What’s special about an EV car?
The running costs of an electric vehicle are much lower than an equivalent petrol or diesel vehicle. Electric cars use electricity to charge their batteries instead of fossil fuels like gasoline or diesel. Electric cars are more efficient and this, combined with the cost of electricity, means that charging an electric car is cheaper than filling it up with petrol or diesel for your travel needs. The use of renewable energy sources can make the use of electric cars more environmentally friendly. Electricity costs can be further reduced if charging is done using renewable energy sources installed at home, such as solar panels.
EV vs Gas
When purchasing a new car, logically, one will compare an EV car and a traditional car. One of the main differences between owning an EV and a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle is how you fill up your proverbial gas tank. Many consider the transition from filling the tank with gas to charging the battery with electricity to be the scariest transition; what if you run out in the middle of nowhere?
But in reality, EV range anxiety has as much to do with psychology as EV range (or the availability of charging stations).
EV charging levels & Types of Chargers
EV Charging Levels are widely divided into 3 categories :
1] Level 1
This is EV-Speak for connecting the cable kit that comes with your EV to a regular 120-volt outlet (the same kind you’d use for a phone charger or lamp, for example). The bottom line is that this level of charging is slow — between 40 and 50 hours if you’re charging from the dead. Although it’s worth noting that car owners in the US only drive about 31 miles a day on average. So level 1 might be enough for your daily needs or to add some miles in an emergency.
2] Level 2
A Level 2 charger is any standard AC charging station you might find mounted on a wall, on a pole, or standing on the ground. Level 2 charging stations typically deliver between 3.4kW and 22kW and are commonly found in residential, public car parks, businesses, and commercial locations. With a maximum output of 22 kW, an hourly charge will give your battery approximately 120 km (75 miles) of range. This is much faster than Level 1 charging. For this reason, combined with the range of smart features, smart connectivity options, and range of safety features offered by Level 2 chargers, many EV drivers are investing in a home AC charging station.
3] Level 3
Level 3 charging, also known as direct current or fast charging, uses direct current (DC) to charge the vehicle’s battery directly, bypassing the onboard AC/DC converter. This allows Level 3 chargers to deliver direct current directly to the battery. As a result, Level 3 charging stations can deliver more power faster, making them ideal for short-stop locations such as petrol stations and car parks. Charging times vary between vehicles and power levels, but generally, Level 3 chargers can charge a vehicle in minutes versus hours for Level 2 or days for Level 1 charging stations.
How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
The average EV driver can save up to 60% less money as compared to the average traditional vehicles in their class. But still, the electricity is not free so, you’ll have to pay a little amount on charging your EV.
The EV charging cost factor is mainly divided into 3 categories
1] Home Charging
If a driver charges his EV in-house itself then it would cost around $3-$14 depending on the electricity cost in that particular area.
2] Public Charging
If one is charging the EV in a public charging area then it would cost around $8-$28 depending on the area and its circumstances.
3] Fast Charging
If one is taking the advantage of fast charging, this service would lie in the premium category, which costs a little bit high in the range expected from $14-$47.
Different Types of EV Cables
Charging cables mainly in 4 modes they do not relate to Levels of Charging
1] Mode 1
These mode cables are used only for E-bikes and scooters they don’t support EV Cars.
2] Mode 2
When you buy an EV, it will usually come with what’s known as a mode 2 charging cable. You can plug this cable into your home socket and use it to charge the vehicle with a maximum output of 2.3kW.
3] Mode 3
The mode 3 cable connects the vehicle to the dedicated EV charging station and it is also the most common cable used in the charging station.
4] Mode 4
These mode cables are specially designed for fast charging. These cables are used to transfer high DC (level 3) charging power and they must be connected to the charging station and are often even liquid -cooled deal with heat.
Average charging time of an EV
Since the average charging time depends upon the type of charging level for the Level 1 charger the average charging time would be 10h-40h as it reduces into the Level 2 charging to 1h-20h.
For Level 3 charging time reduces drastically to 7min-2h as the charging is done by using Direct Current which results in faster charging.
Electric Car Range
Another question many potential EV drivers want to know before purchasing an EV is, “How far will I be able to drive my new car? Or should we say the real question on everyone’s mind is “Will I run out of money for the long haul?” We get it, it’s one of the main differences with driving an ICE and it’s the question on everyone’s mind.
In the early days of the electric mobility revolution, many would-be electric car drivers were gripped by range anxiety. And for a good reason: Ten years ago, the best-selling Nissan LEAF electric car had a range of only 175 km (109 miles). Today, the average EV range is almost more than double that at 313 km (194 mi), and many EVs have a range of over 500 km (300 mi); enough even for long daily commutes to the city.
This increase in range, along with the dramatic increase in charging infrastructure, makes range anxiety a thing of the past.
Conclusion
The EV comes under different types of models and its requirements like charging the battery, and maintaining the vehicle also depends upon the model. But surely buying an EV is a far good decision than buying a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle as EV vehicles support in-house public charging and fast charging which will effectively reduce the cost as compared with fossil fuels. Also, EVs give the best range in one charge and can be charged anywhere.
