EV Charging
How to Calculate EV Charging Costs
There are a number of reasons you might want to buy an electric vehicle. You might choose an EV because you care deeply about your carbon footprint, for example. You might choose an EV because you keep your vehicles for a long time, and you’re concerned about the future value of a vehicle powered by internal combustion. You might not care about any of that and may just want the quickest, stoplight to stoplight street racer you can get your hands on. Regardless of your motivations, though, the reality is that most of us have to live within some kind of budget, and understanding how much an EV will cost to buy is only one part of understanding how much your EV is really going to cost you– but the other parts? That’s not always so easy, which brings us to the handy-dandy how...
Bosch Power Max 2 – Our Review
The Bosch Power Max Level 2 charging station was revolutionary when it debuted in 2013. In addition to its sub-$500 price tag, the original Power Max was lauded for its compact size and stylish appearance. It also came standard with a 25 foot charging cord, a favorite feature of early buyers. In 2016, Bosch introduced the Power Max 2 and Power Max 2 Plus to its lineup of all-electric vehicle (EV) charging systems. In an effort to assist our readers who may be considering different level 2 home charging stations, today we bring you a Bosch Power Max 2 review. That is the Question To spring for it or not to spring for it? That is the question you have to answer for yourself. I am of course, talking about purchasing a level 2 charger for your home. Before getting into the nitty-gritty of our ...
How Much Electricity Does It Take to Charge a Tesla Model 3?
As I’ve written before, we here at enrg.io are big fans of all things Tesla. Tesla’s newest and most affordable car is of course the Model 3. Since its debut in 2017, the Model 3 has become Tesla’s most popular offering, leaving the Model S and the Model X in the dust with respect to sales. The model 3 was the number one best selling plug in car in 2018, both world wide and in the United States. With a 5-passenger seating capacity, sleek design, and a range north of 220 miles on a single charge for the base model, it isn’t hard to see why the model 3 is so popular. I like the way the folks at Kelly Blue Book put it: “The Model 3 is Tesla’s rendition of the long-prophesized electric car for the masses. This sleekly styled, compact 5-seat sedan dazzles with cool...
How Long Does It Take to Charge a Tesla Roadster?
Ah, the Tesla Roadster. I’ve yet to see one in person but I’ve spent more time than I care to admit ogling it on the Internet. I hope my wife isn’t too jealous. At any rate, the car that I often joke about selling kidneys to buy will be here in 2020. This absolute beauty (pictured above) will go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under 2 seconds and reach a top speed of 250 miles per hour. This means that it will be the fastest street legal car to date! In addition, it will be able to travel around 600 miles on a single charge. This car is a game changer. The base model will sell for roughly $200,000 which means I won’t be owning one anytime soon. For those of you out there who will I have two things to say: 1. Please be my friend and let me ride in your car. 2. Here...
BMW i3 Charging Time on 110v
We here at enrg.io love the BMW i3. While there have been a few complaints, most notably about the car’s air conditioning system and tires, most reviews for the i3 have been overwhelmingly positive. I especially like the body design of the i3. It’s well…different and that’s a good thing in my opinion. Call me crazy but I think the suicide doors are actually really cool. They remind me of the doors on a 1960’s Lincoln Continental. Unlike the Lincoln of centuries past, the BMW i3 comes standard as an all-electric vehicle (EV). BMW does offer their customers the option of adding an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) to the finished vehicle for added range. We discussed the various methods for charging your i3 yesterday. Tod...
Best EV Charging Cable Locks
I’ve been fortunate the few times I’ve been careless with the charging cable for my beloved Nissan Leaf. I hate to admit it, but there have been times when I’ve left the charging cable on my driveway instead of storing it properly because I was late for work. And to think: any weirdo could have charged their all-electric vehicle (EV) for free at my expense! The least expensive level 1 charging cables seem to run around $150. Not a princely sum, but not chump change either. If you’re concerned about your charging cable being stolen or used improperly, here are the best EV charging cable locks. When to Use an EV Charging Cable Lock I found an interesting thread posted to the InsideEVs forum last year. A user who lives in a townhouse was seeking advice from fellow EV o...
