It’s possible to recharge your EV or plug-in hybrid by simply using the supplied cable that came with the car and a nearby 120-volt outlet, the kind found in most North American homes and garages. But this method is very slow; every hour of charging will add only about 3 miles of range.
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For drivers who use their EVs daily, a 240-volt Level 2 wall charger—sometimes called electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE)—is practically a must. It increases charging speeds to 25 miles of range per hour or more depending on the vehicle and charger combination. We think it’s also a worthwhile investment because charging at home is usually much cheaper than plugging in at public charging stations. And it’s clearly more convenient.
Owners of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) may not need a 240-volt charger because PHEVs can run on gasoline when they run out of charge. And our tests have found that many PHEVs can recharge fully overnight on a 120-volt outlet. But models with larger batteries, such as the BMW X5, take more than a day; 120-volt charge times for PHEVs can be found in the Ratings and Specs section for each model.
Make sure the charger you buy has a connector that fits your vehicle. Most non-Tesla EVs manufactured before have what’s called a J connector, while Tesla vehicles come with a NACS connector, short for North American Charging Standard. Converters are available, although there are currently far more options to convert from a J cord to a vehicle with a NACS outlet than in the other direction. Some non-Tesla vehicles already come standard with a NACS plug, so keep that in mind if you’re planning to buy a new EV in the near future.
No matter which charger you buy, make sure it has a UL and/or ETL certification mark on the unit itself. This shows that it meets safety and quality standards. Be wary of brands you haven’t heard of, and avoid those with low ratings from owners. If something goes wrong with a charger, it could damage your vehicle or even cause a fire. If you purchase a NACS adapter, we recommend buying one from the same manufacturer who made your vehicle, even if it costs more than one from another brand. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, it may void your car’s warranty.
With that said, most chargers are pretty reliable. Fewer than 3 percent of survey respondents told us they had problems with their home chargers. The most common were the inability to connect to an app and chargers that stopped charging before the vehicle battery was full.
When shopping for a home charger, consider the following factors, roughly in descending order of importance:
Amperage: We’ve used 40- and 50-amp chargers, but some homes can accommodate 80-amp chargers. Although they cost more, they can nearly double the speed at which some cars charge at home.
Cable length: The length of the charging cable affects where you can mount the EVSE and how easy it will be to reach the car’s charging port. Remember that your next EV may have a charging port in a different location, and you’ll want to be able to reach it. Most cables are between 20 and 25 feet long, and we recommend going for the longest you can afford, usually 25 feet.
Cable management: It’s handy to have a hook to wrap the unused portion of the cable around. Otherwise, if the cable is scattered, it adds clutter in the garage, collects dust, and might cause someone to trip over it. The ability to place the holster for the connector away from the unit might add flexibility in a tight single-car garage. If your connector doesn’t come with a hook, a wall-mounted holder for a garden hose will do the trick and can be found at any hardware store.
Ease of plugging/unplugging: We like to see a high-quality, substantial coupler that lets you smoothly and effortlessly plug and unplug into and out of the car’s port. A solid and secure holster is an advantage, and it gives you confidence that the coupler will stay secure. One is usually included with top brands.
Location: Where you install your charger could determine how easy it is to plug in your car and how much the installation costs. If you have to dig a trench for wiring, even a few feet can add hundreds of dollars. Even indoors, you can save money by installing a charger closer to where electrical service already exists. Ideally, you’ll want to install your charger so that a cable can easily reach the car’s charge port whether it’s on the front, rear, left, or right of the vehicle. Otherwise, you might have to drag the cable across the car’s roof. Consult an electrician before getting your heart set on where a charger can go.
Size: Once you’ve determined where a charger should go, measure to see how much space you have. A wide wall charger or a thick one that sticks out far from the wall may encroach on space or your flexibility in placing it in the garage. Look at all placement options. For instance, a narrow unit might fit on the small strip of wall between two garage doors.
Ability to delay charging via app: Many cars allow you to control the charging time from within the car or via an app, so you can benefit from cheaper off-peak electricity costs, depending on your utility company. If your car doesn’t have this feature, consider a charger that does. Remember that this functionality may not work if the company that manufactured the charger discontinues support. (That’s what happened when the company that made JuiceBox chargers left the U.S. Owners could still charge their cars, but they lost access to the JuiceBox app.
