric range recovery.
DC Fast Charging (DCFC)
DC Fast Chargers, known as Level 3 or CHAdeMO charging stations, are currently the fastest available charging option out there in the market. These chargers can offer 60 to 100 miles of range in just 20 minutes and use commercial-grade 208, 440, or 480 VAC. Unlike other charging options, DCFCs require highly specialized, high-powered equipment to install and maintain. It is the fastest but most expensive out of all the options available. They are ideal for EVs that require a maximum amount of range in a short time.
Now that you’re familiar with the types of electric charging options there are, what options are you interested in? Share in the comments below.