McBride Electric is pleased to announce that Level 2 charging stations are now available for installation! Avoid the hassle and possible long commute to go charge your electric vehicle at a charging station every time. Also, charging a vehicle at home on an outlet can be time-consuming. Most electric vehicles come with a manufacturer’s Level 1 charger to charge at home. There is a significant performance difference between a Level 1 charger and a Level 2 charging station.
What is the difference between a Level 1 charger and a Level 2 charging station?
Level 1 charging station – Slow, but plugs into any electrical outlet
The Level 1 charger plugs into an outlet at your Plano home, and your electric vehicle is connected and takes the time it needs to get its battery back up to full power. This is a slower option and can be even more time-consuming than finding a charging station somewhere near your home. The Level 1 charger AC outlet has 120V with 12-16 amps with a charging load of 1.4 to 1.9 KwH. A Tesla Type 3 can take over 24 hours to charge on a Level 1 home charger.
A Level 1 charger adds about 3-5 miles of what is called Range Per Hour (RPH). This means each hour when charging, you get 3-5 miles added to your electric vehicle. It will take most electric vehicles charging on a Level 1 charger about 20 hours to completely charge. That is neither timely nor suitable for anyone who wants to leave their home every day! The Level 1 charger was made originally for smaller electric vehicles but is part of the package that anyone who purchases any kind of electric vehicle receives.
Level 2 charging station – The Rigth Solution
The level 2 charging station significantly increases the speed at which your vehicle is getting charged so you can get back on the road or get out on the road to work in the morning! The Level 2 charging station has 208V or 240V of power running through it with 12-80 amps and a charging load of 1.4 to 1.9 KwH. As you can see, the Level 2 charging station is significantly more powerful than the basic Level 1 charger. That means less time for our customers waiting to hit the road. Also, there is not need to commute to a charging station nearby and wait for your car to charge. If you live somewhere where there is inclement weather, charging from the comfort of your own home quickly is another reason to purchase the Level 2 charging station.
People might worry that a more powerful charger could affect their car in some way. All-electric vehicles are built to stop charging once they are full. Electric vehicles work with chargers to absorb the energy according to how much power is given. A Level 2 charging station can charge an electric vehicle from about 10-20 miles of RPH. You will have your car charged in about 8 hours. Your electric vehicle will be 100% charged overnight and ready to go in the morning. With the Level 2 charger, you aren’t stuck waiting hours longer to get in your car and go!
Which Level 2 charging station should I purchase?
When looking at the Level 2 charging stations, you have many options as to which charger is the best choice for your electric vehicle. You have the following options: indoor/outdoor, freestanding, wall-mounted, and hardwired. We want to ensure that any of these options allow the appliances on your breaker to keep going. The Level 2 charger will not interrupt the flow to the rest of your home.
Each of the choices comes with different cord lengths so that the charger easily reaches the charging port on your electric vehicle. For example, the Indoor/Outdoor option contains a much longer cord because it has to reach a vehicle outside. Wall-mounted or hardwired Level 2 charging stations typically come with 20-foot cords. You may want to consider a hardwired unit for the benefit of safety as well. No one can come into your garage and remove the outlet with a hardwired station.
It is also important to note that there is a difference between Tesla Level 2 charging stations and other Level 2 charging stations.
Tesla offers Level 2 charging stations, but their charging plug adapter is different. They have what is called the J1772 adapter, and it is meant specifically for all Tesla charging stations. Tesla Level 2 charging stations come with the same 240V requirements as well as requiring the NEMA 6-50 outlet. The unique option for the Tesla Level 2 charging station is that it has a delay function. This allows the customer to delay charging their electric vehicle until electricity rates are at their lowest. There is no advantage to having a Tesla Level 2 charging station unless you own a Tesla. If you own a different electric vehicle, it will require a J1772 charging plug.
What can McBride Electric do for you?
A Level 2 charging station typically requires a 240V adapter in order to prove your electric vehicle with the correct charging outlet. A 240V outlet is one that is typically used with larger appliances in your home such as an electric dryer, electric oven, or electric range top. McBride Electric will come to your home and check the electrical capacity of your outlets. We are happy to provide you with what you need to have a quality installation of a Level 2 charging station.
With McBride Electric, we provide the adapter to handle your Level 2 EV charging needs for your electric vehicle. We are happy to make the installation of Level 2 Charging station easy and quick to install. First, we want to come out and make sure you have a 208/240-volt circuit for the charging station. If you don’t, we can provide one for you. It is typically a NEMA 14-50 or 6-50 outlet that we will provide and then install the Level 2 charging station into that.
McBride Electric offers installations to residential properties in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. We have offices in Plano and Fort Worth and can be to your home and install a Level 2 charger with 100% satisfaction guarantee! We have licensed and experienced electricians who are ready to install your EV charger for your Tesla, Lucid, Leaf, or other electric vehicle needs. Contact my phone or email us today!
