Hummingbird Group
As more luxury car makers roll out electric vehicles, homeowners are building or retrofitting garages to equip them with powerful charging stations.
Electric vehicles make up roughly 3% of U.S. car sales, according to Pew Research. But with car manufacturers rolling out more electric vehicles, homeowners are building or retrofitting garages to equip them with charging stations. The Wall Street Journal reporter E.B. Solomont says options can range from installing a simple, 220- or 240-volt outlet to devising elaborate systems that incorporate solar panels and battery walls.
In North America, all-electric cars can be charged using a standard J1772 plug, sometimes called a “J” plug, said Tom Moloughney, an electric-vehicle industry consultant. Teslas can be charged using a J plug but they need an adapter, which comes free with the vehicle. The amount of power a car gets during charging, measured in kilowatts, is a product of the outlet’s amperage, or the volume of electrons present, multiplied by voltage, which is the pressure of the electrical current, Mr. Moloughney explained. Standard household outlets are 120 volts with 15 or 20 amps, which is known as Level 1 charging, according to Mr. Moloughney. That translates to 3 to 5 miles of range per hour of charging, he said.
Level 2 charging uses a 240-volt circuit and cars can be charged at amperages ranging from 16 to 80, depending on the car. “Every electric vehicle can accept different levels of power,” Mr. Moloughney said. “So you match the charger to what your car can accept.” A car that charges at 80 amps on a 240-volt circuit can take 19.2 kilowatts an hour, he said. That translates to 50 to 60 miles of range per hour, roughly 10 to 20 times as fast as a Level 1 charging setup.
While it is common for homeowners to upgrade to 240-volt outlets, wall-mounted charging stations deliver a more powerful and faster charge. The cost of upgrading is typically several thousand dollars, including labor and a few hundred dollars for the charging station itself.
Origination: https://www.builderonline.com/design/consumer-trends/at-home-car-charging-stations-give-garages-a-powerful-upgrade_c
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