Charging 101

Types of Charging

  • Level One: This refers to a standard outlet charger. It runs off of 120 Volts and does not require any installation (provided having a mobile/travel type charger). Best used for very low mileage car users or during traveling due to the charger’s portability. This style of charger often comes with the purchase of your Electric Vehicle or can be purchased seperately.

  • Level Two: Our most common residential and commercial installation is the level two 240 volt charger. This style can be is installed by us through hardwire and receptacle type setups (see below). This level is best for daily drivers who need the ability to receive a full charge overnight. Depending on other loads on the electrical panel, level two chargers can be tuned to supply between 16 and 48 amps.

  • Level Three: This is also known as DC fast charging. Level three chargers have the fastest charging capabilities and can charge a car to 80% in as little as thirty minutes. These chargers are used for long road trips and charging quickly between stops. Examples of these would be Tesla Supercharger Stations and Electrify America charging stations.

Types of Level Two EV Charger Installations

  • Hardwire: Hardwire installs refer to the running of wire and conduit directly from a panel into the charger to supply the necessary voltage and current.

  • NEMA 14-50: This receptacle is rated for up to 50 amps, hence -50, and for corded EV Chargers allows up to 40 amps of supply. These are commonly referred to as RV outlets and are often found at camping sites. Word of warning, not all NEMA 14-50 receptacles are created equally. The $11 versions that can be found in hardware stores or online are not rated for use with EV chargers and can fail catastrophically. We recommend Hubble/Bryant 9450F or Eaton 5754N receptacles if opting for a corded EV charger.

  • NEMA 10-30 or NEMA 14-30: This receptacle is rated for up to 30 amps, hence -30, and for corded EV Chargers allows up to 24 amps of supply. These are often already in houses/garages wherever the laundry is as these are used as dryer outlets. When using a mobile type charger regularly for home charging, we recommend swapping to an industrial NEMA 10-30 made by Eaton or NEMA 14-30 made by Hubble/Bryant.

Charger / Port Types

  • NACS/J3400: The North American Charging Standard (NACS) is the charging interface designed and used by Tesla and recently standardized as J3400 by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). As of 2024, only Tesla vehicles have this charging port on their vehicles but this will be coming to all other vehicles in the US starting in 2025. NACS/J3400 will charge via an AC connection, Level 1 and 2, and also a DC connection, Level 3. There are NACS/J3400 to J1772 adapters made by Tesla via the Universal Wall Connector and also 3rd party manufacturers. To learn more about the standardization of Tesla’s charging standard go here - https://driveelectric.gov/charging-connector

  • J1772: All non-Tesla electric vehicles in the United States are standardized on this charging connector for AC Level 1 and 2 charging up to the end of model year 2024. EV charger manufacturers that offer these chargers include Wallbox, Tesla, Enel X, ChargePoint and many others.