For all the benefits of swapping your gas guzzler for an electric car, making the switch forces you to think harder about EV charging when you can’t pull into any old petrol station and quickly fill up.
Having just spent my first full summer driving a Tesla Model Y 2023 RWD, I learned a lot about how to survive a summer EV road trip. Yet even if you’re just driving around the suburbs or commuting to work, you’ll need to think about your EV charging strategy before you bring home your first electric car.
EV charging Level 1
A trickle charge cable, also known as a Level 1 charger, lets you plug into any old AC power point. Some EV makers throw in a cable with the car, while others sell them as expensive optional extras (I’m looking at you, Tesla).
Trickle charging is handy if you can park within reach of a wall socket, but it’s probably going to take 24 hours to completely recharge the car – which might not suit you depending on your driving habits.
Keep in mind, most EV batteries don’t like being always charged right up to 100 per cent, so it’s best to check with the manufacturer on the best charging habits to extend your car’s battery life.
EV charging Level 2
If you’re a homeowner with off-street parking, it’s probably worth investing in a Level 2 AC home charger, which should be able to fully recharge the car overnight. Level 2 chargers are much faster for EV charging than trickle charging, especially if your home has three-phase power, but it’s still not as fast as public DC charging (Level 3).
The ability to charge more quickly at home is especially useful if your electricity provider lets you take advantage of cheap (or even free) charging windows overnight or during the day.
Apps like Charge HQ are handy for creating charging schedules, especially if you want to make the most of solar panels on your roof.
The good news is that most EVs sold in Australia feature a Combined Charging System 2 (CCS2) charging socket, which supports Level 2 and 3 charging.
A CCS2 charging socket allows you to connect a “Type 2” seven-pin AC Level 2 charging plug, also known as a Mennekes or IEC 62196 plug.
Most Level 2 home chargers in Australia feature a Type 2 plug. This means that if you switch EV brands in the future, you probably won’t need to buy a new home charger.
Many Australian public charge stations also feature Type 2 chargers, although be warned, some require you to bring your own Type 2 cable.
EV charging Level 3
The CCS2 socket on your EV also features two extra power contacts to support Level 3 DC fast charging from public charging stations.
Typically, the faster the charging speed, the higher the price per kW. In return, the fastest public DC superchargers deliver more than 100 kW and can refill your battery in well under an hour. Charging times also depend on the capacity of your battery and the maximum charging speeds supported by your car.
Keep in mind that EV charging slows down when the battery is under 20 per cent or over 80 per cent. So when you’re on a road trip, it makes sense to recharge the car from 20 to 80 and quickly get back on the road, rather than run it almost flat and then wait for it to fully charge.
Just to make things complicated, there are a few exceptions to the CCS2 rule in Australia, depending on how old your car is and where it was made.
Some Japanese EVs and plug-in hybrids, like the Nissan Leaf or Mitsubishi Outlander, feature a Type 2 socket for AC charging but rely on a CHAdeMO plug for public DC charging.
In some countries, EVs feature an SAE Combo socket that supports both Type 2 and CHAdeMO plugs. On some older cars, you’ll even find CCS1 plugs or Type 1 plugs, also known as SAE J-1772.
If you’re planning a road trip, it’s important to know which plugs your EV supports and whether you have Type 2 or trickle charge cables in the boot. PlugShare is a great way to search for EV charging stations on your route and narrow the results to those that suit your car.
For the fastest supercharging times, you want your car to preheat the battery before you arrive at the charging station. Thankfully, Tesla recently added the ability to tell its cars to preheat even when you’re driving to a non-Tesla charging station.
At the same time, Tesla is opening up its Australian supercharger network to other EV owners, making it easier for everyone else to find somewhere to charge.
If you’ve decided to rely on public chargers all the time, rather than charging at home, keep in mind that EV charging stations tend to be busy during peak times like the weekend. Also be mindful of EV charging deserts even within the major cities, such as some areas of Melbourne and Sydney’s western suburbs.
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