Charging an Electric Vehicle on a Standard 120v Outlet | It's POSSIBLE but is it REALISTIC?
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- Опубліковано 1 лип 2024
- It's definitely possible to charge an electric vehicle off of a standard 120v outlet, but is it realistic as your primary charging source? This video answers the question of whether or not you really need to have a 240v level 2 charger in order to own an EV.
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If you drive less than 50 miles a day,
Fully charge at a level 2 somewhere else. Use your level 1 charger to replace the battery you use commuting. Theoretically you should be always be above 70%.
I’ve been getting by with level 1 charging as I work from home, but I’m getting a level 2 14-50 outlet installed this week. It’s gonna cost me $1700, but the main reason I decided to do this, is because I just don’t trust a standard 15amp outlet connected by 14 AWG wires to continuously provide 12amps of current for 15+ hours for years without running the risk of something burning up somewhere. Having a dedicated 50amp circuit connected to an industrial NEMA 14-50 outlet via thick 6 AWG wires is just a much safer approach to EV charging. In my case, my weekly charging would take >6 hours total. Don’t think 120v outlets/wiring were designed to pull continuous max amperage for hours and hours.
That's a good point.
That makes sense!! I have 240v 30a in my garage, but I almost never actually make proper use of it as I find myself needing to charge so little with typical daily driving. It would probably be just as efficient on 120!
Totally agree! Having a 240v is really helpful, but for most people the 120v will work just fine as long as there are a few other options nearby for a quick charge.
@@zacktripp I wish this was a more prominent message in the Tesla community. There's so much focus on getting a 240v or a Tesla wall charger. I've even seen people discourage someone who lives in an apartment from buying a Model 3 (that was on a Model 3 Reddit forum).
I'm with you, there is so much emphasis on 240v for some reason. I've been thinking about making a video on whether or not you can own an EV in an apartment.. maybe I will do that!
@@zacktripp Yes, make that video. I think it would be helpful for anyone who thinks they can't have a Tesla unless they own a home with a garage where they can upgrade to 240v or put in a Tesla charger.
I'll add it to the list 😁
Well done. I had an electrician add 220 in the garage when he was doing another job. I was wondering if I could get by without buying a wall charger. Now I'm glad I waited. Thanks, as you answered my question.
Thanks for posting this. My wife and I commute to work by bicycle, so the planned electric vehicle will be for weekend trips. We just installed a 10 Kw solar system with a 13 Kw battery....BUT, the solar doesn't support a 240 volt outlet. Rather than install a Level 2 charger and pay the utility company for electricity, you have led me to understand that a 110 outlet will completely meet our needs. And, I can put a timer on the charger so that it only provides current to the EV during daylight hours. Solar is generating more than twice the energy that we need, and as of now the surplus is getting us credit with the utility company. Our system will certainly charge our vehicle - essentially free additional money. Your personal experience is much appreciated!
Great job describing this. Thank you.
thank you for the video! I was looking for a practical reason of if level 1 charging would be enough. Personally, I'm still deciding whether I should get purchase Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Bolt. Either one gets, I don't know I have the option to install a level 2 charge since it's rent house. My commute is about 60 miles total. So it's great to hear that level 1 is probably enough to survive. Plus, I thought it's okay to charge extra fast at outside service for 30 min if I need to. Compare to gas, it does take time, but it saves a lot of money over time. And I hope the charging station will continue to increase year after year.
Nicely done, and bless you for NOT calling the UMC a “charger”.
This was so informational! Thank you
Excelent video. It provided me the info I needed !
Glad I could help!
See and I was all worried about getting my vehicle and just using an l1 THANK YOU!!! 🙏
I got my Lectron Vbox installed yesterday. 40AMP circuit level 2.
I drive less than 40 miles per day.
I don't plan on getting a dedicated EV but I do plan on getting a Plug in Hybrid. This was very helpful.
I had the same plan when I bought my Model 3: charging at the 120v at home and supplementing with chargers on the road (Superchargers on trips or charging when parked at work). Since my daily commute is 10-15 miles, I never had to use outside chargers unless I took a trip. I also learned that the car doesn't like to be charged more than 60-80% of the full battery so I could go a day or two between charges - no added range anxiety. I looked into getting an outlet upgraded to 240v and it was going to be at least $500 at my house so it was difficult to justify when the 120v was meeting my needs.
