What is an Electric Vehicle Charging Station? An Electric Vehicle Charging Station is a place or location where people can get their Electric Vehicles charged. It is totally different from gas stations where we refuel our vehicles with gasoline and where the process is done within minutes. It is not as simple as a normal gas station procedure, as at these stations the process is time consuming depending upon the level of the charging equipment. There are three levels of EV charging: Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 or Tesla Superchargers. The higher the level, more electricity supply is provided to the vehicle. Nowadays, Electric vehicle charging stations can easily be found in Public parking's, office parking and even the equipment can be installed at home. HOME Vs PUBLIC CHARGING STATIONS Without any doubt, it is a great convenience that EVs can be charged at home but you need to understand a few things before getting charging equipment installed at your home. There are two types of chargers which you can use at home. Level 1 charger: It requires nothing but a standard electric outlet along with a charging cable which usually is provided with your EV. It typically requires 120 volts of electricity supply and uses AC, but this type of charging is very slow and offers charging speed of 3 to 5 miles per hour. It is very suitable for vehicles with smaller batteries that are Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) or for those which need to be driven for long distances. Level 2 charger: Most of the people prefer to install Level 2 charger at home which requires 240 volts electricity supply. These boxes cost around $300-$1200. Location: Another thing which you need to make sure of is that the charging outlet should be close to the place where you park your vehicle at home. BENEFITS OF CHARGING AT HOME: Convenience: The most reliable, flexible and convenient way for charging Electric Vehicles for EV owners is at home, as they can plug in their vehicles to the charging equipment at any time convenient to them. If they use their cars on a daily basis, they can just plug in their vehicles overnight, while they sleep and can get their cars charged enough to go. Cost-effective: Charging at home proves to be cheaper than Public Electric Vehicle Charging stations , as you do not need to pay every time you charge your vehicle. Moreover, the electricity cost is much cheaper if compared to that of petrol and diesel. So, this advantage makes house installation an ideal option for EV owners. Control: One more advantage of this approach is that the time and amount of charging required for an Electric Vehicle can be set by the owner. Along with this, cost and energy used by the vehicle could also be monitored. DEMERITS OF CHARGING AT HOME: Installation Requirement: Although there is more convenience, charging stations need to be installed at home, the method proves to be costly. Suitable for short trips: As only Level 1 and Level 2 chargers could be installed at home according the voltage demand of levels, so home charging is only beneficial if the user has to use the car for going to short distances and for long trips, user may need to charge multiple times at different places which is very time wasting and inconvenient process. Sharing of outlet: Charging speed can further slowdown if the outlet at home is shared with other appliances. BENEFITS OF CHARGING AT PUBLIC ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS: Accessibility: Nowadays, there is great availability of Public Electric vehicle charging stations in different areas and at multiple locations, it is a great convenience for users to choose locations close to them at home or even if they are travelling. Fast charging: Public Electric vehicle charging stations offer faster charging as compared to home charging solutions. Mostly Level 3 charging is being offered which is much faster than home based level 1 and level 2 charging. Every 20-30 minutes, 60 to 100 miles range is offered. Cost-effective: Installation cost can be saved by using public Electric Vehicle charging stations. DEMERITS OF CHARGING AT PUBLIC ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS: Costly: At public charging stations, people are often charged on the basis of each minute or hour, which means drivers have to pay a great sum of money to get their vehicle charged. Inconvenient: Drivers of Electric Vehicles may have to wait for their turn because of the busy availability of the stations. This can hamper the routine of people. Limited availability: Although nowadays, there are a number of charging stations at different places and areas, rural areas or some remote locations still lack the availability of them, which makes them inconvenient for people. So, both home and public electric vehicle charging stations have their own merits and demerits. It totally depends on the users which one they want to use, like if they have enough space at home or need to have short trips on a regular basis, they can go for home installation, but, in case they don't have much space or need to make long trips on a regular basis, then they must choose public electric vehicle charging stations.
