Your new electric vehicle (EV) came with a “power cord” known as a Level 1 charger. You may ask if all Level 1 chargers are the same or what the best Level 1 EV charger is. In reality, all Level 1 chargers are similar, so asking which is the best is a bit of a trick question.
Level 1 chargers are inherently slow, and most EV drivers aren’t satisfied with them as a primary charging solution. However, a Level 1 charger can be a critical lifeline when a faster charging station is unavailable.
A Level 1 charger is a power cord for an electric vehicle, enabling emergency charging using a 120-V outlet. Unfortunately, Level 1 charging is time-consuming and frustrating. The output of a typical Level 1 charger is 1.3 kW to 2.4 kW; it provides only three to five miles of driving range per hour. Given these glacial speeds, it’s not surprising that most EV drivers consider Level 1 chargers a last resort. For more about the capabilities of Level 1 chargers, read Charging EVs at Home.
The Level 1 charger delivered with a new EV isn’t fast enough to meet the needs of most drivers. And there is no such thing as the best Level 1 EV charger. These units offer minimal functionality and are useful only as a stopgap until a better solution is available.
Level 1 charging solutions are valuable as a backup for more powerful chargers. Therefore, it’s recommended that drivers carry one at all times. For example, a Level 1 charger requires no modifications to breaker panels or other electrical infrastructure. So it is an essential tool if an EV driver has a low battery and there is no Level 2 charging station or public charging station nearby. In that case, a Level 1 charger can add the miles required to allow the driver to reach a faster charging solution.
There are three categories of EV charging solutions: Level 1 is the slowest and Level 3 is the fastest, based on the number of kilowatts of output. For more details on charger classifications and specifications, read our blog The Differences Between Level 1 and Level 2 EV Charging.
Public charging stations and other high-volume users, like commercial vehicle fleets, use Level 3 or DCFC (Direct Current Fast-Charging) chargers. A Level 3 EV charger can charge a battery to 80% capacity in 40 minutes or less.
Level 2 Charging Stations are the choice of most EV drivers, enabling them to charge their vehicles overnight at home. For instance, Level 2 Charging Stations deliver power outputs of up to 19.2 kW and can charge a battery in four to six hours.
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