Consumers and fleets interested in plug-in electric cars (PEVs), which include plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and all-electric vehicles (EVs), require charging facilities. For most drivers, charging at home or at a fleet facility is the first step. Charging stations in areas like offices and public spaces might assist boost market adoption. Clean Cities Coalition Network PEV car community preparedness programmes and PEV readiness planning may help community leaders learn more about becoming ready for PEVs. The EVI-Pro Lite tool may also be used to evaluate the amount and kind of charging infrastructure required by state or city/urban area to promote regional PEV adoption.
Before we begin, there are a few terms that need to be clarified. What many people refer to as “EV chargers” or “EV charging stations” is technically known as “electric vehicle supply equipment,” or “EVSE.” Because the actual charging equipment is incorporated inside the automobile, and the EVSE just supplies a safe supply of energy to the vehicle, “charging station” is not the right name.
However, we’ve opted to refer to the equipment as a “charging station” or “charger” because that’s how most people refer to it. On their websites, even EVSE manufacturers refer to them as “chargers” or “charging stations.”
Before you buy, think about these things.
Are you in command of your power supply? If you own your house, you won’t have any problems installing your charging station. Because you won’t need to get permission. If you live in a condominium, you’ll almost certainly need approval from the association, which might be a hassle. If you live in an apartment with a restricted parking space or garage. You’ll almost certainly need to seek permission from your landlord before installing the charging station. And the amount of electricity available in the garage may be limit.
Is there enough capacity in your electric service panel to create a dedicated circuit for the charging station?
What location would you like it to be installed?
You should situate the charging station near the car’s connection inlet, and ensure that the charger’s cable is long enough to reach the inlet without straining. Every EV’s charge port is position in a different location, so make sure you know where yours is before placing your charging station.
Power
Level 2 charging stations generally provide 16 to 80 amps of power. This can have a significant impact on how quickly your electric vehicle charges. You don’t want to get a charging station that isn’t powerful enough, just to have to replace it later. Even though your present EV can only accept 16 amps (3.3kW), you should consider upgrading. Because your next EV will almost certainly accept at least 32 amps (7.7 kW). As a result, if you want to future-proof your investment. We recommend obtaining a charging station that can generate at least 32-amps, ideally 40-amps.
Cord Length
Some charging stations only come with a 16-foot cable as standard. That, in our opinion, is not long enough for most individuals. We recommend a cable length of at least 20 feet, with a length of 24-25 feet being optimal. Charging at home or at a fleet facility is the first step. Charging stations in areas like offices and public spaces.
Conclusion
Because electric vehicle charging is such a young market, there are a number of tiny start-up firms developing EV chargers, and some of them haven’t taken the time or spent the money to get the device safety certified by a reputable testing organisation like Underwriters Laboratory (UL). You want to know that these devices are safe because they will be sending a lot of electricity to your automobile every day for many hours.