What Is an EV Charger and How Does It Work?

You might be roaming to secure a sound understanding of the EV charger and its function. No worries! We have you covered. This article will help you learn what is an EV charger and how does it work thoroughly. 

We see an increasing demand for EV charging, especially in Europe and America. It has become a great alternative to gas-powered cars. That’s the reason you see a number of EV charging stations around you. 

EV Charger and Its Working Procedure 

Electronic vehicles have become part and parcel of our lives. Many of us own vehicle businesses or have electronic vehicles in our collection. So it would help best if we knew its function and how to maintain it. Agree? 

Okay, then it’s time to get the best part! 

EV Charger

Like any chargeable device, it is a means to keep the battery full. An EV charger is workable for both electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. To be more exact, both types of vehicles are dependent on this charger. 

How Does EV Charging Work?

An EV is free from getting any gas-fuel charge; instead, it takes an electric charge that is faster and void of hassle. You don’t necessarily need to go to a typical charge station since the electrical facility is available at home. Specifically, you don’t have to worry about charging if you are an American. According to a USA study, on average, EV drivers charge 80 percent of their electric car charging at home. 

Generally, an EV charger takes power from an outlet or power grid. Then it supplies the required electricity to the instructed vehicle. Usually, an outlet is 240v. 

And a J1772 plug is standard for electric vehicles. In most cases, you will find it handy. However, if you have a Tesla car, you need to look for an alternative. Suppose you have a Mini-USB cord while your vehicle requires a USB-C cord, then simply it won’t work. In such a case, you need to use an adapter. 

Do you know why? The reason is, Tesla uses connectors of their own. So you are bound to depend on an adapter in this regard. You may need to use different electric cars too! Remember, choosing the right type of charger is essential.

How Do Public EV Charging Stations Work?

The fact is, we have to be here and there to maintain our businesses. We can guarantee that we will be able to get our vehicles charged at home every day, every time. So we need to depend on the charging stations. Now let’s see how a public station works! 

It would be best to fix some things before parking your vehicle at an EV charge station. These are as follows: 

• See if it is free of charge. Such a station may need a key FOB (free on board) or other access devices.
• See whether a credit card payment suffices or not. 
• Check if there is a parking meter during specific times or on specified days.

No worries, all the public charging stations have a specific set of instructions. For example, EvoCharge’s iEVSE and iEVSE Plus provide you with flexible options. It enables you to know how others will use your charger and decide. You can control both output and charging times. And you would be glad to know that the iEVSE Plus has added 4G LTE and RFID card reader capabilities. It facilitates you to utilize the charger to earn as well!

Note: EVSE stands for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment. 

Are you familiar with the types of electric car charging stations? Dear, you should. It will help you learn about different payments and so on. Here we go! 

Types of Electric Car Charging Stations

All the EV charging stations or electric vehicle supply equipment are not equal. Some of them you can easily install through plugging into a standard wall outlet. And for some others, you will need custom installation. The charging time is also dependent on the type of charger. There are three major categories of EV chargers. These are: 

• Level 1 charging stations
• Level 2 charging stations, and 
• Level 3 or CHAdeMO EV Charging Stations/DC Fast Chargers  

Level 1 EV Charging Stations

These are the most affordable chargers. However, they require the utmost time for car charging compared to other ones. That means you will have to keep them in charge overnight. 

This level of chargers employs a 120 V AC plug. It can easily suit a standard outlet. Here you do not need any additional equipment. This way, you will find it preferable to the other chargers. These are home-friendly. Typically, they can carry up to 2-5 miles of range per hour of charging. Some of the reliable manufacturers of such chargers are as follows: 

• AeroVironment
• Duosida
• Leviton
• Orion

Level 2 EV Charging Stations

The Level 2 chargers are ideal for residential charging stations and commercial ones. These level chargers use 240 V for residential plugs and 208 V for commercial plugs. You will require an electrician to install. You can install them as part of your solar panel system too! However, contrary to Level 1, you cannot plug it into a standard wall outlet. 

These can provide you with 10-60 miles of range per hour of charging. Usually, a level 2 electric car charger takes only 2 hours to charge an electric car. For the same reason, these are the number one choice for the homeowners. At the same time, charging stations prefer these to satisfy their customers with a quick service. Here are the top-notch Level 2 electric charger manufacturers for 2021: 

• Nissan
• ClipperCreek
• Chargepoint
• JuiceBox  
• Siemens 

Level 3 or CHAdeMO EV charging stations/DC Fast Chargers

This type of charger can deliver 60-100 miles of range of charging. And you would be excited to know that it takes only 20 minutes! Just one drawback, you can apply it for commercial and industrial applications. Why? Because it needs high-powered equipment and specialized maintenance.

Also, you cannot use this to charge all types of electric cars. And some all-electric vehicles can never befriend DC Fast Chargers. Anyway, the below two are some of the best Level 3 chargers: 

• The Mitsubishi “i” and 
• Nissan Leaf

To Wrap Up

Now you perfectly know what is an EV charger and how does it work! Now it is time to say Ta-Ta to gas power stations if you want. You want to lead a faster, progressive life as an American, don’t you? There will be numerous electric cars and other electric vehicles (EVs) in the upcoming days. And chances are very high you will embrace them too. Hopefully, this post will help you in those respects!