6 days ago
- Automotive
- Hamilton Spectator
As an EV owner, would I need a home charger or not?
With two young kids and a 40-km daily commute through heavy Toronto traffic, Illianna Katsikeris liked driving her powerful BMW X5 SUV, but hated the cost of constantly filling it up.
'We were spending way too much money on gas,' said the TDSB teacher. 'I wanted the same car without the same (premium fuel) cost.'
So she and her husband decided to trade in her thirsty gas-only X5 for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the 2025 X5 in March, leasing their X5 xDrive50e as a way to dip their toe into the electric world.
After that came the key question that most plug-in vehicle owners will face: Do I need a home EV charger or not?
The general consensus seems 'yes, ideally.' Automakers, EV advocates and utilities have all noted that in North America, a healthy majority of current EV owners, who have access to a garage or driveway, have already invested in a charging station. This is especially true for battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), with larger batteries, although it's less clear for PHEVs.
But it's also the pricier way to charge your electric vehicle. Depending on your house's layout and electrical panel capacity, installing a home charger may cost thousands of extra dollars, on top of the $500 to about $1,400 for the actual unit that mounts on the wall and connects with your EV.
Knowing the differences between L1 and L2 charging options can help save money. It's worth noting here the practical differences between trickle charging (also known as Level 1 charging) and Level 2 charging, which is what utility Toronto Hydro estimates is used by roughly three-quarters of its EV-driving customers.
Level 1 (L1) charging uses the cord that usually comes with your EV, and plugs into regular, three-prong, 120-volt outlets, running eight to 16 amps.
It's the simplest way to connect your EV.
It's also the slowest way to charge.
This does have a payoff: it adds roughly eight kilometres of electric range per hour of charging, according to Canadian EV advocacy and education group Plug'n Drive's website.
Katsikeris charges her BMW plug-in hybrid this way. She uses the charge cord it came with and plugs it in to an outlet in her driveway.
Rated at an official 63 km of all-electric range before its six-cylinder gas engine kicks in, her X5 is now estimating closer to 75 km in warmer weather, she says. That's very healthy range for a mid-size, luxury, all-wheel drive PHEV. But its relatively large 22-kilowatt-hour (kWh) pack also means longer recharge times on L1 charging and that can become annoying.
'It takes 24 hours to fully recharge, which is a pain in the butt,' lamented Katsikeris, who is using L1 charging at home, via a regular 110-volt plug, outdoors.
To tackle that pain, many EV drivers opt for Level 2 charging.
A Level 2 charger uses a 240-volt connection, similar to a stove or dryer outlet. In most jurisdictions, these require an electrician to install, and they involve a permit and safety inspection. Charging speeds vary much more with L2 chargers, which are known more accurately as EVSEs (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment), and come in much wider-ranging amperage levels, from 16- on up to beefy 80-amp units.
Most commonly, L2s generally range from 30 amps to 40 amps, which provide roughly 35 kilometres of electric driving per hour, estimates Plug'n Drive. These times can vary widely in colder temperatures, and, on different vehicles. Some EVs charge on L2s at leisurely 3.3-kilowatt rates, while others can blaze along at up to 19.2 kW.
Choosing a lower amperage L2 charger can save thousands in the service upgrades you avoid.
Katsikeris' dealer told her that installing an L2 charging station for her X5 would cost about $2,500. BMW Canada lists its branded Wallbox charger as a $1,100-dealer-accessory on its site, and various automakers have offered to pay for the 'standard installation' of an EV charger in Canada with a price cap of roughly $1,500 in recent years.
Toronto Hydro's director of climate action, Julia McNally, actually faced the question of whether to invest in a home-charging station, herself, last year when she bought an all-electric Mini Cooper.
'When I was shopping for it, (what I heard) from the ecosystem was 'You need a Level 2,' but I don't really need one,' said McNally, who noted that she drives relatively few kilometres per year and often bikes to work. Her older, urban home also has 100-amp service, so installing a powerful 80-amp charger would mean she'd have to upgrade to a 200-amp electrical panel. According to a recent inspection and price quote on a similar panel from R.A.W Electrical, of Keswick, Ont., this would cost another $2,900, outside of utility fees and taxes.
'So L1 is really underappreciated,' said McNally, who advises EV buyers to try L1 to see if it works for them, and, if faster charging is required, to pay close attention to the L2 charger's amperage, so they don't buy more than their panel can handle.
'We're hearing stories about being upsold on the amperage,' she said.
For her part, Katsikeris would like to have quicker L2 home-charging, but says she'll wait for now. 'We're going to renovate the house anyway, so we figured we'd wait (to install a charger) until we do the entire house,' she said.
Until then, she'll keep hunting L2 chargers near work or while out in the city whenever possible, to augment her home trickle charging.
