EV Charging

Charging Time

Currently, filling the tank of a gas-powered car is faster than charging an EV. EV charging technology is moving rapidly, so the charging time keeps decreasing as new technology is released. Fast chargers can charge your EV in 15-45 minutes. Fast chargers are in a variety of locations across the country.

Charging Cost

The cost of electricity to charge a vehicle is currently on average about 35% less money than filling up a gasoline powered car. New technologies are decreasing the charging cost as those advancements are being implemented.

The US Department of Energy released this calculator to compare the long term cost differences between a gas powered car and EV.

Connector Types

Different types of connectors exist in different EVs. This guide will help to know which connector is inside your EV.

CHAdeMO

CHAdeMO stands for “Charge de Move,” and was first released in Japan. OEMs such as Nissan, Toyota, and Mitsubishi used CHAdeMO. In the U.S., it is only available now in the Nissan Leaf, which will be discontinued after 2024.

CCS

CCS stands for “Combined Charging System” and was created as an open industry standard. Vehicles from around the world use the CCS connector. North American and European automakers mostly use CCS. In the U.S., all new EVs (except Tesla) currently use CCS, however the new de facto standard is Tesla’s NACS. All OEMs and charging companies are expected to transition to NACS after 2024.

Tesla’s NACS

Because Tesla was one of the first OEMs to release fast charging, they created their own connector. Tesla has made available adaptors that allow Tesla drivers to charge their EVs on other chargers. Tesla named their connector the North American Charging Standard (NACS), in anticipation of becoming the leading technology. That happened in 2023, and it is currently being standardized as SAE J340 by SAE International, a global professional association which develops standards.

L2 – J1772

“Level 1” and “Level 2” AC charging are done on this connector. Level 1 and Level 2 charging are quite a bit slower than DC fast charging, and are for charging over a few hours, such as at work or at home. The SAE J1772 connector (also known as “J Plug”) is used by all EVs except Tesla for AC charging. Tesla vehicles are equipped with an adapter to use this connector.