Level 2 charging is most commonly found at homes and most businesses. Charging at a rate of 12-80 miles per hour, these units are practical for topping off around town or charging larger batteries overnight at home. The chargers range in price from about $200-$800 and can be as small as a heavy duty extension cord. Level 2 chargers can vary in their power outputs, but require 208-240 volts and are often on a dedicated circuit. While there are ways to share a dryer outlet or other 240 volt outlets using a smart splitter (1,2,3) if the breaker panel has room and isn't too far from where the charger is installed, this is often the best method.

Installing a dedicated 240V outlet usually will require an electrician (4). The cost to install the outlet can range quite a bit from building to building, will depend on the rates of local electricians, but could take as little as 2 or 3 hours and $100 in materials for a simple install. Typically, an install will require a breaker ($20), an outlet and box/cover ($20), miscellaneous connectors ($20) and appropriately rated wire and conduit ($4-5/foot). Once the outlet is installed, most chargers are simply attached to the wall with a few screws and plug into the outlet like a dryer.

The power needed to fully charge your EV will range based on its battery size. Battery sizes can range from 20kWh (in some plug in Hybrids) to 170 kWh in the extended range Ford Lighting. A 60kWh battery, for example, would cost about $8 to charge from 0%-100% (based on a national average electricity cost of $0.133/kWh).

Public EV charging locations are continually being added across the country. Businesses, municipalities, along with companies dedicated to expanding their charging infrastructure are making it easier for EV drivers to “fill up”.

There are a few ways to categorize public charging. You could group stations into free to charge or pay to charge, Level 2 or Level 3 or even independent stations or stations belonging to a larger network of chargers.

If you’re looking to install a charging station at your business or other public place you’ll probably be looking at a Level 2 system. Some install in the same way your home charger would, while others require bolting the unit to ground and connecting to the cloud. If the intent is to offer free charging with no interface, like a clipper creek station, you can easily install single head chargers to a wall or even two dual stations to a single pedestal giving you the ability to charge 4 vehicles. If you’re looking to charge a fee for users to use the station, you’ll need a networked charger. There are many options here. You can buy the unit outright and pay a service fee to have the station connected to the cloud and able to process payments. Alternatively, some manufacturers offer their units free of charge if they’re able to collect the fees from the charging station. It would be advisable to reach out to a few companies to see what might best fit your needs.

With proper workplace charging implementation, employers can help increase the convenience and affordability of driving electric for their employees. Workplace charging can demonstrate a commitment to adopting advanced vehicle technologies and can differentiate the workplace as a more sustainable one. Additionally, for some employees, EV charging can be an added benefit they consider when choosing to work there.

As with home charging, Level 2 stations are the most common at workplaces, and each Level 2 connector is capable of charging more than one vehicle per day. It is often necessary for organizations to establish policies that encourage employees to share the stations and move their charged vehicles after a certain amount of time. Some Level 2 stations enable easier sharing with multiple connectors that allow vehicles to charge in succession without owners having to disconnect or move vehicles.

Employers should consider developing a policy that specifies what employees should do when there are more EVs that need to charge than there are charging stations available. There are many resources available to learn more about workplace charging including one from the Department of Energy.