Everything You Need to know about EV Charging Stations

Electric vehicles are extremely common around the world. People are shifting from traditional cars with petrol/diesel engines to electric vehicles. They are more efficient and way more environment-friendly than other vehicles. Electric vehicle charging stations are important for the charging of electric vehicles. Without proper charging, the vehicle won't be able to move. Before someone goes to a station, it would be beneficial to do proper research about it.

What is an EV charging station?

An EV charging station is also known as electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) or EV charger. This is equipment that charges it up when plugged into the electric vehicle just like any other electrical equipment.

EV stations are becoming extremely common in the world. 20,178 charging stations were installed in the US in 2017 already, and since then, the number has gone up. In India, the infrastructure is also being developed at a rapid pace.

Power generation

The major source of power for EV charging stations is solar panels. But many EVs use other renewable sources of energy to provide power. That includes hydro as well as wind power. The equipment is connected to a station as a grid, and power is distributed to all the ports.

Types of charging stations

There are majorly three types of charging stations that are in use around the world: -

• Level 1 EV charging station: A 120 V AC plug is utilized in Level 1 EV charging stations. However, a lot of effort goes into charging the car. Generally, people use this type since it's the most affordable and suitable for short-term charging purposes.
• Level 2 EV charging station: The private charging station uses 240 V, and the business charging station uses 208 V. These stations are extremely efficient and quick. The entire charging process takes only 2 hours. Business corporations prefer Level 2 stations.
• Level 3 EV charging station: DC charging station is known as the fast-charging station. 60-100 miles (96-160 kilometers) of reach is provided by DC charging stations that take only 20 minutes! This is specifically used for select vehicles only since EVs don't have the DC charging ability.

EV charger plug types

• Type 1 charger plug: It is a single-phase charger. It can charge up to 7.4 kW but is pretty rare to find in charging stations.
• Type 2 charger plug: This is a three-phase charger. Load rating for this type of plug can go up to 43 kW.
• Combination plug: This is an updated model of the type 2 charger plug. It supports both AC and DC currents.
• CHAdeMO plug: Developed in Japan, this is a fast-charging plug. The load rating is 50kW.
• Tesla Supercharger plug: This is a modified version of the Type 2 charger plug.

As the government is pushing for phasing out older vehicles with EVs, more charging stations will be constructed along with all the major road systems in the country.