Charging Your Electric Car: Do You Need a Special Charger or Can You Use a Regular Wall Outlet?

Do you need to buy a special charger for your electric car or can you use a regular wall outlet? Learn more about how to charge your electric car safely and efficiently.

Charging Your Electric Car: Do You Need a Special Charger or Can You Use a Regular Wall Outlet?

All mass-produced electric vehicles today include a 110-volt compatible charging unit (level) that can be connected to any standard 110 V household outlet. In most cases, level 2 charging requires the purchase and installation of charging equipment. The typical Level 2 charger can replace the same average daily drive of 40 miles in less than 2 hours. In general, most electric vehicle drivers want the safety and convenience of faster charging and ultimately installing the 240-volt Level 2 charging capacity in their homes.

The short answer to the question of whether you can charge your electric car from a normal outlet is yes. All major electric vehicles manufactured today will be able to charge at a household outlet. This will allow you to connect it directly to a standard 120 volt outlet (or 110 volts in some cases) in your home. By comparison, it is normally charged for 2 to 6 hours at an AC charging station (depending on the car model, the size and condition of the battery and the charging station).

Many people decide that charging with a regular electrical outlet is fine and that's all they do. As there are no protective measures that allow control and communication with the vehicle, the charging interface is activated immediately and offers no electrical protection. The mission of Veloz, as a non-profit organization, is to educate the public about the state of electric vehicle technology and its importance for a clean and healthy environment in a non-commercial way. If charging at home isn't an option or if you need to “recharge” during the day to do some additional tasks, recharging at the workplace is another practical place to charge your car.

Nowadays, new electric cars come with portable charging equipment that allows you to connect them to any 120-volt outlet. However, it can be dangerous not only for the electrical installation and the electric car, but also for the person charging the car. Nowadays, most fully electric cars are equipped with fast DC charging, but always consider the car's charging connector before trying to connect it. While electric car drivers primarily charge at home, public and workplace chargers are increasingly available in communities across the country.

However, if you charge your electric vehicle from a standard household outlet, it can take up to 24 hours to charge an electric vehicle with a medium-sized battery (40-50 kWh). They spoke with John Voelcker, a career journalist in the automotive industry and an analyst specializing in electric vehicles. The car is parked approximately 96% of the time (that's the U. S.

average) USA), and slow 110 V charging adds about 4 miles per hour.