High Power Wall Connector (HPWC) or NEMA 14-50 Direct Plug – Which is Better?
After reading about charging your Tesla with a NEMA 14-50 outlet at home you may wonder if it’s better than a HPWC. Tesla’s High Powered Wall Connector (HPWC), now referred to by Tesla simply as wall connector, does what the NEMA 14 50 set up can do: charge your car. However, the two differ slightly in their execution so allow me to compare to help you determine which is better. First for some background, it’s important to understand that the “C” in HPWC stands for connector, not charger. The same goes for the mobile connector that comes standard with the car. That’s because all Tesla vehicles are designed with the chargers on board. Per Tesla, when a HPWC or mobile connector plugs into the charge port it provides alternating current, also known as AC po...
How To Charge Your EV With A NEMA 14-50 Outlet
A favorite among early Tesla owners, installing a NEMA 14-50R outlet (“NEMA 14 50” for short) for home charging is an economical and flexible solution. The outlet itself can be had for about $9.00. Springing for a wall plate to finish the look will set you back another $3.00. Starting earlier this year, an adapter to charge your Tesla on this outlet will have to be purchased as an accessory for $35. Cost of installation The cost of installation will largely depend on your locale, permitting requirements and how far from your electrical panel the outlet will be installed. The latter point is perhaps the most important consideration, as the appropriate gauge of copper (#6), comes with an added cost per foot. Installing through walls, particularly exterior home walls, adds complex...
How Long Does it Take to Charge an Electric Car?
One of the most asked questions in the all-electric vehicle (EV) world is: how long does it take to charge? Perhaps because we are so used to spending around five or so minutes at the pump when we fill up our gas-guzzlers, the idea of waiting any longer than this to charge is a turn-off for many. In an effort to assuage the doubters who don’t think that their schedules don’t provide enough time to allow for charging, we’re going to look at the top-five bestselling EVs and their charge times. It’s really not that bad, I promise! Please note that we did not include the Nissan Leaf in this article, as we specifically covered charge times for this vehicle here. Please give it a read if you have time. We’re also going to assume that you are familiar with the differ...
The Best Nisan Leaf Route Planners
We brought you a list of the best route planners to plan your all-electric vehicle (EV) road trip here. Since I am a Nissan Leaf owner, I thought I would show a bit of love today specifically to other Leaf owners. Since we cannot charge our EVs using Tesla’s impressive Supercharger network, we will have to make due with a combination of public and dealership chargers. No problemo! EV Trip Planner We mentioned previously that EV Trip Planner is very popular on the various EV message boards. While the website is mainly geared toward Teslas, they do have two different search options for Leaf owners. A quick scan of a few Nissan Leaf forums shows that users prefer the “Alpha” search over the “Beta” search. The website does warn that the algorithms for the Leaf sea...
What Are the Best EV Route Planners?
My buddy Jo wrote an article last week about a team that covered over 2,000 miles in 24 hours in an all-electric Porsche. The most amazing part of this story was that this 24 hours included charging time! That’s right…Porsche’s new 800-volt fast-charging system was able to provide up to 120 miles in as little as ten minutes. Absolutely amazing! While the team from Porsche had the advantage of conducting their demonstration on a track with a dedicated fast-charging system, we here in the real world do not. Like Jo noted, once the infrastructure catches up there will be no advantage to gas-guzzlers over all-electric vehicles (EVs). Until that day comes, EV drivers like me will still have to carefully plan any long-distance trips. Here are a few methods that I have found for...
EV Charging Connector Types Explained
So you’re considering an all-electric vehicle (EV)? Welcome, we’re glad to have you on the team! What’s that you say? You don’t understand why some chargers look different than others? You’re thinking about sticking with your gas-guzzler because the new technology is just too confusing? This is stressing you out? Calm down Francis. We’re going to explain the differences between the different chargers and why these differences are no big deal. First and foremost, we’re going to have to apologize to our readers outside of North America. This article will only focus on the different types of chargers used here. We may revisit the topic for other markets in the future if there is an interest. Level-1 and Level-2 Charging Yesterday, we wrote about how ...