Exactly! It's deceiving how practical the 120v actually is. As long as you have other options in a pinch, you don't really need the 240v. Thanks for the comment!
so what happens when you try to charge passed 60-80%
@@CovenantServants Regularly charging above 80% if you’re not going to be immediately driving can potentially degrade the battery and decrease your battery’s range. Also, when supercharging, charging above 80% is slow and it takes about as much time to charge from 80-100% as it takes to charge from 20-80%.
I also live in a condo building and am considering buying a Tesla. This was very helpful, thank you.
Grt vid. I park my model y in my garage and temp is usually in 60s avg. My avg drive per day is 60 miles. So I think i am gonna be ok with level 1
Wow thank you for this video. I’m buying a Tesla today and this helped a lot.
Level 2 is the way to go but after using my car for multiple vacations and relying only on 110 v with the mobile connector, I’m convinced I could have gotten away with only using 120 v.
Thank you, I am glad I watched this video.
Tesla supercharging is a luxury here in Vancouver Canada since the station is located downtown and is often packed. We have to contend with 120v trickle charge but that suffices for city driving.
L1 has been fine for me: I only ever drive over 20 miles a day on the weekends. There are a surprising amount of L2/L3 chargers in my city, too.
yeah but how long dose the line last before you have to replace it to avoid a fire? I am pumping 1.8 to 2 mwh through my 110/120 volt line and am curious cause replacement is not possible so how logn till my condo building burns down?
not news to me, I have had my M3LR for almost 2.5 years and charge at home. No discount, but my utility recommends 3pm to 8am, to be kind to the grid which is what I do. It works fine for me and I have only needed SCs on trips. Before buying the car I had considered my use case and expected it to work. There were so many that insisted it was mandatory to install a 240v system. I ignored them. The number of people that asked if I install solar panels because I have an EV. Why? I have two home HVACs each on 240v 50A circuits, the pull a ton more power that my car.
I plan to charge with the slowest option too. Charging with too many kilowatts often, degrades your battery faster. The slower you charge it, the longer the lifetime of the battery
Higher charging speeds can degrade the battery faster, that's for sure. However, I doubt you'd see a difference in degradation between level 1 and level 2 charging. Those rates are both very low for charging lithium ion batteries. You'll have much more of a beneficial impact on degradation by keeping the battery state of charge (SoC) between 30% and 70% as much as possible.
@@zacktripp what about people that use a Tesla for delivery service? Can they charge up to 100%
@@zacktrippsource?
2023 I’m sure it’s better now
@@whyworkwhenicanrap6830 I had $144k in tesla stock a year ago with margin. Now it's down to $24k because I mismanaged it so I won't be buying a Tesla
Love it, well done!!
LOVELY VIDEO...VERY INFORMATIVE
YUP. ITS VERY FEASIBLE...CHEERS FROM NYC!
Great video. I tell people that using a 120 v outlet would work for the type and amount of driving they do, and they won't believe me.
Charging on level one standard outlet also preserves your battery and makes it last longer. If you’re only using the vehicle to go back-and-forth to work it’s a win-win.
Thanks. This vid was very informative and helpful.
You mentioned the down side of only having 120v. If you are pre-conditioning the vehicle there is usually nothing left for charging. If you charge at night during the week to take advantage of lower rates you may not fully charge before it is time to leave if you are preconditioning.
I experience this when I charge my vehicle at 120v with a 20 amp breaker. The vehicle is charging at 12amps maximum you can Choose between 8 and 12 amps draw in the vehicle charging menu for 120v. It was not a big deal though. In the winter it may not be able to warm the car, as you mentioned.
I am installing a 50amp circuit and a 14-50 to use 240v. Then we will be able to precondition the vehicle in the winter.
Also, make sure you have a heavy duty gfi receptacle and breaker installed if you will be using the 120v circuit for charging. That applies with any continuous charging for an ev.
Great video. I drive a Kona EV and level 1 works great for me. In the gas world it's "empty to full." When your tank is empty you fill it up. In the EV world the word is "replace." If you have a daily commute then every night you replace the miles you drove that day. I no longer have a daily commute, but when my SOC is at 40%, usually about once a week, I plug in and replace the miles I drove during the prior week. If I need to drive somewhere before is it finished charging, I just unplug and go and plug back in when I return. Also, I have my EV programmed to stop charging during peak price rates and resume charging when off-peak rates begin again.
