Are electric car charging stations free: All about EV charging
stations
stations
If you’re also willing to know about Free Electric Car Charging Stations then this post is gonna be helpful for you. Electric vehicles are getting in trends day by day and automobile companies are launching new vehicles with surprising features to compete with their competitors.
So, it would not be wrong to assume that the electric vehicle is gonna bring revolution in the automobile industry in the future and there are two major reasons that I think create hype among the buyers.
The first one is it contributes to our environment by reducing CO2 emissions and the second reason is it drastically reduces your fueling charges and keeps it pocket-friendly compared to gasoline.
With the popularity of electric vehicles people are becoming eager to know more and more about it before switching their regular cars to electric vehicles. And while making the decision many questions might arise in your mind such as “Are there free EV charging stations, what are the EV charging types, how long does it take to fully juice up your EV…? Etc. In this post, we will try to help you out.
EV charging cost v/s gasoline cost: Which one is pocket-friendly, an
electric vehicle or a gas-powered car?
electric vehicle or a gas-powered car?
As per the study of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute 2018, the annual average cost of fueling an electric car was around $485, while the gas-powered car/vehicle annual fueling cost was around $1117 (depending on the battery type and the locations). You can see the difference in fueling charges in both vehicles.
Now, Let’s try to understand this difference easily with the example that I found during the online research. Here, we’ll try to calculate the yearly cost of fueling in both types of vehicles with a rough estimation. So, here we go…!!
(Note: Car gasoline is calculated in gallons and kWh represents kilowatt hours for usage
of electric vehicles)
Annually gas cost for your gasoline car
Let’s suppose you drive 10880 miles on an average per year and it requires 1 gallon to cover 20 miles. Then, the total no. of gallons used by your car would be 10880÷20=544. Now, if the average cost per gallon is $3.40 (estimated) then as per the calculation 544
gallons of gas would cost you around 544×3.40= $1849.6 Your yearly cost of driving a gas-powered car would be around $1850 (round figure)
Annually Electric charging vehicle fee/ electric cost
Now, let’s repeat the same calculation for electric vehicles to see the cost difference for 10880 miles. The average of an electric car per kWh is 3.5 miles (actually it might be between 3-4 miles per kWh, we are taking 3.5 on average just for a rough calculation).
As per the calculation, your yearly electric usage would be 10880÷3.5= 3108.5kWh. Now, the estimated electric cost in the USA is up to $0.30-$0.60 per kWh (based on levels and type of EV chargers) We are assuming a level one EV charging which can be installed at home.
It would cost you around $0.16 per kWh. Hence, your annual electric cost would be around 3108.5×0.16= $497.37 The final result shows us that there is a huge difference between the annual Cost of charging electric cars and gas-powered cars.
(Again, this calculation is based on a rough estimation because fuel price and mileage depend on various factors. Tax and hidden charges are excluded from the calculation) Now, the question is where can we charge the electric vehicles, how much time it will take to charge an electric car, and what EV charging options are available for convenience? Let’s dive into deep…!!
Electric car charging stations: VE charging levels and duration
There are typically 3 levels of electric vehicle charging with different charging durations.
Level 1 EV charging:
It uses a 120v(AC) household outlet. It charges 2-5 miles per hour which is the slowest way to charge your electric vehicles.
Usually, it is suitable for hybrid vehicles and designed to charge VE overnight at home as it takes 10-14 hours to juice up your electric car.
Level 2 EV charging:
It uses a 240v(AC) specialized station and is designed to be installed at home as well as in public places. It charges 10-20 miles per hour which is way faster compared to level one.
Level 3 EV charging:
It comes with 480v(DC) which is the fastest EV charging also known as fast DC charging. It charges 60-80 miles per hour… means, it can fully juice up your electric car within just 30 minutes. It may cost you slightly high compared to
levels 1 and 2.
ALSO READ: Why Electric cars so expensive?
Are electric car charging stations free: Where can I get a free EV
charging station?
charging station?
Well, All the Electric car charging stations are not free. Usually, people charge their vehicles at home but there are some selective automobile companies, startups, malls, stores, and hotels that offer free VE charging to attract customers, but it's limited and hard to find one.
I would suggest you do a study to search for Free EV charging stations near your location. It would help you to save time and clarify the hidden terms and conditions of using free EV charging options.
Some automobile companies offer free charging in their service center for a limited period with some terms and conditions. Some specific local colleges and universities also offer free EV charging to their students and staff while the other institutions offer this service to everyone to promote environmental health.
Along with this, chances are there might be some hotels and energy-focused businesses that offer free EV charging. You can also take the help of apps such as Recargo and Plugshare to find free EV charging stations. It might help you to find departmental stores, malls, clubs, and national parks available with free EV stations when you travel.
Again, as I told you will have to do a little bit of research to get a free EV charging station nearby you. Hope it
helps…!!
Other Resources to Read About Charging Stations: