Bryan Tillman is 360 Energy Group's very own Project Manager. He has several years of experience driving strategic planning initiatives and overseeing the development, implementation, and marketing of multiple innovative programs or projects. Bryan also serves as our electric vehicle expert. We sat down with him to go through some frequently asked questions about the EV industry.
What is the difference between a Level 1, Level 2, and a DC fast charger?
"I want to start by saving that vehicles also effect how fast you can charge a vehicle. Some vehicles are more efficient than others and some vehicles can charge at a faster rate. I also want to mention that vehicles sit idle 95% of the time, so don't let the length of time needed for charging fool you. EV owners do most of their charging at night while they are asleep.
Level 1 is 120 volts, similar to a typical household outlet. These charge stations provide 3-5 miles of range for every hour that the car is plugged in. They are typically used in places where someone will stay for a long time and are often used for plug in hybrids or range extended vehicles.
Level 2 is 240 volts. These charge stations provide 10-45 miles of range for every hour that the car is plugged in. They are typically used for home charging, but we also see a lot of level 2 chargers at hotels, workplaces, and around the city. This is the charge station that I have at home and it works perfectly.
DC fast chargers are 480 volts. These charge stations are expensive, so you won't see these in your garage. They are typically found along highways for long distance travel. This helps serve people who may not have access to a charger because they live in a multi-family building or are visiting from out of town."
How fast can you charge with a DC fast charger?
"The speed of these charge stations vary significantly. You can add 100 miles in an hour with a 24 kW fast charger or some of the 250 kW chargers can add 75 miles in just 5 minutes. We are also hearing about 350 kW chargers and 1 mW chargers for larger vehicles such as semi-trucks. Typically, fast chargers at a gym or grocery store are slower than the fast chargers alongside the highway."
On average, how far can you drive on one charge?
"When I had my first electric vehicle, I was able to get 72 miles on a charge. Today, many cars have 200 or even 300 miles of range, and we anticipate cars coming out later this year with over 400 miles of range. One thing that is often discussed is range anxiety, but this is being solved with longer range cars and more and more charging stations."
How can we incorporate renewable energy into electric vehicle charging infrastructure?
"As mentioned earlier, these vehicles have flexible loads and we can incentivize EV owners to charge them when we want them to. If we want vehicles to charge during times that we have high energy being produced by solar, we can provide incentives that align with this time of day."
Bryan will be sharing additional EV information to come. If you have questions, please contact us at info@360eg.com or 312-265-3971.