EV charging

Level 1 or Level 2

• Level 1 uses a standard 120 V outlet and the cord that came with the car. It adds roughly 3 to 5 miles of range per hour, or about 40 miles overnight. Enough for many commuters.
• Level 2 runs on 240 V, like a dryer outlet, and adds roughly 20 to 45 miles per hour depending on the charger and car. It refills most EVs overnight from nearly empty.

Work out which one you need and what charging costs in your state.

Which plug?

Most automakers are moving from the J1772 plug to Tesla’s NACS plug (standardized as SAE J3400), and many 2025 and newer models have a NACS port. Buy a charger with the plug your car has now, and use an approved adapter for the other kind. If you have one of each, the Tesla Universal Wall Connector handles both.

Circuit sizing

An EV charger counts as a continuous load, so the circuit has to be rated 125% of the charger’s current: a 48 A charger needs a 60 A circuit, a 40 A charger a 50 A circuit. That’s also why a charger that plugs into a NEMA 14-50 outlet is limited to 40 A.

Adding a 240 V circuit is a job for a licensed electrician, usually with a permit. If your panel is already near its limit, a charger with load management can slow down when the house is busy instead of forcing a panel upgrade. Your electrician decides whether that works for your panel.

Incentives now

The federal charger credit (30C) ended for chargers placed in service after June 30, 2026. Many utilities still give rebates on chargers or cheaper overnight rates for EV owners. Check your utility, and the Alternative Fuels Data Center for state programs.

Picks