Electric car chargers nowadays come with a vast variety of features. It takes a bit of time getting used to changes you must experience when owning an electric car.

Figuring out where car charging points are or where to put electric charging point installation are just a few changes you are submitted to if owning an electric car. There are a few things that can help your electric vehicle charging experience go smoother and stress free. Living in a modern era where so many things can be done through phone apps, it is no wonder that phone apps attached to electric car charging features as well. They help you find car charging point installations, determine what level of fast charging your car charger is. Phone apps also can monitor charging status when they are plugged in, electric car owners can plan routes to maximize electric car available range. There are also phone apps that let you reserve car charging points for specific time and day.

 

The most useful phone apps if you are electric cars owner are:

  • PlugShare 

This app is the most popular among EV owners. It is the largest EV driving community as it is said on the app itself. This app helps you find car charging points, or electric charging point installation locally and when on the road. It has filter features to search by plug-in type for example, charging speed including level 1 and level 2 and DC fast chargers. There is also a feature to filter by charging provider and the PlugShare map comprehensive car charging points information for every big charging network in North America, Europe and much of the rest of the world. 

With this app you can find public car charging points or electric car charging point installation, use filters mentioned above eg. for connector type, charging speed and amenities. You can also check for car charging points functionality and current availability, link to a navigation app for directions to your selected charger, pay for charging with Pay with PlugShare and observe your session, add new charging point installation as you find one and so many other features that will make your EV life a lot easier. 

  • ChargePoint  

This is another app with a great charging network with more than 100,000 car charging points. It helps you find which stations are available to use in real time, has a start charging feature where by tapping your phone on any ChargePoint  station starts  charging a car, it gets real time updates about your charging status, it finds car with car charging points that work with your EV and filters for fast chargers, it schedules charging, sets reminders and tracks usage. 

 

  • EVgo

Having this app allows you to charge your EV fast, reliably and on the go. You can find fast chargers then see if they are available in real time. You can view car charging points site details, parking, prices and photos. You can also use advanced search options to find site host name, points of interest or location. You can also, as in previously mentioned apps, filter by connector, charger power and reservable chargers. You can scan your VIN to find car charging points compatible with your EV’s charging plug-in. 

 

Electric vehicle charging has become much easier and stress free with the phone apps. Your Electric cars will be thankful for not spending extra miles searching randomly for car charging points. 

 

Keywords: car charging points, charging car, electric vehicle charging, electric charging point installation, electric cars. 

There are so many factors to be considered when choosing the right electric vehicle charger. From so many on the market, plus the right environment to be considered it is a lot to get familiar with. From how powerful is your electric car battery to the electrical capacity of your home electricity to EV charger that compliments both the home electricity and the power of your EV battery. So much to think about, here we bring a few basic information to help you understand different levels needed to be satisfied in order for your EV charger to charge with maximum power and therefore get your EV up and running. 

Types of Electricity And Voltage

There are different types of electricity and voltage used today in households and for public needs. AC or alternating current is what we have in our households and DC or direct current is used for batteries of electric devices. Outlet sockets produce AC power but our batteries operate in DC power which means that AC is converted and stored as DC for batteries to operate properly. 

As for voltage depending on the location there is usually 120v power and 240v power in households. Depending on the voltage will depend on the choice of an electric car charger for home. Electric charging point installation will depend on the power grid in your household and the power of the electric vehicle charging battery. 

Different Types of EV Chargers Based on Electricity Power

There are three types of electric car chargers:

  • Level 1 
  • Level 2
  • DC Fast chargers

 

   Level 1 chargers are the slowest and require a 120v outlet every house owns but it may not satisfy electric car owners who are going on longer miles on an everyday basis. Level one chargers operate on AC and deliver 3-7kw of power and it is ideal for short commutes. 

   Level 2 chargers are medium range chargers operating on AC but require upgrade to 240v. These chargers deliver 11-22kv, but your electric car charging battery has to support it. Level 2 are most common installed electric car charger for home these days. They are great if you have longer commutes every day. Then there are different kinds of Level 2 chargers ranging from 16-32 amps which will ultimately influence the charging process. 

   DC fast chargers are the fastest of the three because there is no converting from AC to DC, skipping a step makes DC chargers twice the faster, they deliver about 43-50kw, depending on the connector. Because these chargers are the most expensive they are mostly used for public electric vehicle charging stations, residential buildings or commercial offices. 

There is a lot to think about when owning an electric car and needing charging car options be for your benefit. That is why it is extremely important to reach out to professionals who will help you with household electrical capacity to support your chosen electric car charger for home and then obviously it has to be in sync with a battery of your electric car. Everything has to be supported and in sync to deliver optimum and safe electric vehicle charging at home.

Electric cars are becoming more and more mainstream. Are you thinking of becoming a proud owner of an electric car? Now you only need to choose the right charger? Choosing the right charging car option with many electric vehicle  charging options on the market has become quite challenging. Depending on your electric cars and your charging car preferences you can choose an electric car charger for home or simply charge it at the electric vehicle charging spot. 

With a few options available here are some tips on how to choose the best electric charger for your car: 

  • Budget 

The price of an electric car charger  is a determining factor when choosing an electric car charger for home. The prices vary and you can certainly find one that suits your budget as well as the needs of your electric cars. 

  • Commute  

Depending on your everyday commute you can opt for an electric car charger for home or just plug it in your home outlet directly with a supplied cable that came with a car. If your commute is periodically longer in a single day, then your electric cars will demand an electric car charger for home. Charging a car for hours or a whole night isn’t convenient for everyone, so an electric vehicle charging option should be an electric car charger for home. The one that will charge your electric cars in short periods of time. 

  • EV charger features 

Electric vehicle charging can be quite overwhelming. Finding a charging car expert and electric charger for home providers to help you choose the right one will be the very thing to make your owning an electric car experience so much better. You can choose from tethered or untethered charging car solutions. Tethered ones may be more convenient because the cable is always in its place, but the downside is the cable length might be limited due to the manufacturer’s limited options for cable lengths. The charging cable comes with tethered chargers. The other downside is that it only charges type 1 or type2 vehicles only. Untethered chargers do not have a permanent cable attachment on the charger unit, they have a socket only therefore you need to buy a charging cable. This type of electric car charger for home is more flexible and works with all electric cars. 

  • Smart charging 

Newer car charging options come with smart charging features, you can monitor your energy costs, scheduling charging, additional data connection as backup if your WIFI isn’t working properly, phone apps for electric car chargers, automatic resuming electrical vehicle charging after power outage.

 

Electric vehicle charging choice and electric charger for home option will be determined by your preferences and your electric car features and needs. If you are in search of electric vehicle charging options, reach out to EV charger providers and ask all the questions needed for them to help you choose the best electric charger for your EV.