Whether you own an EV or plan to buy one, you’ll use chargers daily. Most people use a mix of home EV charging and public chargers to keep their vehicles rolling. Here are some fun facts about EV chargers that you might not know.
There Are More Public EV Chargers Than You Think
EV owners often report experiencing range anxiety. That’s the fear of running out of power while traveling somewhere without accessible charging infrastructure. However, there are more public chargers available than you may realize. According to recent data, the world is on track to have over 9 million public EV chargers by the end of 2026.
There Are Bidirectional EV Chargers
You probably know you can charge your EV at home if you install an EV charger. However, did you know there are bidirectional EV chargers? That lets you use your car as a giant battery backup for your home. You’d need additional hardware, such as a power inverter and a transfer switch. However, that can give your home some useful resilience during a grid failure.
Fast Charging Can Be Faster Than You Think
Level 2 home EV chargers can take 8-10 hours to charge an average EV to 80%. Some public chargers can accomplish that in certain vehicles in as little as 25 minutes. However, recently released chargers can go much faster than that. Depending on the vehicle attached, some new public charging stations can charge your EV to 80% in a blistering seven minutes! That’s rapidly approaching the time it takes to refuel an internal combustion vehicle.
Charging With Friends
One big issue with public EV charging is that it’s not always easy to find an available charger. Charging stations typically have only a handful of ports, and drivers can snap them up fast. For residents of Shenzhen, China, however, that’s never a problem. The charging station at Bao’an Airport has a whopping 258 fast chargers, so there’s never a wait. And if you’re traveling in California, the Tesla Oasis Supercharger location in Lost Hills already has 84 chargers, and that number will soon double.
Plug-Free Charging
Did you know that multiple manufacturers are working on perfecting wireless chargers for EVs? They work like the wireless charging pads you might use for your smartphone. To use one, you’d only need to park above a charging pad and walk away. The technology is already in testing with large vehicle fleets, and models for small electric vehicles are available for sale. So, if you want to charge a golf cart wirelessly, you can already do that. Expect the technology to roll out for larger EVs in the coming months and years.
Now you can consider yourself an EV charger aficionado. Feel free to share these cool EV charger facts far and wide. And no, you don’t have to give us any credit when you do. If you live in Topeka, KS or a surrounding area and need EV charger services, make your first call to Electrical Pros.