What Is an EV Charger?

EV chargers supply electric energy to recharge electric vehicles. There are three levels of electric vehicle charging devices:

  Level 1 Charger

• Comes standard with most electric vehicles and is plugged into any normal three-prong outlet. While the Level 1 charger requires no installation, it charges vehicle batteries very slowly. Level 1 EVSE chargers are best suited for overnight use, and can take 20 hours or more to fully charge your car’s battery.
  
  

  Level 2 Charger

• This more advanced EVSE charger requires its own dedicated 240-volt circuit, which needs to be professionally installed in your garage. Level 2 chargers work much faster, fully charging an EV in about three hours. A growing number of EV manufacturers are now including a Level 2 charger standard with each new car purchase.
  
  

  Level 3 Charger

• This is the standalone device you see at public charging stations. It can add 160 miles of driving range to an EV’s batteries in about half an hour (nice!). However, beyond being prohibitively expensive, they have an industrial-level power draw that makes them unavailable to homeowners. If you own or work at an industrial building, it is possible to have a Level 3 charger installed there.