Thinking About an EV?

5 Things to Know
​About Charging It at Home

​Most EVs give you a way to start charging from a standard household outlet. For some drivers, that may be enough. For others, it quickly becomes clear why so many EV owners install faster Level 2 charging at home.
Before you buy a charger—or assume you need major electrical work—there are a few things worth understanding.

1. Can I Just Plug My EV
Into a Regular Outlet?

​In many cases, yes.
Charging from a standard 120-volt household outlet is commonly called Level 1 charging, or sometimes “trickle charging.”
It is the simplest way to charge an EV at home because it may not require a new 240-volt charging setup.
The tradeoff is speed.
Level 1 charging typically adds only a few miles of driving range for every hour the vehicle is plugged in. 
That doesn't automatically make Level 1 a bad option.
But if you regularly drive more miles than Level 1 can put back overnight, you can gradually start falling behind.
That's usually when homeowners begin looking at Level 2 charging.

2. How Much Faster Is
​Level 2 Charging?

​Level 1 uses 120 volts. Level 2 uses a dedicated 240-volt circuit and can deliver considerably more charging power to the vehicle.
Instead of thinking about volts and amps,
​it can be easier to think about miles added per hour of charging.
Imagine you drive about 40 miles in a normal day.
With Level 1, replacing those miles could take most of the night.
With Level 2, the same amount of driving may be recovered in only a few hours.
The question isn't necessarily, “What's the fastest charger I can install?”
A better question is:
“How quickly do I need to replace the miles I normally drive?”
That one question can influence almost everything that comes next.

3. Does Charging at 240V
Cost More Than Charging at 120V?

This one causes a lot of confusion. It is easy to look at 120 volts versus 240 volts and assume:
“If the voltage doubles, doesn't my electric bill double too?”
Not exactly.
Your utility generally bills you for the amount of electrical energy you use, measured in kilowatt-hours.
Level 2 charging mainly allows the vehicle to receive that energy faster.

- Think about filling a swimming pool with two different hoses.
One hose may take much longer than the other, but you're still filling the same pool.

Your actual EV charging cost depends much more on things like how many miles you drive, how efficient the vehicle is, your electric rate and when you charge.
There can also be differences in charging efficiency between Level 1 and Level 2, so the numbers aren't perfectly identical. 
And depending on your utility, when you charge may matter just as much as how you charge.
If you're an Xcel Energy customer, it's worth checking their current EV rates, charging programs and incentives before purchasing equipment because those options can change over time.

4. What Does Circuit Size
Have to Do With Charging Speed?

​Once you start looking at Level 2 chargers, another set of numbers appears: 30 amps, 40 amps, 50 amps, 60 amps.
This is where EV charging can start sounding more complicated than it needs to be.
In simple terms, the electrical circuit helps determine how much charging power can be available to the vehicle.
A larger properly designed circuit can support more charging output, which can mean faster charging.
Your vehicle has a limit to how much Level 2 charging power it can accept. And even if your vehicle can accept a very large charger, you may not actually need that much charging speed.

Skyline's EV guide, for example, shows the relationship between common circuit sizes and the charging output available from them.

5. Can My House Handle
Level 2 Charging?

​This is the question that often leads homeowners to believe an EV automatically means they need a new electrical panel. It doesn't.
Level 2 charging adds a significant electrical load to the home, so the electrical system does need to be evaluated.
But every house is different.
Some homes have plenty of available capacity. Others may be better suited to a smaller charging circuit.
Some can use load-management technology that adjusts charging based on what the rest of the house is using.
And in other situations, an electrical service upgrade may make sense—especially when EV charging is part of a larger plan that includes additional electric appliances or future vehicles.

​Before Your EV Comes Home

You don't need to know exactly which charger or circuit you want before buying an electric vehicle.
But these questions can help you avoid surprises later:
✓ How many miles do I normally drive each day?
✓ How many hours will the vehicle normally be parked at home?
✓ Could Level 1 charging comfortably replace those miles overnight?
✓ Would faster Level 2 charging make everyday life easier?
✓ What Level 2 charging speed can the vehicle I'm considering actually accept?
✓ Where will the vehicle normally park?
✓ Do I know what electrical service and panel my home currently has?
✓ Am I likely to add another EV or other major electrical loads in the future?
​✓ ​Have I checked current Xcel Energy EV programs before purchasing charging equipment?

​NOT SURE WHAT YOUR HOME NEEDS?

We can help you understand your options and find the charging setup that fits your vehicle, your home, and how you drive.
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