Great video by the way love it :)
I just bought my Tesla Model 3 in October. I have used my dryer plug to charge twice. I’ve started to do this 1-2 time a week on the weekend when I drive more. But I have primarily used level 1 in my garage. When initially got my vehicle I didn’t have a wall charger so I did supercharge a lot but I’ve gotten the hand of level 1 charging.
I’m in metro Detroit, MI and with limited superchargers and was thinking about this same scenario. Are you averaging 5 miles per hour with the standard ? I’ve heard it was lower like 2-3
I’ve been looking to see if there is negative dmg to the battery . Now I’ve had it for one night. But 50 miles of charge works. I only use 30 battery miles round trip
Only drive 20 miles a day to go fishing and metal detecting, I think 120v will be fine and a couple charging stations on peninsula where I go. I put in a reserve. tired of oil changes
You'll be completely fine on a 120v!
You go fishing and metal detecting for a living?
@@anthonyr5869 retired 10 yrs ago age 60
Very Helpful!
Thanks for the video. I’m getting my 23 MYP tomorrow and will only have a level 1 charger until FPL installs charger after permit approval (roughly 2 months). I drive 40 miles a day. I figure get it to about 75% at a Level 2-3 charger near my house and I should be able to maintain my battery to between 40-80%.
Thank you. I don’t even need the stage 2 charger
I barely need to level one charging at home. So many places to level 2 charge such as Costco, 24Hour Fitness, amazon go, Vons, etc. The only reason I am considering putting in a 220v outlet is so i can trust the wiring, not because I need level 2.
Hi! I have 2021 tesla model 3 long range. I used level 1 all the time. However, is it possible to charge twice a day? Is it okay with the battery? I usually charge my car to work which is level 1 and when I got home I charge level 1 again.
Nice breakdown.
I'm in Hot Florida and really don't drive that much daily. I wonder how much my electricity bill would go up If I had 4 cars plugging into 110v every night. Chevy says they would install a level 2 charger for free, but would they do this on the side of the house or does it need to be in an enclosed garage?
I have a co-worker that owns a Bolt and he lives outside the city. About an hours drive both ways. He's very informed on all things EV and has no regrets with his. I do roughly 30kms/day of just mostly to and from work. And I too live in an apartment with plug ins for the winter months but they converted the outlets tot he 4hr timers, so it cycles the power. But this is good info on your part.
Please explain the formula of cost with examples between 120v and 240v
If you only have basic arithmetic skills, anyone can understand that a Level 2 charger is better suited for busy modern individuals. However, if your daily driving distance is not long, Level 1 charging is sufficient. Since I drive about 20-30 miles a day, it's not a problem for me at all.
The only drawback is that I have to plug in the charger every evening after work and unplug it before heading to work the next day.
It took me quite some time to get used to charging my Apple Watch regularly after I started using it more than three years ago. Similarly, I think it might take a bit of time for me to get into the habit of unplugging and plugging in the charger for my car after getting out of it every evening. It might not take as long as with the Apple Watch, but it'll still be an adjustment.
what can you say about charging past 80%
Hi Zack, i drive 24.2 miles to come and go for work so its roughly about 48.4 a day. You think the 120v should be enough?
I think it depends on whether you can leave the car charging up on weekends to help make up the daily deficit of a few miles.
it's been 3 weeks since I got my EV and been charging on standard outlet. I only needed to use DC chargers when I am on a road trip. Otherwise, I'm set with some charging for daily driving.
Can you tell us how much on average you drive the car monthly and costs using the lv1 charging exclusive for the month?
I'll have more info eventually on that in a video but I drive about 1000 miles a month and it costs about $25/month for that on a level one charger.
Nice video your kitchen looks similar to mine ahahahhhhahahb same granite and back splash and cabinets good taste brother
Hahaha awesome! Thanks for watching 😁
Also, if you have an ICE vehicle also, it is possible to leave your ev plugged up all day in the middle of the week and/or all weekend. This makes it easy to just use a wall charger and use the ev to cover 90% of your miles - even if you have a 100+ mile round-trip work commute like me.
So buy a second car so you can charge your ev slower 😅😅
@@jebes909090 yeah the word "have" does not mean the same thing as the word "buy."
Level one is very okay if it's the only solution. If you could have level two, this would be better because level one takes too long to charge, and every hour more, you will use nearly 20% of the total energy to run the car's electric circuit, which is wasted. Accordingly, if you need 10 hours on level two and 50 hours on level one, this is a 40-hour difference, times 20%, 8 hours of extra electricity usage, roughly 12kWh if you consume 1.5 kWh on level one of additional payment.
