Power your ride without leaving your garage
EV Charging (charging your electric vehicle) should be simple, safe and stress-free. It’s as easy as plugging and unplugging a charging cord. In addition to a solar energy system, a great way you can champion sustainable energy is with an electric car.
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What is EV Charging?
Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are an integral part of owning an EV. All-electric cars don’t have a gas tank – rather than filling your car up with gallons of gas, you simply plug your car into its charging station to fuel up. The average EV driver does 80 percent of their car charging at home.
Electric vehicles have come a long way in the past few years, nearly doubling their distance since 2011 from an average of about 73 miles per charge to around 125 miles. And they are significantly cheaper to run than before. EV owners can expect to pay about $485 per year, compared to $1,117 for a gasoline-powered vehicle.
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How does EV Charging work?
EV Charging is done through a run-of-the-mill 120-volt outlet that you find throughout your home and garage. Every new PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) and EV is equipped to plug into these basic wall outlets, and most PHEVs can recharge overnight using one. This solution, however, is not ideal for an EV because Level 1 charging will recharge a battery at a rate of 2 to 5 miles of range per hour of charging based on the 3 to 6 kW of electricity the average wall socket supplies.
How does EV Charging work?
EV Charging is done through a run-of-the-mill 120-volt outlet that you find throughout your home and garage. Every new PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) and EV is equipped to plug into these basic wall outlets, and most PHEVs can recharge overnight using one. This solution, however, is not ideal for an EV because Level 1 charging will recharge a battery at a rate of 2 to 5 miles of range per hour of charging based on the 3 to 6 kW of electricity the average wall socket supplies.
Frequently Asked Questions
The typical price can vary depending on the unique factors of every installation. These factors include age of your home, the location of your charging station, utility involvement, permitting costs, etc. That said, typically homeowners pay between $454 – $1,053 for installation
Level 1 charging stations use a standard 120-volt connection, meaning they use any standard household outlet. The great thing about this is that they do not require any additional electrical costs when installing. The downside? It can take up to 6 times as long to charge your vehicle when compared to a Level 2 charging station. A Level 2 charging station can usually fully charge your EV between 4-5 hours. However, the added power and additional installation costs make a level 2 charger more expensive.
That being said, most homeowners decide to go with a Level 2 EV Charging Station as 90% EV owners do most of their charging at home. Having to dedicate 25+ hours to charging with a Level 1 charger isn’t realistic or doable for most EV owners.
This is a tough question because it really depends on 3 main factors: your driving habits, make/model of EV and local electricity costs. Reach out to one of our EV Charging Station experts to learn exactly how much electricity you will use, and the associated costs.
In many cases, homeowners can take advantage of federal, state and local incentives when going green. Reach out to the experts at Solar Power Nation to see how much you can save when you make the switch!
You will absolutely save money when you switch! Compared to gasoline, electricity is more cost-effective. However, how much money you can save depends on the electricity rates offered by your local utility. In North America, the average electricity cost is 12 cents per kilowatt hour. To put that into perspective, 60 cents of electricity can take you as far as a single gallon of gasoline, which recently cost upwards of $4.
It is possible to save even more if you charge at night or during off-peak hours. Battery-powered cars also have lower maintenance costs because there are fewer moving parts to service and repair.
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