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• Charger Types and Speeds

  

  EVs can be charged using electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE) operating at different charging speeds. Level 1 Level 1 equipment provides charging through a common residential 120-volt (120V) AC outlet. Level 1 chargers can take 40-50+ hours to charge a BEV to 80 percent from empty and 5-6 hours for a PHEV. Level 2 Level 2 equipment offers higher-rate AC charging through 240V (in residential applications) or 208V (in commercial applications) electrical service, and is common for home, workplace, and public charging. Level 2 chargers can charge a BEV to 80 percent from empty in 4-10 hours and a PHEV in 1-2 hours. Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) Direct current fast charging (DCFC) equipment offers rapid charging along heavy-traffic corridors at installed stations. DCFC equipment can charge a BEV to 80 percent in just 20 minutes to 1 hour. Most PHEVs currently on the market do not work with fast chargers. Level 2 and DCFC equipment has been deployed at various public locations including, for example, at grocery stores, theaters, or coffee shops. When selecting a charger type, consider its voltages, resulting charging and vehicle dwell times, and estimated up-front and ongoing costs. The figure below shows typical Level 2 and DCFC charging stations1 .  Level 2 chargers (left) are common in home, workplace, and public settings and can charge a BEV from empty in 4-10 hours. Direct current fast chargers (right) are common as public chargers and along highway corridors and can charge a BEV to 80 percent in under an hour. (123RF and Washington State Department of Transportation photos) EV Charging Minimum Standards Rule FHWA, with support from the Joint Office of Energy & Transportation, unveiled new national standards for federally funded EV chargers in February 2023. These new standards aim to ensure that charging is a predictable and reliable experience for EV drivers. This includes ensuring that drivers can easily find a charger, do not need multiple apps and/or accounts to charge, chargers work when drivers need them to, and are designed to be compatible in the future with forward-looking charging capabilities. The rule establishes minimum technical standards for charging stations, including required number of charging ports, connector types, power level, availability, payment methods, uptime/reliability, EV charger infrastructure network connectivity, and interoperability, among other standards and requirements. Overview of EV Chargers The below table summarizes the typical power output, charging time, and locations for PHEVs and BEVs for the different charger types. For more information on the power requirements of different chargers, see the Utility Planning section of the toolkit. Overview of EV chargers: power output, plug type, and charge time for light-duty vehicles. (Adapted from the Alternative Fuels Data Center)   Level 1 Level 2 DC Fast Charging Connector Type2 J1772 connector J1772 connector CCS connector CHAdeMO connector Tesla connector Voltage3 1...

• Types of Electrical Vehicles

  

  Vehicle Types Electric mobility includes light-duty automobiles, medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles, electric micromobility devices, and transit vehicles. The EV market is evolving rapidly, with models available in a range of vehicle types, from compact cars and sedans to sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks. Some EVs operate solely on batteries, while others are plug-in hybrid models with both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. This section provides an overview of the various types of EVs and types of charging infrastructure, with information pertaining to light-, medium-, and heavy-duty electric vehicles, including battery electric buses (BEBs) used in transit applications, electric school buses (ESBs), and electric micromobility such as electric bicycles (e-bikes).  There are three types of electric vehicles available on the market: Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) Both BEVs and PHEVs can be recharged from external sources and are capable of operating with zero tailpipe emissions. (VectorMine/stock.adobe.com) Battery electric vehicles (BEVs)—also referred to as “all-electric vehicles”—run on electricity only and are recharged from an external power source. They are propelled by one or more electric motors powered by rechargeable battery packs.  Almost all BEVs can travel at least 100 miles on a charge, and many new vehicles coming on the market offer an all-electric range of 200-300 miles or more. Included among BEVs are battery-powered buses, such as BEBs and ESBs.   Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) also use batteries to power an electric motor and can be recharged from an external power source, but they incorporate a smaller internal combustion engine that can recharge the battery (or in some models, directly power the wheels) to allow for longer driving ranges. PHEVs can usually drive moderate distances in “EV mode” using only the battery, typically from 20 to 50 miles in current models. This significantly reduces their gasoline use and emissions under typical driving conditions, since most trips are short. PHEVs use 14 to 47 percent less fuel than conventional vehicles if their batteries are fully charged. When electricity is unavailable, PHEVs can run on conventional fuel (i.e., gasoline or diesel). Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) use a highly efficient electrochemical process to convert hydrogen into electricity, which powers an electric motor. FCEVs on the market today are not designed for recharging their battery from an external source. Rather, they are fueled with compressed hydrogen gas that is stored in a tank on the vehicle. This toolkit uses the term “EV” to refer to both BEVs and PHEVs 1, since these vehicles can be recharged from external sources and are capable of operating with zero tailpipe emissions. This toolkit focuses primarily on EVs and does not address HEVs and FCEVs unless otherwise noted. 1 Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), powered by a...