Watt's Important? Seven Tips Every EV Driver Should Know!

If you can park near a regular household outlet—the same kind you use to plug in a lamp or coffee maker—you can often get by using the Level 1 charging cable that comes with many EVs. Overnight, this simple setup can add around 25–40 miles of driving range, which covers most people's daily commutes.^† Yep, it's just like how you plug in your cell phone at night, but for your car. This approach also works great for PHEVs since they have shorter electric ranges. Try out our Home Charging Calculator to see if the outlets you already have might meet your charging needs.

You may not even notice public chargers until you drive an EV but you can use tools like DOE’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator or PlugShare to find them. With around 75,000 public charging stations across the country, and more coming online all the time, you may be surprised to learn how many are nearby.^§  While some public chargers accept credit cards, many still require phone apps or RFID cards. You’ll make things easier if you sign up for the major charging networks in your area (e.g., ChargePoint, Electrify America, EVgo, Blink) ahead of time, so you're prepared when you charge on the go.

Apps such as A Better Route Planner, Chargeway, or DOE’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator can show where you would charge along your route. They can estimate how long your trip might take, including charging times. Some even account for seasonality and temperatures. Many of these apps let you choose specific models to see how charging time estimates vary by vehicle.

That’s the maximum power that a charger can provide but it doesn’t mean your EV can accept that much power. Some EVs can charge much more quickly than others. This means the difference between a short 15-minute charging pit stop and a longer 45-minute break every few hours of driving. When shopping for an EV, look up its direct current (DC) fast charging speeds to see if it is a match for your travel style and frequency—and if your car charges on the slower side, consider using the lower-power fast chargers (e.g., 150 kW) and leaving the fastest chargers (e.g., 350 kW) to vehicles that can take advantage of their higher speeds. You’ll still charge in the same amount of time.

EVs tend to charge slower at extreme temperatures. One way to alleviate this is called battery-preconditioning. While not all EVs have this feature, if yours does, using the built-in navigation system will automatically signal the car to heat or cool the battery to its optimal temperature and ensure the fastest possible charging when you reach a DC fast charger. To determine if your vehicle has battery-preconditioning, consult your owner's manual or search for it in your vehicle’s settings menu.