The adoption of electric vehicles is growing rapidly, and the need for charging stations has never been more critical. EVs offer several advantages over traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) cars such as instant torque, lower maintenance costs and no emissions. However, with so many new opportunities to charge your EV comes the need to understand how different types of charging work and how long it takes for an EV to fully recharge.
Luckily, the international standard ‘IEC 61851-1’ (Electric vehicle conductive charging system) helps to set guidelines for the development of EV charging infrastructure by defining four different charging modes. This article will take a deeper look at these charging modes and how they can benefit you as an EV driver.
Mode 1
The most basic EV charger uses an alternating current (AC) power source and charges your vehicle via its own onboard DC charger. It is typically the slowest charging option and can take up to 40-60 hours to completely charge your battery. This type of charger can be found at home, work and public locations equipped with a standard household outlet – usually 240V at 10 amps.
Mode 2
The second most common charging method is done with a portable EVSE that can be connected to a normal house outlet. These EVSEs are often supplied by the car manufacturer and can be used at home, at the office or on long trips. They have a more powerful output than mode 1 EV chargers and can be used at a variety of public charging stations across the globe. EV Charging Modes