What is a charging station?
Charging Station is the system which is used for charging our electric cars, we usually call them chargers but these wall boxes and stanchions we plug our electric cars into are just communication and safety devices. The real chargers except the rapid chargers are a part of the vehicle itself.
The Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE), also called “Home Charging Station” communicates with the car’s charging system to regulate power and avoid the battery from overheating. It can also cut down the power in case there is a short circuit. It also provides a place to store the coiled cord.
Do you really need a charging station?
All plug-in electric vehicles come with a slow charging cord. That can be used to charge your car from any standard wall socket. If you can run your day with the slow charging cord having no problem and as much as you need, then there is no need for you to buy a moderate charging station.
But, the only issue is that the Level 1 cord charges your car battery at a very slow pace. It generally charges around 3 to 5 miles of range that your battery can provide in an hour. So if your battery provides a range of 20 miles it usually takes 5 to 7 hours to fully charge your battery. These types of charging systems are best when you need to charge your car batteries overnight.
But if your electric vehicle battery gives you 90 miles of range per full battery charge you need to consider the time because it will take almost 18 hours for your vehicle to charge. Most people charge their vehicles overnight using the Level 1 cord and they can use it throughout the day.
However, people do not use these electric cars only for driving to and fro from work. Approximately 3-6 % of the total miles covered by electric cars involve long-distance trips that average more than 100 miles. So even with a full charged battery, most of the electric vehicles cannot make that round-trip without charging. This makes long-distance chargers a necessity. So you need to understand your driving habits and needs and then decide if this is suitable for you.
Level 2 cords i.e. the moderate ones provide 10 to 25 miles of range of charge per hour. These are the standard ones for your homes. Some electric vehicle owners find it easy if they have these charging sockets at the office. This is so that their batteries never deplete. Many also prefer publicly available charging sockets at retail or entertainment places where they are usually charged per hour for the charge.
Where can you get a charger?
Most dealers that sell these plug-in electric vehicles also sell these chargers. So you can go to your dealer from whom you bought the car and he will have one or else will suggest where you can get it exactly.
For many cars, it is not necessary to have the same brand chargers as the brand of the company because they also allow charging by hybrid plug-in chargers. Except for companies like Tesla which have their own charging systems. However, nowadays there are adapters that can be used for charging Tesla cars but are usually slower than their own charging systems.
To save money and not buying from big fancy showrooms, you can also shop them from Amazon or eBay or from charging – equipment makers via their websites.
How much does it cost?
Home Electric Vehicle Service Equipment costs around $300 to more than $1000 plus the cost of installation. The price of the equipment depends on the power levels, cord lengths, Wi-Fi capability, and timers for delayed and the time of the day selected for charging. Maximum plug-in electric motors have on-board timers that can record all this and also help you track your power usage.
How can you get it installed?
You can install your systems in your carport, garage or your residential parking spot. Qualified electricians can do this work for you. In most cases, you need a building permit to install that. Installation costs will vary widely depending on the labour rate, amount of work required in installing the circuitry and the distance between the home electric box and the charging station. A normal installation for a short distance costs between $250 to $750, while systems that require a long run or distance require special equipment or breaker panels and plus the extra labour work which will increase the rates.
Author: Ankita Mundhra