# Everything You Need to Know About Charging Your Electric Vehicle

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2016/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-charging-your-electric-vehicle/
- Published: 2016-09-21T20:56:09-04:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

If you’ve got an electric vehicle, or EV, you’re going to need an EVSE. A charging
station. Or which is short for Electronic Vehicle Service Equipment.

# It’s the wall-mounted charger that supplies electricity to the vehicle’s battery pack.

These chargers are simple to install and provide 240-volts of electricity. The following
outlines everything you need to know about the various types of chargers, and what
it takes to operate them.

(It should be noted that you don’t need an EVSE when you’re driving certain hybrid
vehicles. Only Plug-in hybrids require charging.)

# **󠀁[⌊Everything you need to know about charging your electric vehicle⌉⌊Everything you need to know about charging your electric vehicle⌉󠀁[The Cost of Residential Charging Equipment **

In the long run, operating an EV is cheaper than a traditional gas guzzler, and 
there’s the added bonus of reducing your carbon footprint. That being said, there
are some costs you’ll need to consider, such as the increase on your electricity
bill, the cost of installing the EVSE, and the cost to upgrade your circuit breaker.

[[

charging the Kia Soul EV

## Here some tips to cut costs and drive for free:

·  If you live in a deregulated market, be sure to shop around for the most affordable
electricity rate. Some states, such as Texas, have deregulated markets and residents
can opt for cheaper or more environmentally friendly energy. Learn more about this
at [Texas Electric Rates](https://www.texaselectricrates.com/).

### 󠀁[⌊Bmw⌉⌊Bmw⌉󠀁[⏎  Switch to LED light bulbs and turn off lights and electronics when they’re not in use.

Simple green actions at home can reduce your electricity bill by as much as $50 
per month.

Your electricity bill will go up agreed. However,  the costs will be nowhere near
to gas. I mean not even close to what you would have paid to operate the average
fuel economy vehicle. In the US, the average cost of electricity is 12 cents per
kWh.

So on average you’ll pay $520.00 per year to charge your vehicle.

Compare this to $2,135, which is the average annual cost of gas. Plus the maintenance
costs are extremely low. So you begin to see the [very real value](https://web.archive.org/web/20190423225117/https://pluginamerica.org/how-much-does-it-cost-charge-electric-car/)
in purchasing an EV.

[⌊Bmw i3 to charge electric⌉⌊Bmw i3 to charge electric⌉[As for the EVSE and circuit breakers, these are one-time costs. According to PluginCars.com, a compelling authority on all things EVs, the [average cost of comparable and durable. EVSE](https://web.archive.org/web/20180907213352/http://www.plugincars.com:80/quick-guide-buying-your-first-home-ev-charger-126875.html) is between
$600 and $700. As for the circuit breaker, if it’s already rated for at least 40
amps, you can leave it be. If not, you’ll need to upgrade. The cost of upgrading
your circuit breaker is dependent on whether or not you need an [electrician](https://greenlivingguy.com/2008/05/helmet-law-for-electric-bike-riders-ensuring-safety-on-the-roads/), and then
it will be the standard per hour electrician rate plus the cost of a new breaker
box.

#### **Types of Residential EVSE**

Basically, there are three types of [electric vehicle chargers](https://www.eversource.com/content/general/residential/save-money-energy/explore-alternatives/electric-vehicles),
level one, level two, and DC fast charging. Level one charging is your standard 
120-volt household outlet. You _can _charge your EV in a standard household outlet,
but why would you want to. This method is slow, so slow it will only allow your 
vehicle to travel up to five miles per hour of charging.

You’ll probably want a level two wall-mounted charger, which provides 240-volts.
If you’re not familiar with electrical wiring, you’ll need an electrician to install
and mount the device for you. The charger should provide between 10 and 20 miles
of travel per hour of charge. If that’s not fast enough for you, there’s always 
the DC fast charger, which provides an 80 percent charge in roughly thirty minutes.

Overall, purchasing and installing an EVSE will require a small investment; however,
the money you’ll save in fuel costs will more than cover it in the long run. If 
you can’t afford an EVSE right now, don’t let that stop you from purchasing an EV.
Consider using your [electricity outlets to charge your vehicle](https://greenlivingguy.com/2024/10/siemens-workhouse-electric-revolutionizing-commercial-vehicles/)
while you’re saving the funds to install the EVSE; or, you can choose a hybrid vehicle
that doesn’t require home charging, but will require stops at the fuel pump from
time to time.

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 greenlivingguy

 The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is an independent power producer, a green living
expert, and Editor of the McGraw-Hill, TAB Green Guru Guides. Seth is also an Author,
Radio Host, Reporter, Writer and an Environmental Consultant on green living. The
Green Living Guy writes about green living, green lighting, the green guru guides
and more. Seth's books range from: # Build Your Own Electric Vehicle by Bob Brant
and Seth Leitman (2nd and 3rd editions) # Build Your Own Plug-in Hybrid Electric
Vehicle by Seth Leitman # Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle by Carl Vogel # Green
Lighting by Seth Leitman, Brian Clark Howard and Bill Brinsky # Solar Power For 
Your Home by David Findley # Renewable Energies For Your Home by Russel Gehrke #
Do-it-Yourself Home Energy Audits by David Findley # Build Your Own Small Wind Power
System by Brian Clark Howard and Kevin Shea # and more green living books to follow.

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