There are different classifications of electric vehicles and there is a path for you to join the EVolution without going fully electric. Lets start by understanding car operating systems.
| Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Vehicle | Hybrid (ICE with Battery Storage) | Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) | Fully Electric Vehicle (EV) |
| You probably own or have owned an ICE vehicle. This traditional engine has been around since the late 1800’s. An internal combustion engine uses gas to operate and has an electric motor. | Hybrid electric vehicles are powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor, which uses energy stored in batteries. The battery is charged through regenerative braking and by the internal combustion engine. | PHEVS can be plugged-in and recharged from an outlet or public charging, allowing them to drive extended distances using just electricity. When the battery is emptied, the conventional engine turns on and the vehicle operates as a conventional, non-plug-in hybrid (ICE) | There is no gas used and no ICE. The car’s electric motor relies completely on the battery charge to operate. You must have a charging plan, whether you plan to have charging at home or use public chargers or some combination. |
PHEVs and Full EV Charging
Home Charging
Your vehicle likely includes a mobile charging cable that can be plugged directly into a standard 120 V outlet. This can be helpful if you are traveling and able to plug your car in for an extended period. Just be wary that you do not create a trip hazard when you plug in. In my experience, I gain about 1% of charge every hour. A benefit to using this is that you do not need professional installation by an electrician.
For a PHEV or EV owner with the ability to have charging at home, it would be worthwhile to have a home charging station or at least have an electrician set up a 240V/32A outlet for faster home charging.
| Cost | Level | Outlet/Power Source | Professional Electrician Installation | Estimated Time to Charge (0-100%) | Connector Type[1] | |
| ‘Mobile’ Charger | Included with vehicle[2] | 1 | Standard 120V/12A | Not needed | 100 hours | J1772 |
| ‘Mobile’ Charger Home Installation | Included with vehicle[2] Installation not included | 2 | 240V/32A NEMA 14-50 Wall Outlet | Highly recommended | 15 hours | J1772 |
| Home Charge Station | ~$800[3] Not including installation | 2 | Hardwired 240V/48A | Highly recommended | 11 hours | J1772 |
[1] This is the North American standard EV plug for Level 1 and 2 charging. Tesla uses a propriety connection but provides an adapter so that a J1772 charger can be used with a Tesla.
[2] I can confirm that is the case for Ford EVs. You should check with your car manufacturer to confirm.
[3] I would recommend purchasing this from your car manufacturer as they likely have a discount you can realize. Price may vary.
Public Charging General
It can be an overwhelming world with lots of apps and systems to try to figure out. If you plan on using public charging frequently, I recommend identifying one charging company to be your primary. Major players include Electrify America, EVgo, and ChargePoint and each has their own app where you can load payment information and/or select a monthly plan for reduced charging rates/fees. You can also swipe a credit card and charge at any of these chargers, you may pay a higher charging rate or a fixed fee per charging session.
You may be worried about compatibility. Most EVs in the market use a Combined Charging System (CCS) connection for DC fast charging and that aligns with what is available from the major DC fast charging providers.
Auto Manufacturers that use a CCS connection for DC fast charging: General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Honda, Kia, Fiat, Hyundai, Volvo, Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley, Rolls Royce and others.
The alternate connector for DC fast charging is CHAdeMO. In North America, only Nissan and Mitsubishi use a CHAdeMO connection. CHAdeMO DC fast charging is limited to 50 kW which will take significantly longer than what is available with a CCS connection (50-350 kW).
Looking at a typical Electrify America station, there are 4 DC fast chargers. Each charger has 2 cables, 1 on each side. You would see that of the 8 cables at this station likely only 1 cable is CHAdeMO.
Even though the charger has 2 cables, it can only charge 1 vehicle at a time. 2 cables account for if a cable is damaged, the charger can still be used by the 2nd cable or to offer either a CCS or CHAdeMO connector. You may also find that the position of 1 cable makes it easier to connect to your cars charging port.
If the cable connector is compatible with your vehicle, it does not matter which cable you use. The interface at the charger itself and the app will show you the connector type.
You will also have to learn the location of the charging port on your vehicle and how to position your vehicle so that the cable can reach the charging port comfortably.
I will say the DC fast charging cables are heavy and a bit bulky to manipulate. Be patient with yourself at the beginning and you will quickly get the hang of it.
Start Charging
Once you have plugged the charging cable into your car’s charging port, you can either initiate charging through the app – this is ideal if you pay for a monthly plan for reduced rates/fees – or you can swipe a credit card at the charger.
Ford allows a user to set up a profile with payment information that can be read directly by a charger in the Ford network. I typically just plug in and charging initiates. My charging bill is emailed to me with all the details.
Note that most of the above details on charging connections do not apply to Tesla vehicles as Tesla uses a proprietary connection and has built DC fast charging stations that will only charge Tesla vehicles. I have seen a Tesla charging at a station with a CCS connection with a large adapter, but I am not aware of limitations that may come with using this adapter.