Rethinking Electric Vehicles: Home Charging

Home charging is one of the most convenient aspects of electric vehicles (EVs). While there are a growing number of public charging options, home charging is what sets EVs apart for a number of reasons.

First, home charging stations are safe when installed by a qualified electrician. An installer just needs to ensure that a charger is on its own circuit, that it's in a safe location and that it's easy for the charging cord to reach without being a safety issue.

Home charging can be Level I or Level II. These require the same amount of power already available in most homes. In fact, Level II is 240 volts, which is the equivalent of a clothes dryer outlet.

A full charge from a Level I can take up to 24 hours, while Level II equipment can charge your vehicle in 4 to 8 hours. So while Level II charging may require additional equipment, it more than makes up for it.

Second, home charging is convenient, assuming you spend any amount of time in your home. Some energy companies even offer special incentives to charge your EV at night while you're sleeping, when electric rates are cheaper.

Finally, electric charging is much cheaper than buying gallons of gasoline. This can be a big sticking point. How much is charging going to increase my electric bill? Think about it, electric rates tend to be stable compared to gasoline prices, which can jump by dollars per gallon over the course of months.

Electricity is also relatively cheap; it only costs around $4 to charge most EVs. So while your electric bill might go up, it's a lot less than you'd spend at the pump.

Home charging has benefits that no gas station can match. It's no wonder that the U.S. Department of Energy reports that 80% of the vehicle charging that happens in the United States happens in homes.