Posted on 05/23/2021 7:10:50 AM PDT by DoodleBob
So you’re thinking about trading in your gas-guzzling SUV for a futuristic, energy-efficient, quiet-as-a-nun-walking-through-the-Vatican fully electric vehicle? Mazel Tov! But you’re wondering how long it takes to charge an EV? Well, fine sir or madam, you’ve come to the right place.
The electron pit-stop offers different charge rates based on capability, type of charger, weather, temperature, how many cars are connected to the station, time of day, and your car’s battery capacity. As such, EV chargers often require a quick tutorial by the manufacturer or dealer. But just like pumping gas, after a few fill-ups it becomes second nature.
To make understanding EV jargon easier, The Drive’s crack How-To department is here to answer just how long it takes to charge an electric vehicle, along with a handful of other frequently asked questions about EVs.
Game?
Nearly every electric vehicle comes with a factory-provided charger, but manufacturers and third-party businesses offer faster, more efficient chargers, too. These can be installed by an electrician or be gas station-like chargers installed throughout the country.
Here’s a quick rundown of the type of chargers available:
Now that you have an idea of the types of chargers available, here are The Drive’s estimates of how long it will take your electric car to charge, variables notwithstanding.
While conventional gasoline pumps have a predetermined flow rate, which can be somewhat affected by the number of cars fueling up, a charger’s is subject to a great many more variables that affect how quickly its EV juice is dispensed.
Here are some variables that affect an electric car’s charge speed:
In the U.S., the national average cost per kWh is around $0.13 but can reach $0.32 per hour in Hawaii—aloha. On average, however, you’ll spend less charging your EV than you would fueling a gasoline-powered vehicle.
There are also costs associated with your selected charger. Standard Level 1 chargers are normally included in the price of a vehicle, but if you want a faster Level 2 charger, that’ll require more investment as they’re more than just a plug-and-play setup.
Tesla offers its Gen 3 wall charger for $500, and third-party chargers can range from $400 to $900, plus $1,500 to $2,000 for installation.
How far you can travel in an electric vehicle has become a sticking point, with many potential buyers citing “range anxiety” as the biggest hurdle to adoption.
Just like a gasoline-powered car, the estimated electric range varies from car to car. Consumers can get anywhere from 84 miles in a Fiat 500e to well into the 300-mile range in an EV like a Tesla Model 3 Long Range or Porsche Taycan.
Considering the average American’s commute is 16 miles, any of the current EVs offer more than enough range. Charging stations are also becoming more common along highways making long-distance road trips achievable.
Electric vehicles are still in their infancy and as such can still suffer from build quality issues that commonly affect the first-generation system. That will change.
As subsequent evolutions of the electric vehicle roll off the assembly line, EVs have the real potential to be more reliable than any gasoline-powered car. An electric car requires only a few moving parts, as well as few parts that require fluids that could be corrupted by the elements, fuel, particulates, or grease. Thus, electric cars won’t need as much maintenance and could triple a car’s longevity.
You've got questions, The Drive has answers!
A. As shown about, they'll supply about 30 miles of range in one hour. Though, at-home chargers are getting faster as the tech proliferates.
A. That would be either the Porsche Taycan or Audi E-tron GT, both of which ride on the same electrical architecture and can make use of the 800v ultra-fast charging.
A. You can and can't. Most manufacturers have built-in safe guards so that you don't overcharge your vehicle. Tesla actually released a patch that modifies its car's thermal loads and charge capabilities after a handful of cars spontaneously combusted.
A. According to GMC, it'll take about 10 minutes to restore 100 miles of range when the truck goes on sale in 2022.
and what happens to all the people that work at Gas Stations ?
Most suburbanites will charge their car in their garage overnight from about 11pm to 5am in the near future.
In the distant future, most cars will get recharged during the daytime (when the sun shines) at workplaces or while shopping.
When traveling, cars will get recharged at meal stops and overnight at motels.
Recharging speed really isn’t going to be important generally.
Talk about a prey-rich environment!
The electrical infrastructure isn’t there, and never will be.
“and what happens to all the people that work at Gas Stations ?”
We don’t have gas stations. We have mini-marts with gas pumps. Already they are adding charging stations.
Still have to sell slurpees.
“and what happens to all the people that work at Gas Stations ?”
It’s been decades since drivers said “fill ‘er up”.
I refer to them as, “Coal-Powered Cars.”
Really cheeses off the leftists.
“The electrical infrastructure isn’t there, and never will be”
The Model-T was rolling off the assembly line for years before the first service station was built!
They'll still be there doing the same things they're doing now; make coffee, cook hot dogs, fill the nacho pots, restock shelves, sell lottery tickets, check IDs on tabacco beer sales. And say the charging station "not working" ...and ignore customer complaints.
;>)
Most all homes have 240vac. Same circuit that runs most clothes dryers will charge these cars. But at the 2nd fastest rate.
No homes, except for the McMansions, have 460/3phase AC power, as required for the fastest charge rate. There is the problem. People pushing these electric cars can’t sell these slow to charge, fast to discharge vehicles.
They are no practical for a company running a fleet of service vehicles.
Gas power rules!
“The electrical infrastructure isn’t there, and never will be.”
An electric car might get 4 miles on a kwh. My air conditioner might use 3kw per hour. That’s 12 miles per hour worth of charge capability at night time. Over say six hours, about 72 miles of charge can be added to the electric car.
Yes, I realize there are exceptions, such as those living in Obama voter complexes, but they are exceptions.
I’ve installed a couple of these charger units in rich peoples houses. The general rule is the more amps you can throw at it the faster it will charge the battery. That means a 100amp sub panel dedicated to the charger. Residential service is at max 200amp and that’s for larger homes. Most are 100 or 60. The meter will spin like CD player when charger is on. Most people who buy these won’t bat an eye when I charge them 2000+$ to install a dedicated sub panel. So for me, I say bring em on I need a new snowmobile.
What astounded me most about the article was that hundreds of words later, I STILL can't get a straight answer to the headline question. You need the simplex method to find a corner solution.
Most Americans get peeved when their phone has 12% batter power despite charging overnight. Does anyone think we will happily transition from a 5-minute gas pump trip to a 30-60 min charging station visit, especially when hold-ups-while-charging get news traction?
At first glance I thought those were headstones.
In the great state of New Jersey it is illegal to pump your own gas.
No homes have 460? 3 phase
Maybe they are, FRiend...
A. According to GMC, it'll take about 10 minutes to restore 100 miles of range when the truck goes on sale in 2022.
Complete, marketing BS.
If the range of a Hummer is 300 miles, they are implying to stupid people it would only take 30 minutes to fully charge the battery.
1) No lithium Ion battery can go from zero to full charge in 30 minutes, without severely limiting the life of the battery.
2) the KW's required would require special chargers that currently don't exist. The most you'll get out of a home charger is 10-20 miles/hour.
It's weird they would publish such BS without question/caveats.
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