If you've started looking into electric cars, it's a great time for it. EVs have become a mature, reliable technology, and adoption rates are growing every year. It seems increasingly certain that electric vehicles are the new future of automobiles, and will likely become the most popular type within another decade or two.
However, there's one important thing to keep in mind: If this is your first electric vehicle, you will almost certainly want to purchase a home charging system, so you can recharge whenever the EV is at home. This will add something to the cost, but the long-term benefits are huge.
So what charger should you buy? Here's some important information.
Know Your Standards
There are multiple standards for EV chargers, so you need to know what type of charger your car will accept. If you purchase a Toyota electric car, the charger will be using the CHAdeMO standard, which is also shared by most other major Japanese car brands, including Nissan, Subaru, and Honda.
However, most American EVs use the SAE J3400 standard, aka the Tesla charger. These two standards are not cross-compatible. Cars designed for one cannot charge off of the other. Be careful before investing, and be aware that you'll probably want to keep buying cars using that charging standard, so you only have to buy a charger once.
Level 1 vs Level 2 Chargers
Aside from the connection standard, EV chargers are also rated according to how much power they use and, therefore, how quickly they can charge a vehicle. For home users, this means choosing between Level 1 or Level 2 chargers.
Level 1 chargers are the slowest option, only pulling 120v from the wall. They are extremely slow to charge, and will likely require at least 8 hours to fully recharge a vehicle. Assume you'll be keeping your EV on the charger all the time when you're at home.
However, they do have one big benefit: most L1 chargers can plug directly into a regular wall socket, making them cheap and convenient to use. They're also popular for smaller low-power EVs such as eBikes.
Level 2 chargers are more powerful, making full use of a home's 240v power supply. They can charge an EV in half the time, or less, of a Level 1 charger. Your L2 charger could recharge a car in around 3-4 hours.
Unfortunately, L2 chargers almost always need to be installed by professional electricians, and some rewiring of your home may be called for as well. This will add to the overall cost, but the long-term benefits of faster charging will be substantial.
There are also Level 3 chargers, but those require commercial-grade 480v power supplies. You'll find L3 chargers at gas stations and other businesses that offer charging.
1000 Islands Toyota is Brockville's best source for all types of Toyota vehicles, both new and used, including electric and hybrids. Contact us to inquire about our current stock, or just come visit our lot to take a great Toyota EV for a test drive!