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Electric vehicle sales have been rising quickly over the last few years, and as prices for EVs continue to decline, sales volumes will likely increase more. Electric vehicles offer a lot of convenience, great performance, and many other benefits, like an improved environmental footprint. While some scenarios may still call for traditional combustion vehicles, the fact is, that many drivers could benefit by switching to an EV.
One of the best aspects of owning an electric vehicle is that you can skip the gas station. Not only could doing so potentially benefit the environment, but the convenience of an electric vehicle home charging station can add to your quality of life and free up time. Who wants to spend time running to the gas station, dealing with pumps and fumes, when you could simply plug your vehicle in at home?
As businesses and commercial settings have begun to understand the value of having on-site chargers, it’s not hard to find another one nearby. You can easily find chargers like ACP’s car chargers for commercial properties, which ensure that more drivers have access to convenient charging options. This trend is making it easier for EV owners to keep their vehicles charged, whether they’re at work or visiting a commercial center. As businesses continue to adopt these solutions, the overall accessibility of charging stations is steadily improving, easing concerns about finding an available spot when you need it most.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the many benefits of at-home charging stations.
Make Sure You Get to Work on Time
We’ve all had those mornings when seemingly nothing is going right. You can’t find your keys, or maybe the alarm didn’t go off. Perhaps an unexpected storm is threatening to bog down your commute, or you spilled coffee on your outfit, necessitating a change. Then you hop in your car only to see that the low fuel icon is on. You’re already running late, and now you have to stop and get gas.
With an electric vehicle and the right at-home charging station, you don’t have to worry about that. You can likely rest assured that your EV will be charged and ready when you wake up in the morning. This can help reduce the risk of showing up late to school, work, meetings, and everything else.
Skip the Fumes and Spills
Gasoline is smelly. There’s a fair chance you’ve spilled gasoline on your hands or clothing if you’re regularly filling up a conventional vehicle. We’d all rather avoid the messes and the fumes aren’t good for your health. With an EV charging station, you don’t have to worry about fumes and spills.
Avoid Gas Pump Skimmers
Sadly, gas states have become a favorite target for scammers. Some scammers will place skimmers on gas station pumps that will then steal your credit card number and other pieces of information. Unfortunately, this can result in your credit and debit cards being misused. If you can skip the gas station altogether, you can reduce the risk of running into skimmers.
Thankfully, the use of EMV chips and other security technologies and protocols has made it harder for scammers to carry out their crimes. That said, gas station pumps remain at higher risk. So why not skip the pump and simply charge at home, no credit card needed.
Ensure You Can Pretty Much Always Charge Your Car
It’s easier now than ever before to find electrical charging stations. They are relatively common in parking lots and quick charging stations that function like traditional gas stations are also becoming more widespread. That said, you may pull into the parking lot at work to find that all the electrical charging stations are already occupied. Meanwhile, charging up at roadside fast charging stations still takes a considerable bit of time.
If you have a charging station at home, you’ll be able to charge your vehicle when needed. This can save time and also provide for peace of mind. You won’t have to sweat a low charge and whether you’ll make it home because you couldn’t charge your vehicle at work as expected.
Selecting the Right At-Home Charging Station
Right now, you can select from one of two types of at-home charging stations: level 1 and level 2. With a level 1 charger, you’ll simply plug your car into a 120V outlet, which are common in garages. Unfortunately, level 1 charging is rather slow, so if you are putting a lot of miles on your EV, you may struggle to get a full charge, even if you leave it plugged in overnight.
Level 2 chargers offer much faster charging. In fact, some level 2 charges can charge a vehicle up to seven times more quickly! Level 2 chargers are a great option for folks who use their electric vehicles extensively. You will have to pay to have one installed, but the price is often well worth it.
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