Home Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Its estimated that most (up to 95%) of all-electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are charged at home. A more robust electric vehicle infrastructure remains one of the top obstacles to further demand for electric vehicles. It takes anywhere from 20 minutes to 20 hours or more to charge a vehicle depending on several variables. But the average vehicle charge still requires several hours.

Right now, there is no technology on the horizon enabling electric vehicles to be charged as fast as a gas tank can be filled. Until then, the logical location for charging will remain where the vehicle is parked for the longest time. For most electric car owners, this is at home, at work, parking garages, or other long term parking spaces such as sporting events. Based on this, the market demand for home charging stations can be expected to grow for many years.

Basics for Home Vehicle Charging Stations

Before you do anything else, you need to research local, state, and federal regulations governing these charging stations. In most cases, there is a combination of building, fire, and environmental, permits and inspections. Not that these are difficult to obtain but there can be different requirements such as if the charging station will be used inside a garage or outside where it will be in contact with rainwater.

Outdoor equipment does have to be outdoor-rated. There are also other regulatory requirements such as when the station is shared at a duplex or other multi-family residence. You should expect multi-family regulations to be similar to public charging stations.

Know the Difference Between Level 1 and Level 2 Charging

The length of time it takes to charge an electric vehicle depends on variables such as how fast a particular battery type or brand charges, the amount of charge it holds, how deleted the charge is, and the type of charging station being used. There are two basic types of charging stations used at family homes. You want to know the basic differences between these two before deciding which is right for your needs.

The full name for what is commonly known as level 1 is AC Level 1. With this charging station, you can generally expect to drive 2 to 5 miles for every hour of charging. Using an average of 3.5 miles per charging hour and a 10 hour charge period, you can expect to drive the car no more than 35 miles per day. As you can quickly deduce, a level 1 charging station has limited use. This is the charging station that most vehicles are sold with. No electrical changes are required at your home and you will find opportunities to plug in at many other locations. The reason is that it only requires standard 120v household current. At one end of the electric cord is a SAE J1772 plug that goes into the vehicle. At the other end of the cord is a standard 3-prong plug that plugs into a standard house outlet. Since this is standard issue and needs no other equipment, you can go this route until you determine that a level 2 charging station better meets your needs.

There is more to learn and understand about level 2 (AC Level 2) charging stations. At the very least, these require a 240v electrical source. Although your vehicles batteries determine the range you can drive on a full charge, a level 2 system does charge about 5Xs faster than a Level 1 charger. At level 2, you can expect between 10 and 20 driving miles for each hour of charging.

A typical house will have 240v electrical service for stoves and electric clothes dryers. However, this electrical service is not yet typically found in the garage where you park the car. This means you need to have it installed by a professional. This is also where you start getting more into local regulations. Level 2 charging stations are not all the same. Most public charging stations are level 2 but charge at a faster rate than a residential level 2 station. Most residential level 2 units operate at up to 30 amperes, delivering 7.2 kW of power. These require a dedicated 40-amp circuit. Commercial Level 2 units operate at up to 80 amperes and 19.2 kW. Although your vehicle can accept a charge from a commercial level 2 station, your house will almost certainly require an expensive electrical upgrade to become commercial level 2.

Alternative Charging Solutions

As with any popular technology, you can expect improvements and options to come along quickly for electric vehicles. One alternative that does have limited availability is called DC Level 2. This is generally only available along heavy traffic corridors at installed stations. This fast charging option can provide between 60 and 80 miles of driving on a 20-minute charge.

An option that is more common is a 240-volt portable charger. These dont have all the power of most wall-mounted level 2 stations but do charge vehicles at about 3Xs faster than level 1 chargers. A portable 240v charger can be carried in the trunk of your car but it still requires access to a 240v energy source.

There is research into making some industrial 3 phase electrical sources applicable to vehicle charging. Another alternative being explored is wireless charging known as inductive charging. However, this will most likely be applied to mass transit operations. Neither of these is likely to become practical for home use.

Before making any decision, first get to know what your cars energy needs are. The bright spot is that investing in a home-based level 2 system is becoming more value-added with each passing day.

Please comment with your knowledge and experience with electric charging stations.

Also, our weekly Ask Brian column welcomes questions from readers of all experience levels with residential real estate. Please email your questions, inquiries, or article ideas to askbrian@realtybiznews.com.

Author bio: Brian Kline has been investing in real estate for more than 35 years and writing about real estate investing for 12 years. He also draws upon 30 plus years of business experience including 12 years as a manager at Boeing Aircraft Company. Brian currently lives at Lake Cushman, Washington. A vacation destination, near a national and the Pacific Ocean.

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