Different Types of Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles have been around for quite some time and their adoption is on the rise. Before buying an EV, questions like the below naturally cross the buyer’s mind about types of charging stations:

• What kind of charger do I need?
• How much time does it take to charge an EV?
• Can I use a plug socket already available or do I need a completely new installation? 

In this article, we will try and help answer these questions.

A typical EV driver manages to do 80% of his car charging at home. Charging an Electric vehicle is a very easy process. You simply have to plug-in your vehicle in to the charging station in order to fuel up. Here is your basic guide about the types of EV charging stations and their prices in India.

Different types of Electric Vehicle Chargers

Though charging an electric vehicle is as good as plugging any electric device to the charging station, all-electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) or EV Charging Stations are not the same. Some equipment might need custom installations while others can be easily installed by plugging into a standard wall outlet. The charging time also varies, based on the type of charger used.

Before we dive in to EV Charging stations, let us know a little bit more about EV chargers.

1. AC Chargers: AC chargers are slow chargers which takes almost 6-8 hours to charge to an EV to full capacity.

• The most common electric vehicle charger in India is IEC-60309. It is complying to Bharat EV standards and is supported by FAME-II scheme as well. AC chargers are slow chargers which takes almost 6-8 hours to charge to an EV to full capacity.
• The second charger used is IEC-62196, which is used worldwide and is called a type-II connector. This charger is used to charge EVs like Ather 450 E-scooter.
• The third charger type is a simple three pin connector with a 15 Amp plug. This charger helps in gearing up all the E-scooters and E-rikshaws.

2. DC Chargers: DC chargers are fast chargers which charge an EV in less than an hour.

• CSS connector: Cars like Volkswagon and BMW are energized with CSS connector.
• GBT connector: Tata and Mahindra Electric cars and many Electric buses uses GBT connector to gear up.
• CHAdeMO connector:

EV Charging Stations can be categorized into the following three levels

• Level 1  Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
• Level 2  Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
• Level 3  Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (DC Fast Charging Stations)

Types of Charging Stations Plug

Level 1 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Level 1 Electric Vehicle Chargers use a 120V AC plug which can be plugged into a standard wall outlet. These chargers do not require any additional equipment or installation. Level 1 Electric Vehicle Chargers are often used at home. 

Level 1 Electric Chargers are the cheapest amongst all the available charging stations, but they also consume the largest amount of time to charge your car’s battery. Car-Owners typically use this category of chargers to charge their vehicles overnight.

Alphaa EV, Charzer, and Kazam are the manufacturers of Level 1 Electric Vehicle Chargers.

Also read: How to setup EV Charging Station

Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging Station

Level 2 Electric Vehicle Chargers are used in both commercial and residential charging stations to fuel up the vehicle. The commercial charger uses a 208V AC plug while the residential charger uses a 240V AC plug.

 Level 2 Electric Vehicle Chargers undergo a proper installation process that has to be performed by a professional electrician. These chargers can also be installed as a part of a solar panel system. These chargers can deliver 10 to 60 miles of range per hour of charging. Level 2 Electric Vehicle Chargers hardly takes 2 hours to fully charge a car battery. 

They are perfect for both businesses that plan to offer fast charging options to customers and homeowners who require speedy charging stations. 

Types of Plugs used for Electric Car Globally

ABB, Mass Tech, and Delta are some of the manufactures of Level 2 EVSE. There are also a few electric car manufacturers like Nissan who have their own Level 2 Charger products.

Also read: Understand Types of Electric Vehicles

Level 3 Electric Vehicle Chargers

Level 3 Electric Vehicle Chargers which are also known as DC Fast Chargers having CCS2 or CHAdeMO connectors offer around 100+ miles of range for your electric vehicle in just 30-40 minutes of charging. However, DC fast chargers are usually used only in industry and commercial applications. 

These DC charging stations require high-powered, highly specialized equipment to install and maintain. All-electric cars do not support charging with these Level 3 Chargers. Many plug-in hybrid EVs don’t have this charging capability, and few all-electric vehicles cannot be charged with a DC Fast Charger. 

The Mercedes EQC and MG ZS EV are examples of electric vehicles that are DC fast chargers enabled.

Also read: Understand Pros & Cons of Electric Vehicle

EV Duniya editorial: This article is written by Vruddhi Dungarwal