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Sixty-four hours. This is the time it takes for a completely exhausted Chevy Bolt EV to fully charge if you plug the EV into the same outlet you use to charge your cell phone.
Even though most EVs have increasingly longer range (the Bolt has enough juice for 259 miles, while the Tesla Model 3 does up to 353 miles), the most basic Level 1 charge is extremely. slow, even just to reload. To speed things up, other Tier 2 home options are now hitting the market.
This week, the Spanish electric charging company Wallbox presented its first level 2 home charging kit for American drivers. That’s about eight to ten times faster than basic Level 1 home charging and takes about four hours to fully charge a Chevy Bolt and similar cars. It doesn’t seem fast enough if you’re on a road trip, but it will charge the battery enough to allay any worries about range, even if it’s only plugged in for an hour or two.
Level 2 is what most public charging stations offer, although faster DC charging stations are in demand with their quick 15-30 minute “fill-ups”. During this time, a Nissan Leaf or similar car can be 80% empty. But there are far fewer public DC fast-charging stations. According to the US Department of Energy, only about 16% of all charging stations are fast, and most fast chargers are located along highways.
The Pulsar Plus charges EVs faster.
Wallbox’s $ 649 Pulsar Plus smart box with 40-amp output (which must be professionally installed) is one of a small but growing group of faster charging options for single-family homes. All new EVs in the US come with a cable that you can plug directly into a wall without an electrician, but none come with a Level 2 configuration. A higher output 48 amp Wallbox Pulsar Plus version will arrive later this year for $ 699.
At the end of 2019, the ChargePoint charging network released the Home Flex for $ 699. JuiceBox is another smart home charging kit for level 2 home charging in your garage. Siemens has a charging kit that connects to your smartphone. But that’s about all. In a call, Wallbox CEO Doug Alfaro called installing a faster home charger “a convenient upgrade” since you can skip public charging stations for faster charging.
Alfaro pointed out the flexibility of a smart charger during a video call where he demonstrated the Pulsar Plus plugged into a Nissan Leaf. Thanks to its app, you can plan, monitor and charge remotely.
“It can be 50 times cheaper to use electricity at night,” he said, praising the ability to schedule when you want to start charging. Hour-of-use rates may be worth recharging at home, especially for drivers whose utilities offer cheaper electricity at night or at other off-peak hours.
Giovianni Bertolino, e-mobility manager at renewable energy company Enel X North America, is encouraging more level 2 charging, especially for cars parked and plugged in for several hours. “You don’t need fast and expensive DC chargers,” he said on a call. “Level 2 is perfectly fine.” For example, a 30-minute super-fast charge session to get an 80% full battery can cost $ 10 or more. Home charging Level 2 for a full four hour charge is estimated to cost around $ 8 in electricity.
Global consulting firm Ernst & Young recently found that President Biden’s plan to add 500,000 new public electric vehicle charging stations in the United States by 2030 may not be enough to meet demand. His research indicates that this can only cover up to 57% of what is needed. This means that instead of queuing for a charge, even with potential new stations, it might be worth charging your home faster.
Jessika Trancik, a professor at the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in a phone call that better home charging options would help accelerate widespread adoption of EVs.
“Having that charge faster helps build confidence,” she said.
One obvious downside to home charging is that it’s not available to everyone. So more charging options should be available for people who don’t have a dedicated and private space to charge. For people who live in apartments or rely on street parking, having access to faster chargers is crucial in convincing them to switch to electric for their next vehicle.
“But there is no replacement for the carrying capacities when people are at home,” Trancik said. “The most convenient option seems to be when you are at home, even if it is in a public place.”
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