If you know anything about Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations, you have probably heard the terms Level-1, Level-2, and Level-3 chargers. This article is designed to help you understand what that means, and which application is right for you! To put it simply, the level of the charging station is a measurement of the type and output of electricity. The higher the output, the higher the level. The higher the level, the faster the car charges.

Level-1 Chargers typically use 120-volt residential outlets. Meaning you can plug this charger into the outlets already in your garage. This is the charger that is typically sold with the purchase of your plug-in EV. It is designed for personal home use overnight and charges the vehicle slowly. Level-1 Chargers run on AC power and range in output from 1kW to 2.4kW/hour.

Level-3 Chargers, also known as DC fast chargers, use 480-volt commercial power and usually require an electrician to do major infrastructure upgrades. We refer to Level-3s as the road trip charger as they are most used by people who are traveling and don’t want to stop for an extended period. You will most likely see these charging stations in places like gas stations and places of interest off major travel highways. Level-3 Chargers run on DC power and range in output from 30kW to 180kW/hour.

Which type of charging station you choose depends on the vehicles and the needs of people using the charging station. You’ll need to consider the amount of driving they do and how much time they will have to charge at your location.