Sixty-four hours. That's how long a completely depleted Chevy Bolt EV takes to fully charge if you plug the electric vehicle into the same outlet you use to charge your cellphone.
Even if most EVs have increasingly longer range (the Bolt has enough juice for 259 miles, while the Tesla Model 3 is up to 353 miles), the most basic Level 1 charging is painfully slow, even just to top up. To speed things along, more Level 2 options for the home are now coming to market.
This week, Spanish electric charging company Wallbox introduced its first Level 2 home charging kit for U.S. drivers. That's about eight to 10 times faster than basic, Level 1 home charging and takes about four hours to fully charge a Chevy Bolt and similar cars. That doesn't sound fast enough if you're on a road trip, but it'll recharge the battery enough to calm any fretting about range even if it's only plugged in for an hour or two.
Level 2 is what most public charging stations offer, although faster DC charging stations are in demand with their quick, 15- to 30-minute "fill-ups." In that time, a Nissan Leaf or similar car can get back up to 80 percent full from empty. But there are much fewer public DC fast-charging stations. According to the U.S. Department of Energy only about 16 percent of all charging stations are fast ones and most fast chargers are located along highways.
Wallbox's $649 Pulsar Plus smart box with 40 amp output (which has to be professionally installed) is one of a small but growing group of faster charging options for individual homes. All new EVs in the U.S. come with a cable you can plug directly into a wall without an electrician, but none come with a Level 2 setup. A higher output 48-amp Wallbox Pulsar Plus version is coming later this year for $699.
At the end of 2019, charging network ChargePoint released the Home Flex for $699. JuiceBox is another smart home charging kit for Level 2 home charging in your garage. Siemens has a charging kit that connects to your smartphone. But that's about it for "smart" boxes. In a call, Wallbox general manager Doug Alfaro called installing a faster home charger "a convenience upgrade" since you can skip public charging stations for your quicker charge.
Alfaro emphasized the flexibility of a smart charger in a video call where he demoed the Pulsar Plus plugged into a Nissan Leaf. Through its app, you can schedule, monitor, and remote control charging.
"It can be 50 percent cheaper to use electricity overnight," he said, hailing the ability to schedule when you want to start charging. Time-of-use rates can make home charging worth it, especially for drivers with utilities that offer cheaper electricity at night or other off-peak hours.
Giovianni Bertolino, head of e-Mobility at renewable energy company Enel X North America, encourages more Level 2 charging, especially for cars sitting parked and plugged in for several hours. "You don't need fast, expensive DC chargers," he said in a call. "Level 2 is perfectly fine." For example, a super-fast 30-minute charging session to get to 80 percent full battery can cost $10 or more. Level 2 home charging for a four-hour full charge is estimated at around $8 in electricity.
According to the BloombergNEF energy research group, President Biden's plan to add 500,000 new EV public charging stations in the U.S. by 2030 would cover only up to 57 percent of what's needed and could spark the sales of up to 25 million electric cars and trucks. That means instead of lining up for a charge, even with the potential new stations, it might still be worth it to bring faster charging to your home.
SEE ALSO: Public EV charging is a problem. Biden’s presidency could change that.Jessika Trancik, a professor at the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in a phone call that better home charging options will help speed up widespread EV adoption.
"Having that faster charge does help to build confidence," she said.
An obvious shortcoming with home charging is that it isn't available for everyone. So more charging options need to be available for people who don't have a dedicated, private spot to recharge. For people who live in apartments or rely on street parking, access to faster chargers is crucial to convince them to go electric for their next vehicle.
"But there's no replacement for charging capabilities when people are home," Trancik said. "The most convenient option does seem to be when you’re at home, even if that’s in a public spot."
Copyright © 2023 Powered by
Charging your EV at home is super slow. That's finally changing.-针尖对麦芒网
sitemap
文章
9815
浏览
2884
获赞
31975
Google's Pixel 4a may have been delayed yet again
Google's cheaper Pixel phone is coming a bit later than originally anticipated. According to leakerGoogle Maps outage means finding directions elsewhere
UPDATE: Mar. 18, 2022, 3:08 p.m. EDT Google Maps is back up and running all over the world as of FriWhich is the best wand vibrator? Hitachi vs. Le Wand vs. Doxy
The sex toy market is run amok with gimmicks, some good and others... not so. There's warm-up vibratHow to create a Group Session on Spotify
If you want to listen to a new album or podcast with all your long-distance besties, and you don't wApple unveils iPadOS 14 with search and Apple Pencil upgrades
During its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Apple announced tons of new features for the iInstagram is now completely blocked in Russia
Instagram is now completely blocked in Russia. Roskomnadzor, the country's media regulator, officialHow to create a GIF from a TikTok video
TikTok makes it easy for you to turn a video into a GIF.Gone are the days of screen recording a videMicrosoft releases new line of mouse and keyboard accessories for people with disabilities
Microsoft is continuing its push to make tech more accessible with a new line of accessories.On TuesComedian gives her family brilliant informational pamphlets before going on a date
Anticipating her family's inevitable questions, Mary Beth Barone prepared an informational pamphletElon Musk says adding more range to Model S would make it worse
Hoping for a Tesla Model S with 500 or 600 miles of range? We've got bad news: It's probably not comA new group of desktop Macs will soon become obsolete. Is yours listed?
Apple is rumored to be launching a few desktop lines and new models this year and, with that, supporGod, Olivia Rodrigo's 'SOUR' merch is brutal
Don’t trust anything on the internet — until Mashable tries it first. Welcome to the HypSnapchat removes Juneteenth filter that prompted users to smile to break chains
Snapchat apologized for its insensitive Juneteenth filter that asked users to smile to break chainsDave Jorgenson's TikTok book is a fun, engaging read for aspiring TikTokkers
Ever wish you could take a TikTok master class to learn how to craft more engaging, entertaining vidTwitter to update 'follow' button redesign after lots of confusion and unfollows
UPDATE: Aug. 14, 2021, 8:26 a.m. PDT: Twitter plans to change its new button designs after rolling o