Week 6 Session 13
For any 3 electric vehicles compare the battery pack and charging system requirements.
| Types of vehicle | Battery Pack | Charging System |
| 2 Wheeler EV | Small Pack Size | Level 1 |
| 3 wheeler EV | Medium Pack size | Level 2 |
| 4 wheeler EV | Large Pack Size | Level 3 |
This charge level is the simplest level of EV charging and consists of plugging the EV into a standard 120V AC receptacle using a unique electrical cord with the appropriate plugs in each end. The built-in battery charger in the EV then charges the battery. This type of charging is generally limited by the amount of power that can be supplied by the receptacle usually, 12-16A or less (1.44-1.92kW) which based on an EV with a 3 MPkWh rating will add up to 5.8 miles for each hour of charging. If we charge for 10 hours overnight, it would only add up to 58 miles to the battery. Level 1 charging is useful for only limited range EVs when daily miles driven are low, or when several days of dwell time are available between EV usage. Level 1 chargers are inexpensive, readily available, and can be carried with the EV.
Level 2
Level 2 chargers allow the EV to be connected to a 240V receptacle, like that used for an electric range or clothes dryer. Level 2 chargers are currently available up to around 20kW and continuing our example would add 60 miles for each hour of charging at 20kW. Many Level 2 chargers are in the 7kW to 10kW range. Enough to fully recharge most EVs overnight. A long-range car or a delivery van might have a battery capacity of 100kWh and could be recharged over a little more than 10 hours by a Level 2 10kW charger taking system losses into account. Level 2 chargers are readily available and moderately priced. Higher capacity Level 2 chargers are fixed in place, but lower capacity portable ones are available. Finding a 240V receptacle to plug into can be much more challenging than a Level 1 120V receptacle though.
Level 3
DCFC charging uses DC to charge the EV battery without needing to go through the onboard AC battery charger. This charging level allows for a much higher capacity battery charging system. DCFC chargers, due to the cost and need for 480V electrical service, are usually limited to commercial use, either in commercial fast charging stations or in fleet operations. A 100kW DCFC can recharge an EV with a 100kWh battery in about an hour. At his rate, a 3MPkWh EV will gain 300 miles for each hour of charging.DCFC chargers are significantly more expensive than Level 1 or 2 chargers and require 480V 3 phase power. This limits them mostly to commercial EV charger installations.