Charging an electric car with a household voltage of 120 volts is possible. But if you travel a long distance with your EV daily, there may be more suitable methods. In general, there are three different levels for charging an electric vehicle. Of course, we do not mean only EVs; we also include hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) with a gasoline engine and an electric engine in this category. Three different levels of EV charging

Level one

This level uses the same standard 120-volt home electrical outlet. As you know, the standard voltage in North America is 120 volts. The main problem with this level of charging is the long charging time. For example, suppose you have a Chevrolet Bolt (Chevy Bolt) model 2021. This car can travel 417 km with a full charge. If you connect this car to a home power outlet, you can travel only 8 kilometres with every hour of charging. As a result, it takes about two days to charge this EV fully.

Level two

This level uses charging with 240V output. With every hour of charging the battery in this way, the car can get the necessary energy to travel a distance of 30 to 40 kilometres. In this way, if you connect the car to the outlet one night before going to sleep, your car will be fully charged in the morning. Of course, to install the level 2 charger, you need an electrician, such as KCS Group’s expertise, to establish its particular outlet. Also, buying special equipment for this type of charging has costs. Fortunately, the municipalities pay part of the cost of purchasing and installing this equipment in some Canadian cities.

Level three

The third level of electric car charging is called “Direct Current Fast Charge,” or fast charging. Of course, you will usually find this type of charger at public car charging stations, and it can charge the battery up to 80% in 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, charging the rest of the battery is another story. Setting 80 to 100 percent of the battery depends on the battery’s size and the charger’s speed, usually taking between 60 and 90 minutes. Fast charging is more beneficial for cases where we are in a hurry or have to travel a long distance. It would be best if you were careful that charging the car battery fast all time can reduce its shelf life.

Home or public charging 

In general, charging at home is of the first and second type. Charging at public charging stations is also of the second and third types. 

Charging hybrid electric vehicles 

Hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) usually have smaller batteries. This battery usually provides the necessary energy to travel a distance of 25 to 80 kilometres. So, most of them can be charged using 120 V household electricity. You can use second-level chargers if you want this charge to be done quickly. Safety at the electric vehicle charging station 

Although the process of charging electric and semi-electric cars seems simple, and you can quickly charge an electric vehicle by connecting it to a home power outlet, in charging stations where usually several vehicles are being charged, the other current measurement system and connection checking mechanism required for when the vehicle is no longer charging. 

There are three main models for safety sensors:

• Current sensors indicate power consumption and disconnect and reconnect according to a predetermined charge request. 
• Wired sensors are another type with fast performance, fewer parts to fail, and cheaper. But the current sensors work in a standard way and provide options for the owner of the charging station to be informed of the electricity consumed per charge. 
• Wired sensors that provide a feedback signal are used in SAE J1772 and IEC 62196 models. 

Prominent manufacturers of charging stations 

Electric vehicle charging station suppliers and manufacturers design and build different charging stations, from home models to public places models and fully automatic advanced stations. 

Most charging stations worldwide are in America, Germany, Holland, England and Italy. In the following, we will briefly explain some companies supplying charging stations.

Among the leading manufacturers of these stations, I can mention ChargePoint. This company was founded 12 years ago and has built more than a few thousand public and private fuel stations in Canada, Mexico and other countries.

It manages the largest electric car charging network. 

ABB 

It is one of the world’s largest companies producing industrial robots, which is also active in electrical equipment production. This company has cooperated with some automobile manufacturers, including Porsche, in developing electric car chargers. Recently, this company has unveiled many technologies related to the fast charging of buses and cars. 

BP 

It is one of the giants of the energy industry, primarily active in the oil and gas business field. But this company has also started its activities around electric cars and is one of England’s largest suppliers of EV charging equipment. This company has recently invested in the electric car charging platform called PowerShare.

Shell 

Another giant of the energy industry is Shell. This company has started working in the field of charging EVs with the name GreenLots and has earned a good income. The company also claims that collaborating with other companies can provide an alternative to conventional chargers using the technology used in autonomous robots. 

Webasto 

It is an auto industry parts supplier that supplies all kinds of home and road chargers. This company also has an online website through which you can order a variety of plug-in electric and hybrid car chargers online.

Hyundai 

It has collaborated with KIA to develop a wireless charging system for electric vehicles. We will unveil a new EV from these two brands in the coming years. Other companies, including Daimler Mercedes-Benz, have offered wireless chargers but have different technology. Among other activities of the Hyundai brand, I can mention the solar charging system placed on the car’s roof. 

Tesla 

The Tesla charging network is one of this company’s unique products, making it easier to use Tesla products. However, the Tesla charger is not synchronized with the charging networks of other companies, but it will happen shortly. One of Tesla’s investors, Sawyer Merritt, tweeted that the company plans to increase its charging network’s speed and v3 chargers from 250kW to 324kW.

Take over the electric vehicle market. I can say Blink, EVBox, EVgo, Renault and Phihong. The large number of companies supplying electric vehicle charging stations and the entry of famous oil companies such as Shell and BP into this field indicates that you can make significant income by providing new charging technologies and methods.