Compared to filling up your tank at familiar gasoline or diesel pumps, charging  an EV is vastly different, and may even seem complex and daunting. 

So to help you navigate, we answered the 7 most asked questions about electric car charging:

1. How does electric charging work?
2. What powers electric car charging stations?
3. How long does it take to charge a car battery?
4. What does it cost to charge an electric car?
5. How often do you have to charge an electric car?
6. Where can I charge my electric car?
7. How much maintenance does an EV charger need?

1. How does electric car charging work?

Charging an electric car is a pretty simple process that can differ depending on the type of charger. Generally, every EV comes with a charging cable and plug suitable for the specific car and country you live in. Most of  the time, you will be able to plug the cable directly into a 3-pin home outlet and charge your EV straight off your home’s electrical network.

How do EV charging stations work?

Charging via a home EV charging station (or charging on the go) works differently. While it depends on the charging station, generally, the process is as follows:

1. Identify yourself to the charging station – this may be through a mobile app, an RFID tag or card, or even using a contactless credit or debit card.
2.  Plug the charging cable into the vehicle and the station. Some stations come with built-in cables, in which case you can plug that directly into your car.
3. Charge. You should see confirmation through your vehicle’s display as well as the charger’s indicator lights.
4. Once charged, you can end the charging session via the station or mobile app, depending on how you started it. 

However, that could be changing in the near future with Plug & Charge (ISO 15118). This new international standard provides a direct communication interface between chargers and EVs, payments are arranged automatically, allowing a charger to immediately recognize, identify, and connect to your car and start charging.