We’ve mentioned that there are different types of plugs, and different charging speeds. Now let’s cover how to identify which is which.
Before we can talk about connectors, we need to talk about charging speeds. There are 3 “levels” of charging, using different methods and resulting in different speeds:
* Level 1 (slowest)
* Level 2 (medium speed)
* DC Fast or unofficially “Level 3” (Fastest)
Level 1 charging uses standard 120v power outlets, the same ones you use in your home. That’s right, you can plug your EV into the wall like a toaster oven. Convenient, right? Here’s the downside: it’s very slow. With Level 1 charging, you’ll gain approximately 3-5 miles of range for every hour the car is plugged in. That means a full EV with a big battery like the Tesla Model S could take two full days to charge. Not ideal. However, if you only drive ~40 miles per day, you could conceivably get that mileage back over 10 hours each night while you sleep. If you have an EV with a smaller battery like a plug-in hybrid, Level 1 charging might be all that you ever need. Many EVs will come with a Level 1 charging cable, and you don’t need any additional equipment to charge with this method. You should, however, check with a qualified electrician to make sure the outlet you want to use is suitable to handle the constant load of an EV, which will draw power like a heavy appliance.
Level 2 refers to charging with 240 volt AC power. While Level 2 is faster than Level 1, it isn’t exactly fast. Depending on available amperage, these EVSEs can deliver a rate between 22kw and 50kw, or about 12-60 miles per hour. The Tesla Model S that took two days to charge on Level 1 would take about 9 hours to charge with Level 2. For the plug-in hybrids, a full charge is more like 2-3 hours.
Level 2 is the best way to charge at home. You may have a 240v outlet in your home already, these are the bigger outlets that often power electric ovens and clothes dryers. If you have one of these near where you park, like an outlet meant for laundry in the garage, you may be able to buy a plug-n-play EVSE cable to use that existing outlet (again, check with an electrician to be sure suitable and in good health).
If you don’t have one of these outlets in your home, you can hire an electrician to install one, or hardwire a 240v EVSE wall charger. The cost of this will depend on how much extra power capacity your home has, and where power needs to be run to reach your parking area. It can cost anywhere from $500 to $5000 depending on your circumstance. Luckily there are many incentives available from state and local government as well as power utilities on the installation of this equipment, so be sure to check for incentives near you.
Level 2 isn’t just in the home, it’s also the most popular plug in public. These plugs can be found in the parking lot of grocery stores, office buildings, hotels, etc. keep in mind, they’re not that fast. They are more meant for topping up while you’re running errands.
DC Fast chargers are the equivalent of gas stations for EVs, in that they are meant to be used quickly on the go. A DC fast charging station uses DC power, and it is far too powerful and expensive to install at home. These plugs are found at highway rest stops, grocery stores, etc.
That Tesla Model S that took 9 hours to charge using Level 2 can charge to 80% in as little as 25 minutes using a DC Fast charging station. Some EVs are even faster, depending on the car and the charging unit.
Side note: why 80%? You’ll often see charge times listed up to 80%, because an EV charges much faster between 0-80%. After 80%, the speed drops way down. In fact, the final 20% charge can take just as long as the initial 80%, so it makes sense to charge only to 80% unless you REALLY need 100% of your range in that moment.
So, let’s recap.
Level 1 is slow. It’ll charge a full EV in days.
Level 2 is medium. It’ll charge a full EV in hours.
DC Fast is fast. It’ll charge a full EV in minutes.
Now that we understand the 3 levels of speed, let’s talk about connectors.
In North America, an EV will have one of four different connectors:
- NACS (Tesla)
- CCS
- J-1772
- CHAdeMO
Let's take a look at each...
Short for “North American Charging Standard”, NACS is a connector developed by Tesla. While other cars use different connectors for Level 2 and DC Fast charging, the NACS connector does both. Tesla calls their Level 2 chargers “Destination Chargers” and their DC Fast chargers “Superchargers”. Up until recently, only Tesla cars had NACS connectors, and only Tesla cars could use Tesla Superchargers (other cars COULD use slower level 2 destination chargers with an adapter). This is changing in a big way, and we are right in the middle of a major transition.
Starting in 2025, every major automaker will begin to use the NACS connector. That means it’s not just Tesla anymore, and it means that North America will finally have a unified connector going forward. In the meantime, things are a bit… complicated.
You see, there is a difference between NACS, which is the plug that Tesla developed, and the Tesla charging network itself, which are all of the plugs operated by Tesla. Just because a car has a Tesla-style plug doesn’t mean they can use a Tesla Supercharger. When automakers announced that they would be switching to NACS, most announced a deal that would give them access to Tesla’s network, which is one of the largest and most reliable in North America. Not everyone announced access to Tesla’s chargers though, notably Stellantis has not yet announced access meaning Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, RAM, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Maserati vehicles may not be able to use Tesla Superchargers. Instead these vehicles may be limited to other networks who have begun to implement the NACS connector outside of Tesla’s network.
As for everyone else, it’s a mixed bag. Ford and Rivian already have access to Tesla’s charging network, though their vehicles need to use an adapter. All other automakers will be gaining access at some point between now and the end of 2025, one automaker at a time. Once access is granted to an automaker, cars that do not have the NACS connector will need to use an adapter.
Just to complicate things a bit more, a very limited number of Tesla Superchargers have been opened up to any EV. These are called “Magic Dock” locations and they have an adapter installed right on the charging station itself. These can be found using the Tesla app.
But wait, there’s more complication. Not all of these non-Tesla vehicles can use all Tesla chargers. Some older Tesla units use a different communications protocol, preventing any non-Tesla from using it. It’s only Tesla’s newer “V3” and up charging units that can be used by other EVs. Luckily, that’s the majority of them. Of Tesla’s over 17,000 plugs in North America, over 12,000 are V3 or up.
Now, let’s talk about the other 3 plugs that EVs currently exist with.
Almost every car that isn’t a Tesla currently uses CCS or J-1772. We mention these plugs together, because they work together; J-1772 is one half of the CCS plug connector. You see, J-1772 is for Level 2 charging only. CCS (short for “Combined Charging Standard”) takes the J-1772 connector and combines it with an extra connection that allows DC Fast charging. That means cars with the CCS port can natively use the slower J-1772 without an adapter.
Some EVs, usually plug-in hybrids, will only come with the J-1772 port because they are not capable of DC Fast charging.
CHAdeMO is an old standard that is being phased out. It was a standard that was championed by Japanese automakers, and popularized in North America by the Nissan Leaf. There are a few other older models of EV that may have the CHAdeMO port, including models from Mitsubishi and Honda. This phasing-out may accelerate soon, as many charging units that currently offer a choice of CCS or CHAdeMO connector will likely swap their CHAdeMO plugs for NACS plugs instead. Be cautious buying an older EV with a CHAdeMO port, as these charging stations will only get harder to find from here.