Weatherproofing (optional): For those without a garage, look for a charger that can stand up to inclement weather. Most are claimed to be weatherproof by manufacturers. If you plan to install yours outside, we recommend finding a charger with a NEMA rating of 3, which is a standard set by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association that defines how resistant a product is to environmental hazards. A NEMA 3 rating, which is common on most home chargers, means they’re resistant to nearly all ambient temperatures in addition to the rain, sleet, and snow that the average U.S. consumer would face. The Grizzl-E has a NEMA 4 rating, which means it’s even more watertight. Note that a charging cable can become brittle in extremely cold weather.
How Many Amps Do You Need?
The higher the amperage of a home charger, the faster the charge, but just how fast depends on the electrical system of your car and your home. First, you need to determine how much amperage your home’s electrical system can handle. An electrician can help you figure that out. We recommend at least a 32-amp charger.
Then check to see what kind of charge your vehicle can accept, a spec that can be found on CR’s vehicle model pages. For instance, a Hyundai Ioniq 5 has an 11 kW onboard charger, so it can benefit from a 48-amp charger. A Toyota bZ4X only has a 6.6 kW onboard charger, so it won’t benefit from charging at higher than 30 amps. Several newer EVs are capable of charging at 60 to 80 amps. For applications above 48 amps, it’s recommended that the EVSE is hardwired as opposed to plugged into an outlet like a clothes dryer. Don’t be swayed by low-priced chargers that might charge less quickly. We recommend avoiding 16-amp chargers entirely. Onboard charger size and amperage information can be found in the Ratings and Specs section for the EV you’re interested in.
Should You Hardwire or Plug In Your Charger?
It depends. A plug-in type benefits from portability. These chargers can be readily replaced as needed, and they’re easy to take with you when you move or even when you’re on vacation if you rent a home. But a plug-in charger may not be able to run at as high an amperage as a hardwired model, so it may charge a little bit slower. Some high-amperage chargers require hardwiring.
Should You Buy a Smart Charger?
Not necessarily. Most EVs, like those from Nissan shown below, allow you to view charging status and get notifications through the car manufacturer’s app, and smart WiFi-connected chargers tend to cost more up front. But many utility companies offer rebates only on WiFi-connected models, which can cover the added expense.
Do You Have Frequent Power Outages?
If you live in an area that has frequent power outages, charging might not resume once the power is back on, and you could be surprised to find out that your EV isn’t sufficiently charged when you’re ready to drive. Some chargers and vehicles require the user to manually restart the charging session after a power outage. In those situations, it may be helpful to get a smart charger that can send an alert to your if charging is interrupted, or buy an EV with a similar feature. If you have a generator for your home, consult an electrician to make sure it can handle charging an EV when the power is out.
kW: Kilowatt, or one thousand watts. This is the unit for electrical power. Multiply volts (240) by the amperage rating of your charger and divide by 1,000 to determine how many kW can be sent to your vehicle.
kWh: Kilowatt hour. A unit of energy that’s stored inside a battery, expressing the battery’s capacity. Think of a battery’s kWh capacity as the equivalent of how many gallons of gas a tank can hold.
Level 2 charger: A 240-volt charger that can be installed at home or in a public place. It adds 20 to 40 miles of charge per hour and can fully charge an EV’s battery overnight. Public versions can be free or cost money depending on the location and provider.
NEMA: National Electrical Manufacturers Association. A trade group that sets standards for electrical products, such as types of plugs.
Type 1 connector: Also called J, this is a type of charger plug used on many American and European EVs and PHEVs that aren’t made by Tesla.
NACS (North American Charging Standard) connector: Also called J, this is a combination AC/DC charging plug used on Tesla vehicles that’s being introduced on EVs from other brands. Adapters exist to convert between NACS and CCS.
UL Listed: It’s wise to pick an EVSE that’s UL or ETL (Edison Testing Laboratories) listed, which indicates it complies with safety standards established by nationally recognized testing labs. Every charger featured here has such a safety rating, indicated by a seal on the box, the owner’s manual, or the unit itself.
