As more people buy electric vehicles (EVs), charging stations have become an indispensable part of making owning and operating them easy and convenient.
Public charging networks offer both consumers and providers many advantages. They help reduce demand charges, lower connection fees to the grid and plan EV rollouts more effectively.
Charger Types
Choose the appropriate charger type is an integral step to managing an electric vehicle effectively, similar to selecting the perfect mobile phone with regards to battery size and charging options available.
There are various kinds of electric vehicle (EV) chargers, each offering different speeds and charging capabilities. These chargers fall into three main categories – Level 1, 2, and 3. With Level 3 being the fastest and most powerful offering.
Level 1 and 2 chargers utilize AC alternating current, the same power source used by most homes and businesses, to recharge car batteries in 20 hours over 200 km 124 miles to 240 km (149 miles).
Public charging networks offer free or pay-as-you-go chargers, with prices set by network owners or property owners and generally dependent upon how much energy is consumed.
DC fast chargers can charge electric vehicles in less than 30 minutes, while ultra-rapid chargers boast power at 100 kW or greater to quickly recharge larger EV batteries and are increasingly popular across cities and towns.
These chargers are typically installed at shopping centers or major travel corridors, and compatible with most electric cars. They use either the Combined Charging System (CCS) or CHAdeMO connector.
Some EVs, such as Tesla vehicles, offer their own charging connector to facilitate all levels of charging equipment; however, most modern EVs can also use standard SAE J1772 connectors to charge.
No matter who you are – an electric vehicle (EV) owner, someone considering purchasing one, or simply interested in hardware – knowing about EV chargers is critical to having an enjoyable driving experience. Here, learn about different charger types, connectors and how to identify which is appropriate for your EV and driving style!
There are three primary EV charger types – Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. Each offers its own set of advantages and drawbacks, and may come equipped with specific plug types found on the market, making it more difficult for EV owners to know what features to look out for when searching for an appropriate charging station.
Station Locations
Electric vehicle (EV) drivers need access to charging stations in order to charge their cars, making a network of fast and user-friendly chargers crucially available across the country. A lack of charging availability could stymie EV market growth by dissuading consumers from buying or driving electric vehicles on long journeys.
ChargeFinder makes it easier for electric vehicle drivers to locate charging locations by providing an overview of all available EV chargers nationwide. It provides station type, operator and charger level details through an intuitive user interface as well as information regarding pricing and availability.
This website also features an EV road trip planner to make it easy for EV owners to plan out their route to and from charging stations. Users can filter charging stations based on operator or station type as well as search for chargers with specific connector types.
As more EVs enter the market, more public charging stations are becoming available across the country. According to estimates from National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), approximately 140,000 public EV chargers exist throughout the US.
Some states lead in terms of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, while others trail. California leads with 15,182 chargers – almost twice that of New York (3,085) and Florida (2,858) combined.
Establishing an electric vehicle charging station on their premises can be an excellent way for businesses to showcase their commitment to sustainability. A branded charging station could draw more visitors to a parking garage or shopping mall and generate extra revenues.
Installing charging stations can be an economical and environmentally-friendly way for companies to create a greener business environment. By giving drivers access to recharge their vehicles at work, businesses can both promote environmental policies while improving employee morale.
Public-facing EV charging can also help alleviate traffic congestion and improve air quality, by helping planners reconfigure streets and parking spaces so as to make more room for pedestrians, bicycle lanes and other forms of non-motorized transport.
New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) has begun installing 120 DC fast charging hubs at municipal lots and street intersections throughout all five boroughs of the five boroughs, equipped with both CHAdeMO and CCS connectors to support most electric vehicle charging needs.
Networks
Charging stations can play an essential role in driving adoption of electric vehicles and meeting national climate goals. By speeding sales of EVs and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, charging station networks help promote adoption and support greenhouse gas reduction goals.
States and cities nationwide are rolling out public EV charging networks. Some are designed specifically to meet specific needs, such as providing fast chargers for heavy-duty EV trucks; others aim at broad access such as New York’s PlugNYC network.
Networks can make electric vehicles (EVs) more appealing to the general public by providing an extensive set of charging options – including DC fast chargers that deliver power quickly to all models – at convenient stations that can be found in office buildings, shopping malls, hotels and along main highways.
These networks can often be utilized free of charge. They enable EV owners to find charging stations quickly, check which chargers are available and even pay for charging using mobile devices or online portals. Furthermore, many provide site planners with advice for running successful charging stations such as access control, pricing structures and administrative rights.
Some charging networks are designed to connect EVs directly with the electrical grid, using their batteries as energy generators for other homes or businesses – this technology is known as vehicle-to-grid (V2G). V2G solutions could allow EVs to be powered from within their respective grid.
Electrify America stands out as an innovative network, offering DC fast chargers capable of delivering 350 kW to quickly charge a Tesla Model S in just 15 minutes – an attractive attraction for cross-country EV drivers.
Additionally, many of these networks offer discounted rates or discounts when charging multiple EVs at the same time, which can be particularly helpful for frequent travellers or people needing to charge at locations difficult to access via public transit.
Major automakers such as General Motors (GM) and Ford (Ford) have announced plans for large charging networks. However, these initiatives primarily rely on partnerships with existing networks rather than building these from scratch.
Payment Methods
As part of an effort to make charging electric vehicles (EVs) simpler for drivers, many charging networks have begun providing multiple payment methods, including mobile apps, QR codes, RFID cards and NFC technology.
Credit cards are by far the most preferred payment option for electric vehicle chargers, serving both single charging sessions or subscribing to membership programs. By paying with this form of payment you can unlock discounted prices per kilowatt at networked charging stations and may not require monthly payments – making EV charging accessible and affordable to more drivers than ever!
App-based payment systems that offer recurring fee models have also proven popular among EV drivers for their flexibility and convenience.
There are various mobile applications that enable users to scan a QR code or identify themselves through ID barcoding, NFC technology or geolocation services of their smartphones and identify themselves to a network in order to begin the process of finding drivers and providing charging sessions.
Payment may also be made using physical cards or fobs issued by charge point operators; this can be especially helpful when organizations want to ensure only authorized vehicles access charging stations, such as private fleets.
Contactless payment has become the official payment method at rapid charging stations in Europe and has even been mandated by the UK government as an easy and quick payment option that doesn’t require membership or subscription fees.
Although many find this payment option convenient, it tends to be more costly in the long run as it does not offer discounts or membership benefits.
Drivers find it hard to know exactly what their payments at the end of each day are due to fluctuating taxes or costs per kilowatt; as a result, security researchers have advised against installing magnetic stripe card readers at electric vehicle charging stations that are vulnerable to cyber criminals who could use these readers to take money directly out of users’ accounts.