Electric vehicles have risen in popularity over the past decade quite a bit—more and more people are deciding to drive these kinds of vehicles not only for environmentally conscious purposes, but because during a time when gas is expensive that can save quite a bit of your monthly budget. If you've decided to start driving one of these vehicles, whether that's an all electric or a hybrid style model, you may want to consider installing a charging station on your home or business property.
There are two kinds of electric vehicles. There are all-electric vehicles, which do not use any form of gasoline or fuel other than the electric energy they expend to get from one location to another. The other kind are, as you probably know, hybrid models, which use both electricity as well as gasoline. There are pros and cons to both kinds of vehicles, but homeowners and business owners have found that the convenience and savings of a charging station can make owning one of these vehicles not only more convenient, but increase their savings over time.
Whether you're driving a Nissan Leaf or a Tesla Roadster, Lowes has the experience and qualifications necessary to help you get a charging system installed properly. These kinds of systems are relatively complex and should only be installed by professionals—DIY solutions are often fraught with problems that can lead to further expense or even present a safety issue. With this in mind, you'll definitely want to contact us for all of your electric vehicle charging station installation needs here in Petaluma.
The Different Kinds of Charging Systems
The biggest problem that most drivers of electric vehicles are still facing is the fact that it can sometimes be difficult to find charging stations for their cars. Unfortunately, this is still true in Petaluma, as electric vehicle charging stations are no where near as ubiquitous as traditional gas stations—driving an electric vehicle offers many conveniences, but unfortunately recharging the vehicle is usually not one of them. Unless, of course, you decide to install your own charging station at home, at work, or at both locations.
There are different kinds of charging stations. Level 1 charging stations are a bit easier to come by, since all they require are that you can plug your vehicle into a standard 110 outlet, common in most homes as they're generally used to provide power to your more resource intensive appliances. However, it's a very slow process that Level 1 charging stations provide, even if your home is already equipped with the necessary outlet. To give you an idea of just how slow it is, you'll usually only get roughly two to five miles of driving energy capacity per hour your vehicle spends hooked up to a Level 1 charging station.
The good news is that DC Level 2 charging stations, are far more efficient and can provide you with much more “bang for your buck.” To give you an idea of the substantial difference, you can generally expect anywhere from sixty to eighty miles of driving energy for only twenty minutes spent charging the vehicle. While these systems are excellent, they're typically far too expensive and complicated for most homeowners to want to install.
So what's the happy medium?
Charging Electric Car, Petaluma
At the current time, it's possible that best solution is with a Level 2 in-home charging station. Tesla and other popular manufacturers of electric vehicles have manufactured these kinds of charging stations and they're intended for use in the home. These Level 2 in-home charging stations require only 240 volts of power—it's possible that you already have these kinds of outlets in your home, as more modern buildings generally come equipped with them so that you can use energy-hungry appliances like electric dryers. They're even more common in commercial buildings. So how efficient are these Level 2 charging stations? They can provide you with ten to twenty miles of driving energy for one hour of charging. Generally speaking, most homeowners with these kinds of charging stations simply leave their electric vehicles plugged in overnight so that they're ready for use by the next day.
If you'd like to learn more about how Lowes can help you install a Level 2 in-home charging station for your electric vehicle—whether that's an all-electric or a hybrid type model vehicle—we welcome and encourage you to reach out to us today to schedule a consultation. We'll come out to your Petaluma location and provide you with a reasonable and accurate quote. Most homeowners find that after installing a home charging station for their electric vehicles, that the cost is recouped over the lifetime of the vehicle and then some—it's a great way to add convenience to your daily driving situation and to save a bit of money. Don't delay, call (707) 664-7075 today.
