Level 1
The electric vehicle has come a long way since it was first introduced more than a century ago. Today there are more than 2 million on the roads worldwide and sales are poised to explode over the next few years. All those electric vehicles (EVs) are good news for the environment but charging them can be an issue unless you have an EV charging station from EVdirect installed in your garage or business car park. Without the ability to charge your EV yourself you’re faced with the prospect of having to find a publicly accessible charging station somewhere. And while there are more of those today then there were 5 years ago, the total number in Ontario is still less than 300. For many then having their own residential or commercial charging station is the way to go and many will choose Level 1 chargers for their affordability and practicality.
What is a Level 1 Charging Station?
EV Charging Station fall into 3 categories with Level 1 being the most basic. A Level 1 EV Charging Station is one that operates using standard 120 volt AC current. That’s the same that you use to power your lights and the vast majority of appliances and hi-tech devices around your home or office. Many business owners prefer to offer Level 1 charging stations because they allow for more effective management of energy, are simple and inexpensive to install and typically meet the needs of employees most of whom, studies show, travel less than 30 miles to work. With Level 1 chargers they can easily recoup that range in a matter of 5 or 6 hours while they’re going about their work day. Schools, hotels and resorts are examples of other places where Level 1 charging can be cost-effective.
Likewise, many homeowners favour Level 1 chargers for their electric vehicles and for many of the same reasons. If they use their EV primarily for commuting there will be ample time to recharge it overnight. Even if they do use the EV after the work day is done chances are good that most of the trips taken from the house are relatively short hops to the shopping mall, restaurant or a friend’s house. When the car is returned at the end of the evening it typically sits for many hours meaning a Level 1 charger, slow though it may be, is still more than adequate to recoup the range lost before the EV is called upon again.
Call EVdirect @ 416-635-6854 today to find out if Level 1 Charger are right for you.
Contact EVdirect to Learn More
EVdirect is the industry leader in providing state-of-the-art EV charger sales and installation to Ontario customers. We offer a full line of Level 1 EV Charging Station from leading manufacturers like Bosch, ClipperCreek, JuiceBox, Chargepoint and more. And we provide top-notch, affordable installation services as well. If the time has come to graduate to an environmentally responsible electric vehicle you’ll want to make sure you have the right EV charger to power it. EVdirect can supply and install it for you.
Contact for Level 1 Charger to Install & EV Charging Stations Service in Ontario
Level 2
Electric vehicles are here to stay with more than 10,000 currently in regular use on the roadways of Ontario and thousands more expected to be added each year for the foreseeable future. The growth of the EV (as it’s commonly known) is not just a response to climate change (although that’s certainly part of it) nor is it just a short term fashion that’s bound to fizzle out soon. Both individuals and businesses recognize the value and convenience of the electric vehicle and a big part of that convenience is being able to charge your EV right in your own driveway or company parking lot. At EVdirect we sell and install a full range of state-of-the-art EV Charging Station from all the major manufacturers. While there are myriad brands and 4 different levels of charger to choose from level 2 chargers are fast becoming the EV Charging Station of choice. Best choice for Nissan Leaf check out Nissan EV Charging Station Installation
What Makes Level 2 Chargers So Desirable?
As we said there are 4 levels of EV Charging Station readily available today:
- The level 1 charger is a 120 volt AC charger that’s basically amounts to plugging your car into a standard household outlet. While this type of technology is simple to understand and simple to install and use it can also be painfully slow for an EV owner in a hurry.
- The level 3 charger is a 480 volt DC charger that will charge a typical electric vehicle battery in under an hour in most cases. (It’s not known as the “Fast Charger” for nothing.) If there’s a drawback to this type of charger it’s the cost, which can be prohibitive for many homeowners in particular.
- The level 4 charger is a Tesla product intended to be used solely with Tesla EVs. As such the major drawback to this type of charger is compatibility. While the 3 other levels of charger are all compatible with multiple different EV brands with level 4 it’s Tesla or nothing.
As you can see each of the other 3 levels of charger has at least one significant potential drawback. With level 1 it’s speed, with level 3 it’s price and with level 4 it’s compatibility. That’s why level 2 chargers have garnered so much positive spin. There are no significant drawbacks when talking about this type of charger. They’re fast, (typically 2 or 3 times faster than level 1 chargers), they use AC current so you don’t need an adapter, they’re widely compatible with a number of different brands of EV and to top it all off they’re affordable. Even more so these days since the government of Ontario has seen fit to offer purchase and installation rebates totalling $1,000 on all Level 2 chargers installed for use with your personal or business EV.
Call EVdirect Today
EVdirect specializes in the sale and installation of EV Charging Station for home or business use. We’ll also help you apply for that handsome rebate the provincial government is offering on versatile, affordable Level 2 chargers. Give us a call to find out more about having one or more installed in your home garage or business car park.
Level 3
Since an electric vehicle, or EV, wouldn’t be much good without a charged battery the EV Charging Station you choose is critical to ensuring your electric vehicle is always ready to serve your particular needs. By far the fastest type of EV Charging Station on the market today are level 3 DC Fast Chargers but there are 3 other levels of EV Charging Station as well:
- Level 1 chargers run off of standard 120 volt AC current and as such are compatible with the wiring in your home or office. They’re easy to install and extremely affordable. Their one big drawback is that they can take up to 12 hours to recharge an average EV.
- Level 2 chargers also run off standard AC electrical system in your home or office but charge at 240 volts rather than 120 volts like the level 1 charger. Because of this they can charge the battery in an average EV in 3 to 5 hours rather than 12 hours.
- Level 3 chargers are DC Fast Chargers. They’re generally quick and efficient way to charge your Electric Vehicle when you are on a longer trip.
That leads us back to the level 3 chargers. While there is some debate over whether or not a DC Fast Charger technically qualifies as a “level 3” charger we’ll let the electrical engineers figure that out and instead focus on the fact that the DC Fast Charger is without a doubt the fastest way to top up your EV battery and get back on the road. In fact with a DC Fast Charger you’re theoretically able to get past the unofficial single charge per day mileage limit that some EV owners feel holds them back and really extend the vehicle’s performance envelope.
So imagine driving your Nissan Leaf 100 miles across Ontario, stopping at a level 3 DC Fast Charger station, topping up your battery in about half an hour, driving another 100 miles, topping up again and… well, you get the picture. This is the kind of potential that makes the level 3 DC Fast Charger such an attractive technology and a potential game changer for the EV industry.
Let EVdirect Install Your Own Level 3 Chargers
At EVdirect our fully licensed electricians specialize in the installation of every type of EV Charging Station for personal and business use. While the DC Fast Charger will be overkill for many homeowners who drive less than 30 miles a day they can be a life saver for businesses that need to keep their EVs on the road most of the time. In the past these companies may have had to purchase hybrids to circumvent the practical realities of EV charging. Today however, they’re able to purchase fully electric vehicles and use them with the same confidence they would show in their standard internal combustion vehicles, because they’ve had level 3 chargers installed by EVdirect.
Call EVdirect @ 416-635-6854 today to find out if level 3 DC Fast Chargers are right for you.