Quote:
Originally Posted by Martinjlm
Good question!
At home you can use an installed wall charger (or post if it’s installed outside). It’s low power, typically 6.6 - 11.5 kW AC and it has the cable attached. Done.
On the road you can access Fast Chargers. They are DC, not AC. They operate at high power (50 - 350 kW). Cable is attached. Done.
Now suppose you are going on a trip and staying at a place that will allow you to plug in, but doesn’t have a charger. Most EVs come with or have available a travel set, or mobile connector. These can plug into any 110V or 220V outlet. There are also a number of parking garages that have 220V plug outlets, but no installed charger. In any of these cases, a mobile connector can be plugged in to charge the car at low power, like a Level 2.
Best real world example I can give…I flew to Ft. Lauderdale for a conference a few months ago. Parked the Tesla at a lot near the airport. In several parts of the lot they had 220V junction boxes. I used the mobile connector to plug the car in and it stayed there for 3 days. When I got back I just unplug, put the connector back in the car and move on.
Some EV owners choose to NOT install a wall charger. They opt to use the mobile connector at home, plugged into a 220V line. Takes longer to charge than an installed unit, but if you are charging overnight it gets the job done.
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martinjlm
It could be either. I would think the most likely would be Level 2 cords at gyms, shopping centers, gas stations where we’re starting to see more Level 2 chargers installed.
Level 3 cords are not BYOC. For CCS, the interfaces are different. Home / Level 2 chargers only have the top circular part of the plug included (referring to my picture in the post above). The bottom two connect points are required for fast charging. The Tesla NACS plug is physically the same for both low and high power charging, but the power module included in the mobile connector can only accept AC at low power.
Interesting. I guess since we’ve had plug-in cars in our household since 2012 I’ve kinda taken that for granted. It’s there so that if people choose to not install a home charger or live in a situation where they don’t have a dedicated plug-in spot, they can access power through wall sockets or other installations.
|
Thanks for the responses, but just one more clarification about the things in bold...
110 v charging (Level 1) I seem to recall as having been described as pretty much inadequate for overnight....The 220 outlet usage is still "Level 1" ?...I guess I don't grasp what a home charger (Level 2 ?) advantage is over a 220 outlet if that will full charge over night at home.
The non-home, non-charger installations you mentioned, at a hotel, for instance, are free?
Does anyone really use 110 level 1 charging as an adequate way to charge? (Seems like a stretch), just sayin'.