Which Levels of Charging Are Available for Public Charging?

Which Levels of Charging Are Available for Public Charging?

There are 3 standard charging levels used to charge electric cars. All electric cars can be charged with level 1 and level 2 stations. These types of chargers offer the same charging power as the ones you can install at home. Level 3 chargers – also called DCFC or fast charging stations – are much more powerful than level 1 and 2 stations, meaning you can charge an EV much faster with them. that being said, some vehicles cannot charge at level 3 chargers. Knowing your vehicle’s capabilities is therefore very important.

Level 1 Public Chargers
Level 1 is the standard wall outlet of 120 volts. It is the slowest charge level and requires tens of hours to fully charge a 100% electric vehicle and several hours for a plug-in hybrid.

Level 2 Public Chargers
Level 2 is the typical EV plug found in homes and garages. Most public charging stations are level 2. RV plugs (14-50) are also considered level 2 chargers.

Level 3 Public Chargers
Lastly, some public stations are level 3 chargers, also known as DCFC or DC Fast Chargers. These charging stations are the quickest way to charge a vehicle. Note that not every EV can charge at level 3 chargers.

Choosing the Right Level of Public Charging for Your Electric Car

First of all, we recommend you avoid level 1 charging stations. They are too slow and are not adapted to EV drivers’ needs when they’re traveling. If you want to charge in the fastest way possible, you should use a level 3 charger, as these charging stations will provide a lot of range to your EV in a short amount of time. However, charging at a DCFC station is only effective if your battery’s state-of-charge (SOC) is below 80%. After that point, charging will slow down significantly. Therefore, once you reach 80% of charging, you should plug your car into a level 2 charger, since the last 20% of charging are as fast with a level 2 station than a level 3, but it is way cheaper. You can also continue your journey and charge your EV back to 80% at the next level 3 charger you meet on the road. If time is not a constraint and you’re planning to stop several hours at a charger, you should opt for a level 2 EV Charging which is slower but less expensive.

Which Connectors Are Available for Public Charging?
Level 1 EV Connectors and Level 2 EV Connectors
The most common connector is the SAE J1772 EV plug. All electric cars in Canada and in the US can charge using this plug, even Tesla cars as they come with an adapter. The J1772 connector is only available for level 1 and 2 charging.

Level 3 Connectors
For fast charging, the CHAdeMO and SAE Combo (also called CCS for “Combo Charging System”) are the most used connectors by electric cars manufacturers.

These two connectors are not interchangeable, meaning a car with a CHAdeMO port cannot charge using an SAE Combo plug and vice versa. It’s kind of like a gas vehicle that can’t fill up at a diesel pump.

The third important connector is the one used by Teslas. That connector is used on level 2 and level 3 Supercharger Tesla charging stations and are only compatible with Tesla cars.

EV Connector types

Type 1 Connector: Port J1772

Level 2

Compatibility: 100% of electric cars

Tesla: With adapter

Connector: CHAdeMO Plug

Level: 3

Compatibility: Check specifications of your EV

Tesla: With adapter

Connector: SAE Combo CCS 1 Plug

Level: 3

Compatibility: Check specifications of your EV

Tesla Connector

Connector: Tesla HPWC

Level: 2

Compatibility: Only Tesla

Tesla: Yes

Connector: Tesla supercharger

Level: 3

Compatibility: Only Tesla

Tesla: Yes

Wall Plugs

Wall Plug: Nema 515, Nema 520

Level: 1

Compatibility: 100% of electric cars, Charger is required

Connector: Nema 1450 (RV plug)

Level: 2

Compatibility: 100% of electric cars, Charger is required

Connector: Nema 6-50

Level: 2

Compatibility: 100% of electric cars, Charger is required

Before driving to a charging station, it is important to know if your vehicle is compatible with the connectors available. This is especially important for non-Tesla DCFC stations. Some may have just a CHAdeMO connector, others just an SAE Combo CCS connector, and others will have both. Also, some vehicles, like the Chevrolet Volt – a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, is not compatible for Level 3 stations.