Why Level 2 EV Charging Stations Popular With Homeowners
EV charging stations are becoming increasingly common additions to homes. According to a JD Power report, 88% of vehicle owners charge their rides at home often or always.
Among folks who wish to charge their vehicles at home, Level 2 chargers are the most common. Why is Level 2 the dominant choice for EV charging stations?
The Happy Medium
There are three levels of charging technologies that work with most modern electric and hybrid cars. Level 1 is a simple technology that’s compatible with standard wall outlets. This is great for ease of adoption, but it also offers the slowest charging performance. An L1 system often takes 40-50 hours to fully charge the battery of an EV, and may take longer with some long-range batteries in vehicles like bigger pickups.
Level 3 chargers are the ones you tend to see at businesses and convenience stores. The L3 system works on commercial three-phase power, which isn’t feasible for the vast majority of homeowners. To use three-phase power, your property needs a special connection from the electrical pole to your building’s service entrance. While an L3 can charge 250 miles of range in 30 minutes, the reality is that three-phase power upgrades can easily cost more than $100,000 before you’ve even put in a charging station.
Level 2 charging ends up being the happy medium. Depending on the size of the battery in question, a Level 2 system usually takes four to ten hours to reach full charge. Likewise, an Level 2 system uses 240-volt power, a similar setup to what powers many washing machines and dryers.
In lots of cases, homeowners don’t have to upgrade their electrical panels to accommodate an L2 system. Instead, our electricians can frequently just install a new circuit breaker and wiring for the EV charger.
Cost Effectiveness
The next question newcomers to the EV world often have is, “Why don’t drivers just use publicly available systems if L3 is so good?” After all, this is how owners of gas and diesel vehicles have done it for more than a century. Some drivers do rely on public EV charging stations, but the vast majority of drivers want to be able to charge their cars at home because it is cost-effective.
Particularly here in Florida, electricity tends to run a couple of cents per kWh cheaper than the national average. For comparison, the math usually looks something like:
- 15 cents per kWh for home charging
- 40-60 cents per kWh at a public charger
Over the lifetime of a car, that means thousands of dollars in savings.
Bear in mind that Level 2 home EV charging equipment is also generally more cost-effective than Level 3. Even in the unlikely scenario that a property does have three-phase power, the cost savings are noticeable when opting for Level 2 versus Level 3 chargers.
A professional Level 2 EV charger installation will usually run at most a couple of thousand dollars, and some are less than $1,000. Most of the cost difference depends on whether a new electrical panel is necessary and how much new wiring is required to get power to a homeowner’s preferred charging location.
Convenience
For many drivers, home EV charging stations are just more convenient. You can plug your car in when you get home from work and expect it to be fully charged before tomorrow’s commute. Even if you need the car to run an errand after dinner, you can easily charge it while you make and have dinner and expect to have enough charge for more than the typical 30-to-40-mile range of a trip out. Even if free charging is available at work or a nearby location, many people just prefer the convenience of at-home EV charging.
Home Value
While it’s far from a major driver of charging station adoption, home value does matter. With EVs on the rise, there is now a class of buyers looking for homes with EV charging infrastructure. If the differences between the two homes they love are minimal, the presence of an EV charger can easily make the decision for buyers. Consequently, the presence of a Level 2 charging station tends to aid a home’s resale value.
Smart Features
Many home charging stations have a variety of smart features. They can:
- Monitor battery health
- Check charge levels
- Prevent overcharges
Wi-Fi features like remote control and reporting allow you to see everything from the charge level to the battery condition.
If your electric company offers variable pricing, you may also be able to configure your charging station to do the job during off-peak hours for lower rates. This is a great way to reduce your driving costs while also helping to keep the electric grid more stable.
Emergencies
Here in Florida, hurricanes and even just strong storms can knock out power for days or even weeks. If you have a home generator, it is possible to configure it to power your EV charger. Gas stations and public charging systems rely on the grid. They may not be available following a catastrophic event. Having your own charging station makes your EV more resilient in emergencies.
Incentives
Federal, state, local, and even utility company incentives are often available for adding EV charging stations to homes. For example, the current federal tax credit allows you to recover 30% of the installation cost up to $1,000. You should contact your accountant or tax preparer to find out what incentives may be available in your area.
Electrify Your Driving Experience
Mister Sparky offers a variety of electrical services needed for installing or upgrading an EV charging system. We can perform work on circuit breakers, electrical panels, wiring systems, and the charging stations themselves. Our electricians are available to help homeowners in Fort Myers, FL, and the surrounding areas.
Don’t put up with any malarkey, call Mister Sparky if you want to add a Level 2 charging station to your Fort Myers home.
