Level 1 vs Level 2 EV Charging Stations

Charge Up to 9X Faster. A wall outlet just doesn't cut it anymore. Add up to 37 miles of Range Per Hour to your EV with ChargePoint® Home Flex, a 240-volt Level 2 home charger that delivers up to 50 amps of power. 3 Question Checklist To Avoid Blowing a Fuse While EV Charging. Are you amped up (enough)? Your home likely pulls either 100 or 200 amps of current. Most EV chargers pull 30-50 amps of current. If the EV charger were the only thing on the whole panel you’d be fine either way. In reality, other appliances need amps, too. Setting that aside, the Mustart EV charger is recommended to run with 220V to 240V to get a proper charging speed. It is also recommended that your connection can take 40 Amps being sent to the charger since this is a Level 2 charger. Once you get that right, this charger can charge a typical Electric car from 0%-100% in just under 8 hours.

Now that the Chevrolet Bolt EV, second generation Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model 3 are on the road, drivers have more choices in affordable electric cars with long range.

Pure battery electric vehicles (BEV) can take quite a while to charge if empty; plug in hybrids can recover their electric range more quickly. So, when does it make sense to get a faster home EV charging station (also referred to as an EV charger or EVSE, which in EV lingo stands for electric vehicle supply equipment) installed?

There are three types of chargers, but only the first two are really meant for your home:

Level 1 Charging Stations

These charging stations use a normal 120-volt connection, which uses any standard household outlet; there are no extra costs here. The downside is that charging times can be slow. Many electric vehicle owners will likely find that they typically don’t deplete more of the battery than can be replenished overnight using a basic 120V connection.

Level 2 Charging Stations

These EV chargers use a higher-output 240-volt power source, like the one that you plug your oven or clothes dryer into. Charging times are much faster than with a Level 1 EV charging station. A Mercedes B Class 250e, for example, can take 20 hours to fully charge (87 miles of range) with a standard 120-volt charging station. A 240-volt Level 2 charger can fully charge a 250e in three hours.

Most EV owners find they want a faster charge and upgrade to a Level 2 charging station soon after buying their electric car. A high-speed charging station at home is much more convenient and also can add value to your home’s resale value.

Having a Level 2 EVSE at home is ideal because most EV owners find they do the majority of their charging at home. For example, Level 1 home charging simply won’t work for anyone who drives long distances regularly and doesn’t have the time or opportunity to recharge their car during the day. Upgrading to a Level 2 charging station for that owner becomes a necessity, especially if the car is fully electric and there aren’t any public charging stations at the workplace or nearby.

One advantage of the longer range cars is that they should seldom use all their charge in a single day’s commute. With ranges that top 200 miles and average daily commutes of less than 40 miles, it should only be a matter of topping off the battery at night, which can typically be done in a couple hours.

Level 3 Charging Stations

These fast-charging devices use very high voltage and can add 90 miles of range to an EV in just 30 minutes in some cases. These chargers, however, are extremely expensive, costing tens of thousands of dollars, and routinely using a Level 3 charger can ultimately hurt your car’s battery, so we wouldn’t consider one for home installation; they are also cost prohibitive for most EV owners.

Determining EV Charging Times

Here are a couple factors that determine how long it will take to charge your electric vehicle and how many miles of range you can add per hour of charging:

1. The EV being charged
   
   • Electric vehicles have battery packs in varying sizes; the battery pack size determines the amount of energy stored in the vehicle.
2. The power going into the EV
   • Electric vehicles also have varying power ‘acceptance rates.’
   • EV charging stations have various max power delivery ratings.
   • If the EV charging station offers less power than the vehicle’s maximum acceptance rate, the EV charging station is the limiting factor in charge time. If the vehicle’s acceptance rate is lower than the EV charging station’s maximum output rate, the vehicle is the limiting factor.
3. Divide your electric vehicle’s battery pack rating by whichever number is lower: the vehicle’s acceptance rate, or the EV charging station’s output rate. This will give you the total hours to charge from “empty.”
   • Most vehicles will provide this information through the dashboard interface once you plug into an EVSE.

We’ve also created a chart (see link in Quick Reference section below) to help you determine your vehicle’s charge time using a Level 1 charging station (like the cordset that came in your electric vehicle) and various power levels of a Level 2 charging station for comparison.

Quick Reference

Click on the charts below to enlarge and find the charge time and miles of range per hour of charging for every Battery Electric Vehicle and Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicle currently on the market.We do update this chart with new electric vehicles as they are introduced in the market. Click to download or print a pdf of the charging times chart.

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Charge Up to 9X Faster

A wall outlet just doesn't cut it anymore. Add up to 37 miles of Range Per Hour to your EV with ChargePoint® Home Flex, a 240-volt Level 2 home charger that delivers up to 50 amps of power. Most drivers will use 32 or 40 amps. 48 or 50 amps will give you the fastest charge, but requires hardwired installation and may require electrical upgrades. Set the amperage that matches your electrical panel capacity and car to see how fast you can charge.