Voltage: A measure of the force that moves electrical current. At the same amperage, a 120-volt outlet moves electricity more slowly than a 240-volt outlet, so an EV will charge less quickly when plugged into a 120-volt outlet. That’s why you have to install a special kind of outlet to plug in a Level 2 EV charger.
10 Min. Read
Are you considering purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) or are you already an EV owner looking to maximize your EV experience and get the most out of your vehicle?
While you may be used to driving an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, driving an EV will mean navigating unfamiliar terminology and specifications such as voltage, amperage, or battery capacity. This can be challenging, however, understanding these details is essential for maximizing your vehicle’s performance and taking full advantage of all that your EV can do.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at vehicle and charger amperage to explore and understand your EV’s charging process, plus how to match your EV charger’s capabilities to your EV for optimal efficiency. We’ll also discuss the differences between Level 2 and DC Fast charging, also known as DCFC or Level 3 EV charging, to ensure you can make the most informed and practical charging decisions when it comes to driving electric.
Amperage refers to the flow rate, or volume, of an electrical current. In the context of your EV, your vehicle’s amperage represents the maximum amount of the AC current capable of passing through the onboard charger to your battery.
Amperage ratings for electric vehicles have historically ranged anywhere from 16 to 80 amps, but most recent models can accept between 40 to 50 amps. Amperage is an important consideration when choosing an EV since it directly impacts the amount of power your EV can accept, and thus, also has a direct impact on charging times and the power of the charger you can use.
The higher the amperage rating, the faster you can potentially charge your EV, provided that the charger can match the EV’s capacity.
If you currently own an EV, familiarizing yourself with your vehicle’s amperage rating will help you better understand the charging capacities of your car and help ensure you are selecting an optimal charging solution.
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You can easily find your vehicle’s amperage in either your owner’s manual or by simply looking up your EV’s make and model on the manufacturer’s website.
Now that you are familiar with electric vehicle amperage, it’s important to understand EV charger amperage as well. This refers to the maximum flow of current the charger can draw from the grid and supply to your EV. It’s important to understand your charger’s amperage capabilities, as they can vary significantly depending on the charging level.
Level 1 charging, which uses a standard 120V outlet, typically provides a flow rate of 12 to 16 amps.
While this is sufficient for charging a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) in approximately 5-6 hours or topping off an EV battery, it results in slow charging times of over 40 to 50 hours for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which have a larger battery capacity and solely rely on electricity to operate, to fully charge.
Level 2 charging ranges from 15 to 80 amps, with hardwired chargers typically delivering a higher flow rate than portable models. A Level 2 charger will typically take about five hours to fully charge your EV but can take up to ten hours depending on the capacity of the charger and the size of the EV battery.
You should also note that amperage not only affects charging speed but can also impact the cost and installation requirements of the EV charging equipment.
To ensure the long-term safety and efficiency of an EV charging station, a qualified electrician must install a circuit breaker with a capacity 25% higher than the charger’s amperage. So, for example, if you are looking to install an 80-amp EV charging station in your home, your electrical panel would need the capacity both in electrical load and physical space, to add a 100-amp breaker to support the EV charging station.
Lastly, DC Fast charging stations, or Level 3 EV chargers, deliver the highest amperage as well as the fastest charging times—often fully recharging an EV in about an hour.
These commercial-grade chargers, which are not available for residential use and generally cannot be used by PHEVs, can deliver anywhere from 100 to 500 amps, depending on the make and model of the vehicle.
This is the most expensive form of EV charging and is best for when you are driving longer distances, such as a road trip.
One key difference between DCFC and Level 1 and Level 2 EV charging is that DC Fast Charging stations already provide electricity as a DC current instead of an AC current. This is more efficient as the EV will not need to convert the electricity to a DC current to store within the onboard battery.
So what happens if your EV charging station and EV have different amperage capacities?
You might wonder if this means you are only able to charge your EV with a charger that has the same amperage and fortunately, this is not the case.
Even if the amperage of your EV charging station and EV are different, your EV will still charge, but you may run into some limitations.
If your EV has a higher amperage rating than the charger you’re using, the charger capacity will limit the flow rate of the current that can reach your EV.
This type of charging mismatch results in a charging speed that is slower than your EV’s capabilities, which can be inconvenient and doesn’t help you get the most out of your EV.
