The use of electric vehicles is no longer limited, and already their share is 25% of new sales in the global automotive market. In the USA, most owners choose to install a charger in their homes, which makes the use of EVs even more convenient. But some difficulties come when a family owns two elect Contact online >>
The use of electric vehicles is no longer limited, and already their share is 25% of new sales in the global automotive market. In the USA, most owners choose to install a charger in their homes, which makes the use of EVs even more convenient. But some difficulties come when a family owns two electric cars—it is likely that there is often a need to charge two cars at the same time.
Read this article to find out more about some ways to charge two electric cars at home. We will analyze the advantages, disadvantages and relevance of each method so you can determine which one will be best in your case. We also will take a look at the best EV chargers in North America.
If your family has two electric cars, then one of the best options for simultaneous charging would be to get a dual charging station1. It is hooked up to a single circuit and comes with two cables and two chargers in a one box. Installing this kind of device could expand the capacity of a limited electrical setup without investing more in a new circuit or service panel, which allows for additional charging of electric vehicles.
A dual charger is a Level–2 hard-wired device that splits electricity between two cars, so while charging, each car gets half the power2. This option is great if you charge cars overnight, as both can be fully charged in that time. If you charge only one car, then 20–30 miles of range will be added per hour.
Most dual-socket points charge any EV using the universal J1772 connector, so, in most cases, compatibility won’t be an issue. If you have a Tesla, you need to use a special adapter to charge the car.
The maximum power of the electrical grid is determined by some models automatically and quite accurately. In other models of dual EV chargers, the particularities of the electric network are set when using the mobile app for the first time. In any case, this process for the user is not difficult.
It provides more flexibility with the installation but in comparison with the previous method, it is much more expensive. The cost consists of the price of two charging stations and the cost of installing one more 240-volt outlet. In addition, it requires more complex wiring work.
To charge two EVs, you can purchase two typical 32A/7kW units and set them both up on a single 40-amp circuit. During simultaneous charging, the amperage will be reduced—these devices will share power and won’t overload the circuit. Charging time will be longer, and both cars take twice as long to charge, at least until one vehicle has finished charging. If just one EV is charging, it will get full power.
Of course, having two stations in the house has its benefits, but this will only make sense if installing a dual home station is not possible. Considering the fact that the charging time is longer, it will take from 8 to 12 hours to charge the electric vehicle, depending on battery capacity. On average, with 3 kW of power, around 10–14 miles of range per hour will be added.
If you often have to charge your electric cars at home, connecting separate charging stations to different circuit breakers might be the best option. The main advantage is that no matter how many cars are charging at the same time, the EVs will receive maximum power. Accordingly, the charge time for each vehicle will be only about 4–6 hours. But this is the most expensive option since, in addition to the costs of stations, you need to purchase circuit breakers and hire an electrician.
For maximum charging speed, each station is connected to a separate circuit breaker. This device protects equipment from aggressive temperatures and destruction in the case of a short circuit. The 30-amp point will require a 40-amp circuit breaker to be installed.
Installing separate charging stations requires some knowledge of home wiring and charge points installation. If you are not a qualified electrician, it is better to entrust this work to professionals.
The Level-1 device is the simplest type because it uses a basic home electrical current and plugs into a standard grounded outlet. It doesn’t require any special equipment for use—just take the cord and plug it into the outlet and the car. You don’t even need to buy it, as automakers provide a kit when you buy a car (there are exceptions, like owners of a Tesla or KIA EV6). So, the main advantage is cost savings because you do not need to spend money to buy an additional station and circuit breaker.
This option is great if one of the cars is a hybrid or its battery has a relatively small capacity. What’s more, on days when your family doesn’t need to drive much, you can just switch out the Level-2 charging point between both electric cars.
Speaking about the charging time, the usual Level-2 device has a power of 7.2 kW, which allows you to fully charge 100% of the electric car in 4–7 hours. If you have a terminal of 3.6 kW, then the car will charge two times longer. A Level-1 charger has a power of 1.4–1.9 kW, and a full charge of an empty EV battery can take around 24–35 hours. The device adds from four to six miles of battery range for every hour of charging.
If you have Tesla, there’s a hack: as every car comes with a Tesla mobile charger, you don’t need to install one more Level-2 device at all. Just buy a 240-volt NEMA 14-50 adapter for about $40, and the charger will be able to deliver up to 32 amps.
While a lot of stations are designed to be permanently installed in the garage or outside the home, it might be a good idea to choose a plug-in model. The installation cost is about the same, but having a portable terminal means that you can easily take it with you and plug it into the 240V circuit.
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