The future is right around the corner! Learn all about EVs, EV chargers, and everything else surrounding this new wave of technology!
The future is here.
The long-awaited time of electric vehicles being both a cost effective and affordable solution is at hand. Continue reading to learn about a few of the major attractions of fully electric cars and their charging technologies.
What Are Evs?
Put simply; EVs are the next big thing. Electric Vehicles (or, EVs for short), have become a more commonly used solution in recent years due to the rising need of a more energy conservative transportation method. The quickly improving battery cell technology has also contributed to the rising attraction of EVs.
Think about it this way; Once upon a time, you had a cell phone with only T9 text, a two-tone screen and Snake, (look it up, kids.) At the time, we had no idea of the possibilities available just down the road, and how much further that industry would evolve. The same will be said of electric cars; with traditional vehicles, it’s hard to comprehend what we’re missing out on.
Why is it a more environmentally conscious option?
The current combustion engine relies on the rapid consumption of fossil fuels, which we have a limited amount of and contributes substantially to air pollution.
Contrary to the use of fossil fuels, electric vehicles operate on a rechargeable basis due to their reliance on a battery as their source of power. They also don’t emit anything toxic into the air whatsoever. Chargers for EVs are generally being funded by utilities and being installed everywhere throughout the world. Additionally, you can even buy chargers for your home.
If these environmentally conscious reasons haven’t convinced you of EVs being a superior vehicular method… Well, let me put it this way; how does 0-60mph in 2.3 seconds sound? Oh, and you know those time annoying oil changes? Gone. Worrying about your transmission? Not a thing anymore. EVs can be a fun drive as well as lack the same maintenance needs as a combustion engine.
What Are EV Chargers?
EV Chargers are a piece of infrastructure that conduit energy for the sake of recharging Electric Vehicles. It eliminates the need for gasoline entirely, providing both a less expensive and more environmentally-conscious alternative.
The few main types of charging stations are:
- Charging stations at residential locations. This method is the simplest, the vehicle would be plugged in anytime it was not in use (most often and effectively, overnight.).
- Charging stations in public areas, businesses, or apartment buildings. These may require a fee or subscription for access. Specifically, these would come in handy when out on the town for an afternoon.
- Battery swapping. Though still in its infancy stage, this concept projects the idea that some businesses will offer a quick battery swap anytime you need to charge.
Charging time
The duration of charging depends on both the battery's capacity and the power of the charging port. It can usually take anywhere from 10 minutes to 6 hours to fully charge an EV battery, (most department stores will have a level 2 charger, which will, on a nearly dead battery, take anywhere from 1-6 hours to charge). Otherwise, level 3 chargers are typically three times faster but are less common due to the high upfront cost of the charging unit and its electrical infrastructure.
Unfortunately, you cannot simply plug your car into your garage outlet. The recommended charging method for all EVs is an official EV charger from ChargePoint or EVBox. This is the safest, fastest, most efficient way to charge your EVs.
ChargePoint and EVBox
The two suppliers we offer EV chargers from are ChargePoint and EVBox. Both have been around for at least a decade and offer exceptional products and support.
ChargePoint is an EV focused company based on the West Coast; they design and manufacture hardware for electric vehicles universally. Founded in 2007, they were the first EV charging provider to wear the Energy Star badge - a partner of Lightbulbs.com. ChargePoint provides an amazing experience while offering 24/7 support, as well as UL and CE certifications for all of their hardware.
Founded in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 2010, EVBox provides EV charging services such as distribution and manufacturing. They offer charging exceptional services for any and all locations; the big ones, like hotels, malls and grocery stores - and the small ones, like homes and apartments.
What Does the Future Look Like?
- As of mid-2020, there are over 75,000 charging outlets and almost 25,000 charging stations for EVs in the US alone, with the majority of these found in California. Globally, there are over 110,000 places to charge. Utilities and municipalities are chipping in to cover large amounts of the install cost.*
- At the end of 2020, it is projected that there will be over 10,000,000 EVs on the road, with over 500 different options as far as makes and models, with 100 arriving in 2020 alone.
- By December of 2021, there could be up to 260,000 charging stations available for use and owned by ChargePoint alone.
- By 2025, there are predicted to be over 2,500,000 places to charge an EV.
- By 2030, electric vehicles are projected to outsell traditional vehicles entirely.
Major corporations and the Federal Government have already ordered and enacted plans to switch to EVs for services such as Amazon, the United States Post Office and many more.
*If you’d like to know if your business is eligible for rebate funds, contact us through our Business Services page.