Keep in mind your daily driving needs and mileage will impact the actual amperage needed as well.
If you’re driving significantly less than your vehicle’s range each day or only use your vehicle occasionally, you may not need a charger with the maximum output that your vehicle can accept and it may be more affordable to install a home charger with a lower amperage than your vehicle’s maximum capacity.
Even if you plug your EV into a charger with a higher amperage, your EV’s onboard charger won’t draw current with a flow rate that is higher than the vehicle’s capacity.
Thanks to your EV and EV charger’s ability to communicate and adjust the current flow rate, there is no risk of damaging your EV when using a high-amperage charger. However, you should know that even though they are rare, malfunctions can happen—especially if any charging components are damaged.
The main issue with using an EV charger with an amperage rating much higher than your vehicle is that you could be overpaying for charging. If you’re considering upgrading your home with a Level 2 EV charger, investing in a high-capacity model could cost more than you would otherwise need to spend, especially if your vehicle isn’t able to utilize the charger’s full power output.
If you’re charging your EV at a public EV charging station, spending more for DC Fast charging might not necessarily be the best option if your vehicle won’t charge faster than its top amperage capacity. Additionally, some public charging locations will offer charging stations with different amperage outputs and you may be able to use a lower output charging station with no impact to the speed of recharging your EV—ensuring the higher-powered EV charging stations are available for other drivers whose vehicles have a higher amperage capacity.
Alternatively, if you have an EV with a relatively low amperage, a public Level 2 EV charging station may also be fully adequate in helping you achieve the fastest possible charging speed and DCFC may be unnecessary, as is the case with most PHEVs and some older BEV models.
To further put this into perspective using the example above of an 80 amp charger requiring a 100 amp breaker, it is often more expensive to install a high-powered Level 2 EV charging station at home. If your EV is only able to accept a maximum capacity of 48 amps of AC current, installing an 80 amp at-home EV charger is unnecessary and you would be better served by installing a 48 amp charger that only requires 60 amps of breaker capacity.
However, if you are looking at future-proofing your charger in anticipation of any future EVs, you may still want to install a more powerful EV charger, but remember that it will not mean a faster charger for your current vehicle.
While opting for a Level 2 EV charging station with a significantly higher amperage may have you overpaying, there is something to be said for investing in an at-home charger with an amperage that exceeds your EV’s charging capacity.
With each generation, EVs are being designed with better performance and higher amperage ratings. Additionally, manufacturers are increasingly offering powerful electric trucks and SUVs with high-capacity batteries, making a future-proof charger a smart long-term investment.
When choosing a Level 2 at-home EV charging station, you should consider your future needs and next EV purchase. While your EV charger should match your current EV’s charging capacity, it may make the most sense for you to invest in a charger that can deliver a slightly higher amperage to anticipate a future upgrade to a more powerful EV—especially if you plan to live in your current home for many years.
Because chargers that support a higher flow rate can often require upgrades to your existing electrical infrastructure, whether for a panel upgrade or load-calculation device, a one-time investment can be more cost-effective than paying for future upgrades after the initial installation.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing an EV charging option:
When researching amperage ratings for your EV or EV charging products, it’s essential to rely on reputable sources. The manufacturer’s website is the best place to start for accurate, up-to-date information.
A certified and trusted EV charger installer can answer all your questions about amperage, review your realistic charging needs, and recommend a charger with an amperage rating that aligns with your vehicle and daily driving habits.
Amperage is an important aspect to consider when finding the best charging solution for you and your EV. Ideally, your EV charger amperage should be equal to or slightly higher than your electric vehicle’s amperage rating so you can optimize your charging speed and opt for a cost-effective charging solution.
When it comes to installing an EV charging station at home, deciding which EV charging station you’re going to install can be a big decision, but finding a qualified EV charger installer shouldn’t be one and the best way to choose the right charging product is to get help from a qualified installer.
Qmerit can help. As North America’s most trusted EV charger installation partner recommended by automakers, EV charger manufacturers, utilities, businesses, and homeowners alike, Qmerit’s network of licensed electricians has installed over 770,000 EV charging stations and can help you evaluate your needs to purchase and install an EV charging station that optimizes your EV experience.
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