Electric Vehicle Charging Basics
Electric vehicles will play a key role in ushering in a more sustainable future, and their continued adoption will rely on making the transition to electric a safe, reliable and cost-effective experience. But driving an EV isn’t like driving a traditional gas vehicle, and for any drivers looking to purchase the former, it’ll be important to understand the nuances of charging on the move, whether it’s at home, at work, or along the curbside.
Other common destinations for the electric vehicle charging infrastructure include transit corridors, commercial real estate sites like shopping malls and big-box retailers, and even restaurants and coffee shops: anywhere a driver might spend enough time to rustle up a charge, in other words. (Continued below article links)
While EV drivers can be certain to find a wide variety of chargers on-the-go, it’s true that most EV charging happens at home, often overnight. Because of this, one of the most important things we can do to ensure people transition to electric is to develop home charging stations that are durable and easy to use. You can find a breakdown of some of these stations, and their relevant features, here.
Not all charging happens at home, though, and as EVs become increasingly common on North American roads, it’ll be important to develop a robust and reliable public charging infrastructure network that lets drivers feel secure in their ability to travel most anywhere they please. This charging network should feature Level 2 chargers, which are slower and typically mounted on a pedestal, a wall or in certain cases, grafted directly into a city’s existing infrastructure, and DC Fast Charging stations which, depending on their size, can usually charge an EV in less than thirty minutes. You can read more about the different charging levels here.
There are many charging solutions providers who design, manufacture and manage EV infrastructure in North America. We’ll be looking into some of these providers and their products in future articles, as well as looking at what makes for an enjoyable charging experience and how we can develop charging networks to best service the needs of today and tomorrow’s EV drivers. Stay tuned!
