Wall Mounted vs. Portable Electric Vehicle Chargers
The differences between portable and wall mounted chargers and what best fits your lifestyle.
Wall Mounted Chargers
Wall Mounted chargers are far more practical. These chargers require the installation of a 240-volt outlet in your home, the same type of outlet that washers and dryers use. While wall-mounted chargers have an upfront cost, they’ll save you time and money in the future. Instead of taking a few days to fully charge your car with a portable 110 charger, you can charge it overnight and wake up confident that you’ll have a fully charged vehicle. This type of charger is ideal for home and business owners, or for EV owners who have access to a garage. 240-volt outlets can be installed practically anywhere in your home or business, so as long as you can install this outlet in a space that is easily accessible to your car, then you’re ready for installation.
Portable Chargers
Portable chargers typically come standard with any EV that you buy. These are charging cables that plug directly from your car into a 110-to-120-volt AC household outlet. You don’t need to make any modifications to your home’s energy system in order to utilize one of these chargers and using them is as simple as plugging your car straight into your home. That’s the biggest benefit of using a portable charger, apart from you likely not having to spend money on one. The drawback to using these is the time it takes to fully charge your car.
Which is best for you?
Both chargers come with their benefits. Portable chargers are, for one, portable, and can be plugged into any outlet that you come across. The versatility of these chargers make charging a little more convenient for EV owners who don’t have the space to install a wall mounted charger. Most EV’s come standard with a portable charger so you likely won’t have to buy one for your EV, which could save you money in the overall charging process. Unfortunately, where the portable chargers fall short is charge times. Charging your EV with a portable charger can take days to achieve a full charge when plugged into your standard 110-to-120-volt AC outlet.
Wall Mounted Chargers on the other hand excel in their charge times and blow the speed of portable chargers out of the water. The greatest benefit to wall mounted chargers are indeed their charge times. Instead of taking days to fully charge your EV, you can expect to spend a couple of hours charging your vehicle to full. While wall mounted chargers do come with a higher initial cost, in that your home will require a 240-volt outlet install as well an actual wall mounted charger, the expedited charges far outweigh the initial cost. With a wall mounted charger you’ll be able to drive more and charge faster. The same cannot be said about portable chargers.