Charging @ Home

Charging is a confused and confusing part of electric car ownership. After a week or so it becomes second nature, and you never even think about it - so when I am asked by people about how long it takes, or what kind of outlet you need, I'm sometimes at a loss to explain.

The jargon-factor is thick, and it's not like you should casually start conversations with "so I had a new EVSE installed, it's hooked up at 30 amps and 220v. Should be a pretty sweet L2, though it's no CHAdeMO if you know what I mean." Though I have found from experiences online, nothing prompts a quicker response from the Nerd Patrol than calling an EVSE a "charger."

Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment - what you get when engineers are allowed to name things.
Ahnold says "It's not a chargah!"

For simplicity's sake, let's divide charging into "Levels." For now, electric cars support mostly level 1 and level 2, with a few supporting level 3 charging.

Level 1

Level 1 - The most basic, slowest, and widely available form of charging. It's also the slowest - Nissan calls the mode "trickle-charging." A well-discharged battery on the Nissan Leaf can take more than 15 hours to recharge fully, for example. Unfortunately, the connector on the vehicle is not a simple extension cord receptacle. Fortunately, they seem to be supplied with every electric car as standard equipment, so you can plug in wherever there's an outlet that you have express permission to use. This includes the Detroit Zoo, for example. Or Mom and Dad's.

Level 2 - When people talk about "charging stations," this is what they usually mean - they use a 240 volt line similar to those used by an electric dryer or range in your house. These charge at much faster rates than a level 1, usually in about 25% of the time - 3 to 4 hours from very low to very full on my Leaf. Many electric car owners have one installed at their home for quicker charges, as even half an hour on the Level 2 can give a good amount of range back for doing after-work errands. DTE was providing the first few thousand local customers a free installed Level 2 device, but that offer has since passed. With installation, these devices can cost anywhere from $1000 to $3000 depending on your home and wiring.

A Bosch Level 2 Charger - AYHSMB

Personally, I think having a Level 2 station at home is essential. DTE also offers extremely discounted electricity rates for those who charge at off-peak hours using a dedicated Level 2 station. Thankfully these are becoming more commonplace in the community for on-the-go charging as well, and can be convenient for visiting places like Great Lakes Crossing, the DIA, and Ann Arbor. So far, all major car companies have embraced the same standard connection for these chargers.



Level 3 - These are beasts of a different color. Level 3 chargers do not come standard on many vehicles - the Tesla, Mitsubishi Car-Shaped-Object, and a few models of the Leaf have the equipment necessary. It uses a high-voltage direct current that will charge a dead battery to 80% in about 30 minutes. There are only 2 such stations I know of in Michigan, though they are more common out west where electric cars are a little more common.

Unfortunately there are a few competing proprietary standards for Level 3 charging. This means a station that will charge your Leaf will not work to charge a Tesla, unless of course you have the optional PIKacHU conversion device: