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EV Charging at Home

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Revision as of 17:54, 12 October 2014 by BruceThomas (talk | contribs) (link to renewable energy)
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Electric vehicles are typically sold with an AC Level 1 charging cord that can be plugged into any electric outlet that provides at least 15 amps at 110 volts or 7.5 amps at 220 volts and ground fault interruption (GFI) protection. This inexpensive and readily available EV charging infrastructure may be all that is needed for many EV drivers (e.g. commuters who also have access to charging at the workplace or homemakers who use the vehicle primarily for local shopping and errands). Even with slow Level 1 a lot of charging can occur overnight when electricity costs are low and the driver is sleeping.

Some EV drivers install AC Level 2 chargers at home to provide an option for faster charging. Aside from the cost of the Level 2 charger, the necessary wiring and the building permit, use of Level 2 consumes more electricity than Level 1 to achieve the same amount of charging in the EV battery.

Some EV drivers install photovoltaic solar cells or wind turbines on their roofs to provide renewable electric power to charge their EVs.

People may need to notify their electric utility when they buy an EV to help the utility know about the increased electric demand in the neighborhood and to get the best electric rates for charging of their EV.