Set ChargePoint Home Flex to

to add up to 373630251812 miles of range per hour.

Charges Any EV, Including Your AudiBMWChevyChryslerFordHondaHyundaiJaguarKiaMercedes-BenzMitsubishiNissanPolestarTeslaToyotaVolvo

ChargePoint Home Flex can charge any EV, including your next one. It also works with your home, now and in the future.

Convenient, Connected and Smarter Than Ever

Use the ChargePoint app (available on iOS and Android) to make owning an EV even easier.

Home, work and around town — we've got you covered.

Search for spots, filter by charging speed, see if stations are available and more.

Save money and reduce hassle by setting a schedule for charging.

Never forget to charge when you set regular reminders.

Manage charging with your voice using Alexa and set charging speed in the app.

Track all your charging in one place

Home, work and around town — we've got you covered.

Find places to charge away from home

Search for spots, filter by charging speed, see if stations are available and more.

Schedule charging when energy is cheapest

Save money and reduce hassle by setting a schedule for charging.

Get reminders to plug in

Never forget to charge when you set regular reminders.

Connect to your smart home

Manage charging with your voice using Alexa and set charging speed in the app.

Safe and Reliable for Your Home and Your EV

ChargePoint Home Flex is UL listed for safety, ENERGY STAR certified for efficiency and backed by a 3-year warranty to protect your EV investment. It’s easy to install indoors or out, no matter your electrical capacity, and the 23-foot charging cable can reach any parking configuration. We don’t think you’ll have any issues, but 24/7 phone support is available just in case.

Save Money on Home Charging

There are many rebates, tax credits and other incentives that can save you money on home charging, especially when you get a smart charger like Flex.

Renewed for 2021: The U.S. federal tax credit gives individuals 30% off a ChargePoint Home EV charging station plus installation costs (up to $1,000). Buy and install by December 31, 2021 and claim the credit on your federal tax return.

Make your smart choice even smarter: find home charging incentives near you.

'Perfect charger, looks great works really fast. Quality is great and the app works great with my phone. Highly recommended.'

Install Once, Charge Whenever

No matter what you drive or how much space is available in your electrical panel, ChargePoint Home Flex fits right in. Have your electrician install it indoors or out using a NEMA 6-50 plug, 14-50 plug, or hardwired connection. Then, set the appropriate charging speed in the app — up to 50 amps. Hardwired installation is required for 48A, 50A charging. Click here for more installation resources.

Need help finding an electrician to install ChargePoint Home? Qmerit can connect you with a trusted installer near you.

By EV Drivers, for EV Drivers

EV charging is all we do, and we do it all—from home charging to charging around town. We’ve delivered more than 93.2 million charges to all kinds of cars at hundreds of thousands of places to charge worldwide, and we’re always working to make EV charging even easier.

'Love it!

Excellent fit and finish. Easy to install, setup, packaging and instructions were great. Looks beautiful and charges well. The build quality is awesome!”

'Works like a charm

I love this charger. It can be configured to use the max amperage of the switch you have it attached to and provides a pretty good indication of how much power your EV has gained, along with cost of power, time charging, & a history of when it was used.”

'Great quality and easy installation

The installation could not have been easier. Everything that was needed was provided. Great product. Very satisfied.'

Mustart Level 2 Charger

'Great quality and exceptional attention to details

Everything about this product says QUALITY, unboxing shows how much care has been put into every detail, right down to the screws in their holder. I’ve been using for about 3 to 4 weeks, works perfectly. Thank you for a great product!'

'Love it!

Excellent fit and finish. Easy to install, setup, packaging and instructions were great. Looks beautiful and charges well. The build quality is awesome!”

'Works like a charm

I love this charger. It can be configured to use the max amperage of the switch you have it attached to and provides a pretty good indication of how much power your EV has gained, along with cost of power, time charging, & a history of when it was used.”

'Great quality and easy installation

The installation could not have been easier. Everything that was needed was provided. Great product. Very satisfied.'

'Great quality and exceptional attention to details

Mustart Ev Charger

Everything about this product says QUALITY, unboxing shows how much care has been put into every detail, right down to the screws in their holder. I’ve been using for about 3 to 4 weeks, works perfectly. Thank you for a great product!'

Mustart Ev Charger Review

Do you live in an apartment or condo? Check out our multi-family home options.

Mustard Level 2 Portable Ev Charger User Manual Download

Additional ChargePoint Home Resources

Level 2 Portable Ev Charger

Looking for installation guides, videos, FAQs, datasheets, brochures and more? Visit our resources page to get more information.

Need to purchase a replacement charging cable for your ChargePoint Home Flex? Click here.