EV Charging Basics

3 levels of charging

• Level 1 — wall outlet (120V). Plug into a regular outlet at home. Adds 3-5 miles per hour. Slow. Fine if you drive less than 40 miles/day.
• Level 2 — home charger (240V). Adds 25-35 miles/hour. Full charge overnight. $500-1,500 for charger + install. The standard home option.
• DC Fast Charging — public stations only. Adds 100-200 miles in 20-30 minutes. Used for road trips. Can't install at home.

Best home setup

1. Hire an electrician — they install a 240V outlet near where you park (~$500-2,000).
2. Buy Level 2 charger — Tesla Wall Connector, ChargePoint Home Flex, or your car's OEM charger ($400-700).
3. Plug car in at night. Full by morning.
4. Most utility companies offer rebates ($200-1,000 toward installation).
5. Federal tax credit — 30% of charger cost up to $1,000.

Apps to find public chargers

• PlugShare — best community-driven map. Shows working/broken status from real drivers.
• A Better Route Planner (ABRP) — plans road trips with charging stops.
• Tesla app — for Tesla owners, finds Superchargers automatically.
• ChargePoint, EVgo, Electrify America — network apps, must download to use their stations.
• Apple Maps + Google Maps — both show chargers along your route.

Cost

• Home charging — $0.10-0.20/kWh. Roughly $10-15 for a "tank" (250 miles).
• DC fast charging — $0.40-0.55/kWh. Roughly $25-40 for 200 miles.
• Compare: $40 of gas = ~250 miles in efficient car; $40 of home electricity = 700+ miles in EV.
• EVs save ~$1,500/year in fuel for typical commuter.

Common worries

• "Will it charge in rain?" Yes. Chargers and ports are waterproof.
• "Cold weather?" Range drops 15-30% in winter. Pre-heat car while plugged in.
• "Battery replacement?" Most batteries last 200,000+ miles. Warranty 8 years/100,000 miles federal minimum.
• "Power outage?" EVs are batteries on wheels. Some can power your home for days during outages.