3 EV charging levels and where to find them
One question that comes up more than “What can I charge my EV with?” is “Where can I charge my EV?” Here’s a quick rundown of the 3 levels of EV charging and where to find them, be it downtown, in the suburbs, or somewhere in between.
Level 1: Home outlet charging
Up to 5km charge an hour
It’s nice to recharge at home after a long day. Same goes for your EV. Just plug in the 120v charging cable into any home outlet and let it do its thing.
Too slow? No problem because that takes us to…
Level 2: Home charging and public charging
Up to 50km charge an hour*
People say they need 8 hours of sleep to feel fully charged. EVs feel the same. That’s probably why so many Canadians install a Level 2 240v home charging station in their garages. With a full EV charge in about 8 hours, it’s just plug, sleep, then get up and go. A lot of condo and office buildings have Level 2 chargers, too.
Must go faster? Drum roll, please.
* Estimated charging times are provided as a reference only. Actual charging times will vary based on battery state of charge, driving behaviour, battery condition, current, resistance, and ambient temperature, available voltage and charging frequency.
Level 3: Public charging
100km of charge in about 10 minutes
With 350kW of power, a Level 3 charger can give your EV more range faster than it might take to run a quick errand or wait for your food to arrive. As of right now, Level 3 chargers are mostly found in public, and our EVs are compatible with all of them.
As a Volkswagen EV Owner, you get up to 4 years of fast charging with Electrify Canada, the largest growing network of public Level 3 chargers in the country.**
**Offer is not available for commercial use vehicles (such as ride shares) and is not transferable. Available with purchase or lease of new 2023 ID.4 vehicles. Requires Electrify Canada account, app, enrollment in ID.4 Charging Plan, and acceptance of Terms of Use. After vehicle reaches full charge, and 10-min grace period, idle fees will apply. In the event of suspected fraud or abuse or other unforeseen events, Volkswagen Canada may discontinue or modify the offer in its sole discretion.
