The Different Types of Electric Vehicle Chargers – Which One is Right for You?

The Different Types of Electric Vehicle Chargers – Which One is Right for You?

With the rapid increase of electric vehicles across Australia, more and more people are jumping on board. EV charging stations are popping up everywhere in order to supply the increasing demand across Australia. Electric vehicle chargers provide a safe and efficient way for electricity to power the vehicle. 

The electricity that travels through improves safety via two-way communication between the charging station and electric vehicle. It waits to send power to the vehicle until it is plugged in. Let’s take a look at the different types of electric vehicle chargers and which one may be right for you!

Types vs Levels

Let’s take a look at the difference between the types of chargers (the physical plug that you plug into your electric car)and charging levels (the power of the charge for your electric vehicle):

Charging Levels

When it comes to the different charging levels, it is easier to understand them when they’re broken down into separate categories. Let’s take a look!

• Portable EVSE- Level 1- This type of charging level will often top up daily use but will not charge a pure electric vehicle overnight. It will add around 10km to 20km of range for every hour of charging.

• Wall Chargers- Level 2- This type of charging level will top up average use within an hour and a full charge overnight. It will add around 40km to 100km of range every hour it is plugged in. 

• DC Fast Chargers- Level 3- This type of charger at the lower end will add roughly 150km of ranger for every hour charged. At the upper end, it can fully recharge a vehicle within 10-15 minutes. 

Charging Types

Now, we will take a look at the different charging types:

• Type 1- The type one plug is known as the number one, or standard plug, used by Mitsubishi and many vehicles before 2018. It is also a plug that is standard in Japan and North America.

• Type 2- This plug has a seven-pin design and is currently used by all other EV manufacturers. As of now, it is seen as the standard plug for Australian EVs.

• CHAdeMO- This charger is used by brands such as Nissan, Toyota, and Mitsubishi.

• CCS Combo- CCS, short for the combined charging system, allows both AC and DC chargers to use the same plug. 

• Tesla Supercharger- The Tesla Superchargers take advantage of the same design as the Type 2 AC plugs. Though, they are able to deliver far more power by using two pins for DC current. However, despite the design being the same, these chargers will only work on Tesla vehicles.

The Bottom Line

With electrical vehicles becoming more and more popular, it is crucial to understand all of the information above. This information can certainly help you out if you’re considering buying an electric vehicle or have already purchased one and are looking for more information. 

If you need help installing a charging station, you should call a qualified electrician to safely install your EV charging station.

Featured photo by myenergi on Unsplash