Understanding the 3 Levels of Charging an EV

If you’re looking at one of our hybrid or electric vehicles, you might have questions about charging. There are actually three levels of charging, so here’s what Helfman Dodge Chrysler Jeep® RAM customers need to know before they bring that new green car home.

Level 1 Charging

This is the base speed for charging an EV or a plug-in hybrid. It uses a standard outlet, so you don’t need to do any construction or worry about installing a charging station of your own. The issue is that this charging method takes a long time. You can add a few miles of driving range for each hour of charging, but this probably isn’t ideal for a car that you plan to drive every day.

Level 2 Charging

This requires a home EV charging installation. It can restore a lot more range a lot faster than a level 1 charger can. Expect to recover around 25 miles of range for each hour of charging. This is great because you can pull into your garage after work, connect a charger, and then wake up the next morning to a full battery.

Level 3 Charging

Charging stations that offer level 3 charging can sometimes be called DC fast chargers. This level of charging is designed to get you back out on the road as soon as possible. When you hook up an EV to one of these chargers, you could gain up to 80 percent of your battery life back in under an hour of charging! These types of charging stations are a must for anyone taking their EV or plug-in hybrid on a lengthy road trip.

Find a New Green Car of Your Own!

If you’re interested in a green vehicle of your own, perhaps something like the 2022 Jeep Wrangler 4xe, we can help. Visit our new car dealership serving Katy, TX and talk to our dealers today!