Yes it's realistic. I often visit my brother-in-law on Whidbey Island, north of Seattle, WA. I'm south of Portland, OR. That's a little over 200 miles. I have a Hyundai Kona EV and charge on a 120v/20a outdoor outlet at 5 miles/hour (a little over 1Kwh/hour). It charges over the weekend Friday night/Saturday. If I need go to somewhere, I use a faster charger in a nearby town (level 2, 240v) that charges at 25 miles/hour (5Kwh/hour).
In daily use at home I can probably get away with just a level 1 (120v) charger, but I have a level 2 (240v/40a) charger just in case I need to charge up quick (which I rarely do).
Yeah, I’m thinking I’ll be able to get by with a 120 v charge for the most part. I drive some 6 miles a day to work so a whole 120 miles a month.
I’m planning on building a solar charging station. I have 5 solar panels, a charge controller, and 6 deep cycle batteries already. The only thing I need is a converter to make the 120 v.
Anyone know how many watts the 120v draws? I’m thinking it must be around 1,200?
I have the reverse situation: Level 2 at the new house and Level 1 at the office.
60 mile drive each way. So, 8 hours at the office would nearly offset the drive in and overnight at the house would easily top it up to full.
How is the battery holding up 3 years later since SuperChargers aren't a regular thing for you?
I am on the mindset to run the EV on the 20-80 percent charging rule. Being retired, I would only be driving around town or just short range single charge trips. So that said, I would still get a type 2 240 volt charging system. That way I can run the EV for several days and when it gets down to 20 percent, I would plug in the type 2 charging cable and charge overnight back up to 80-90 percent. Then go another several days till battery gets down to 20 percent again. Also 20 to 80 percent charging supposed to give us better battery life over the life of the EV car.
Level 1 charging seems for me to be always trying to keep the car plugged in to be charged up. This also causes short cycle charging (never doing the full 20-80 percent rule).
I would always be charging from home to save costs and not use public charging stations.
So that is my thoughts on what I would use for charging. I do plan to get an EV car this coming spring 2023 if things look good. And hopefully GM will still have the Free install for type 2 charging.
Take care.
I wish I could find an affordable option to charge at home. I live in a townhouse and my breaker is not close to my outlet out front. Electricians telling me $3k at the very least and probably up from there. Ridiculous.
I have the exact same problem, they all want $3k and up
I read that level 3 charging is bad for a battery. I don't really understand, something to do with faster and heat. But is it bad to use level 2 chargers?
Nothing wrong with level 2 charging. Level 3 can degrade the battery faster, depending on how well the charging curve is designed by the automaker. Charging the battery up to 100% repeatedly is much worse. Best to not go above 80% unless you're going on a long trip
Here în România we have 240V în every outlet, so you can pull up to 3.6kw
Sometimes I get home late and the 6-7 hours before I go to work is more than enough to charge the car back up to full from the 50-60% I have.
man you are confusing kw and kwh badly
I'm buying my first ev. How much did it increase your electric bill?
For me, probably $25 a month or so depending on how much I'm driving.
Do I need to have a dedicated line for my standard 120v charging for the EV battery on a 2018 Prius prime hybrid premium??
Shouldn't have to! I wouldn't try to charge on the same circuit that's powering an appliance or something like that though.
The electricians I’m getting estimates say that the dedicated line will ensure the safety of the EV battery… plus , b/c my circuit breaker box is in my old house’s basement, a long way from my garage, which is where I will b charging the car, they’re saying I need a dedicated line to charge the EV battery
Hmm.. I question your electricians! A dedicated line shouldn't do anything better for the battery, but I don't know your full situation.
Great video and all true but not applicable to everyone; this is based on a Tesla with awsome range. Different story if you have an old Leaf missing a few battery bars.
Very true! Good point.
i have a neighbor that has an old leaf with a weak battery, his daily commute is 14 miles round trip and he charges at home off a 110v outlet. he's done this for several years now and it works fine for him.
Get a quick220 device if you’re renting. That way you have level 2 when you need it.
What is the quick 220 device?
@@rhsalce It’s just a device that allows you to get to 220/240 out of two 110 outlets. Each of the 110 outlet needs to be on a separate circuit breaker.
You don’t need to buy the quick220 brand. It’s very useful if you go to your parents or take a trip to a friend’s house who don’t not have level 2
Search for the following. I don’t think I’m allowed to post a link
K KRIËGER DIY220 Quick Connect 220V Power Supply, Power 208-240 Volts from Two Separate 110/120V AC Circuits, 220V 15A AC Output Outlet, GFCI Outlet Circuit Tester Included - ETL Certified
Not just a separate circuit breaker, but a separate phase as well.
@@pikachuchujelly7628 , yes. It is necessary that the 2 120V outlets be on separate phases.
yes this is correct in your situation, but did you factor in the length of life of your battery charging every day?
I have 220V in the garage, thinking of buying an electric car but thought I might need to change to 240v.. I guess that would not be necessary..
As long as you have the right adapter to connect to it, 220v should work fine!
@@zacktripp Awesome, thanks for the video Zack..
How the hell do you do that with your eyes so quick? It's like some Men & black alien type stuff 😱 they are among us!!
I only need 70 miles and enough extra to make sure the battery can make the trip home after a day of work because my work place does not offer a charging station. And there are no chargers along my commute.
Battery Life if better using level one.
How do you tell if you have a 110 or 120 outlet?
Should be the same. They'll operate across that voltage range no problem, whichever it is. Actual voltage at the outlet will be driven by the electric grid/provider and will vary throughout the day.
120 is the nominal voltage for all of North America, but it can dip to 110 sometimes.
Is it possible to chain 2 120 v outlets into 1 for 240v?
Theoretically I think it is, but I think it can be pretty sketchy.
There are 2-1 converters out there . . . but are they code?
It's possible, if the two outlets are opposite phase from each other. That's how you get 240v in the first place. You have 3 wires coming into your home, two hot and one neutral. The voltage difference between a hot and neutral is 120v, but the voltage difference between the two hots is 240v since they are on opposite phases (when one is +120, the other is -120).
The ONE big drawback about using 120v is charging efficiency and therefore cost. The charging system and battery will always take some of the charging current as loss or for battery management. That amount is the same no matter what voltage you are charging with. But when you charge at a lower voltage you will lose a higher percentage of that current than if you are charging with a higher voltage. You will spend MORE on management/loss because you have to charge longer. You can save a lot of money, depending on the price of your electricity, if you charge at a higher voltage/amperage.
Sure, there is an efficiency loss. But depending on how long you're planning to live in your home, it could take a long time to recover that lost efficiency with the cost of installing a 240v outlet for level 2.
@@zacktripp Yes, I am in a similar situation and will charge at 120 for a while because I am renting. Fortunately my biz has 240 though low amps. The combo will do. But the extra cost can be substantial: ua-cam.com/video/AiCSnwoAs0c/v-deo.html
European 230V/400V forever!😁
I'm jealous!
120v is better for reducing battery degradation.
You won't notice a difference in degradation with 120v and 240v
Don’t even charge at home bro. Free charging at work. lol
My old car charges in 2 minutes wit gas lol
No offense ....dude you sound a lot like ARI SHAFFIR
Literally no idea who that is!
@@zacktripp He is a stand up comedian
Today I learned!
Damn. Calling electrician is necessary
And your bills are ?????
My charging adds about $25 a month.
Tesla batteries are only good for 1500 charge cycles. So, if you're charging every day. Your batteries will only last just over 4 years. Charging everyday on level 1 is not good for the battery.
Please research what a "charge cycle" is. It is not how many times you plug it in.
It only cost a few hundred dollars to have an electrical contractor install a 240v outlet off your electrical panel in the garage. Do you also know how much fossil fuels are burned to create that electricity? 🤔
So if you commute 152 kms round trip to work... in Canada... work 12 hour shifts... EVs are completely useless.
That's quite the conclusion. Get a level 2 charger.
@@zacktripp So have an electrician come to my home and run wires through my walls to my garage? If EVs weren't expensive enough, now I've got to have a tradesman come in and install a higher voltage outlet in my garage?
Yes that's exactly right. And the amount of money you'll save with that commute vs gas will easily pay for it. Change can be a good thing, believe it or not.
@@zacktripp Hey, I want an EV, but for me, the technology just isn't there yet. Nor the infrastructure in my area. Im curious to see what my power bill would be like with 2 EVs charging every night.
@@CDN0128 simple math. How much do you pay for power?