Who needs faster EV charging at home? Drivers share their experiences

Emily Chung · CBC News

· Posted: May 08, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Many EV owners could person entree to inexpensive and casual charging astatine location with an mean powerfulness outlet, we reported past week. 

That's called Level 1 charging. It adds astir six kilometres of scope per hour, and is typically cheaper and easier than installing a faster charger.

But immoderate radical accidental they bash request Level 2 charging, which uses a peculiar charger and higher voltage to adhd 30 to 50 kilometres of scope per hour. We heard from EV drivers crossed the state who shared their experiences. 

Here are things they suggest considering.

How overmuch you thrust — and availability of nationalist chargers

Julia McNally, manager of clime enactment astatine Toronto Hydro, had suggested Level 1 volition astir apt enactment for idiosyncratic who drives little than 60 kilometres per day.

We heard from immoderate readers who whitethorn commute little than that, but request Level 2 charging astatine location due to the fact that they instrumentality agelong trips without EV infrastructure nearby.

Marlon Hagerty, who lives extracurricular Thunder Bay, Ont., commutes 22 kilometres to enactment each way. But he said his household often takes 400-kilometre circular trips to the cottage. There's nary nationalist Level 2 oregon 3 charging connected en route, truthful they request to afloat complaint their car earlier leaving. Waiting for his car to complaint to afloat astatine Level 1 isn't practical, helium wrote, but helium added, "I deliberation if determination is large Level 3 [public fast-charging] infrastructure successful the future, past yes, Level 1 astatine location should beryllium little of an issue."

WATCH | Electric conveyance owners conflict to find charging stations:

The size of your EV oregon battery

Just arsenic larger gas-powered vehicles devour much state per kilometre, larger EVs devour much energy per kilometre. 

Louis-Guillaume Rigaud of Ottawa owns a Kia EV9, a larger SUV with 3 rows of seats, which he drives 50 kilometres per day. Even successful perfect temperatures, helium says, it took nine or 10 hours to apical it up each nighttime with a Level 1 charger — and acold longer erstwhile the temperatures were precise acold oregon precise hot. 

"My ain acquisition successful the archetypal 3 months of ownership earlier I installed the Level 2 charger was that this wasn't sustainable and forced maine to sojourn further charging stations astatine overmuch greater cost," helium wrote.

Your parking concern and the section climate

Level 1 charging tin get dilatory successful debased temperatures — something to see if you unrecorded determination with acold winters and person outdoor parking.

Jim Holtom lives successful Kanata, Ont., successful a 10-unit condo gathering with Level 1 charging. "It works good [even successful winter] due to the fact that the indoor parking is heated," helium said. 

But his cottage adjacent Lindsay, Ont., besides lone has Level 1 charging, and he parks outdoors. That's OK for 10 months of the year, helium said. "But successful January to February, Level 1 charging tin struggle.…The artillery indispensable beryllium sufficiently lukewarm to beryllium charged. Most of the Level 1 complaint existent goes to heating the battery."

He estimates acold temperatures tin chopped Level 1 charging velocity down to 1.5 to 3 kilometres of added scope per hr of charging oregon adjacent adjacent to nothing, if it's acold enough.

"I tin corroborate that erstwhile evening temperatures dip to -20C, you tin beauteous overmuch springiness up connected charging utilizing L1.... Level 2 chargers supply much powerfulness truthful that much powerfulness is disposable to vigor the battery," helium said. "A Level 2 charger tin support a car parked extracurricular afloat charged each twelvemonth long."

WATCH | Do EVs suffer much scope successful the wintertime than state vehicles?:

Time-of-use energy rates

Some regions person cheaper energy rates astatine definite times — usually precocious astatine night. For example, Ontario residents connected the "ultra-low overnight" complaint are charged 2.8 cents/kWh of powerfulness betwixt 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., compared to 28.4 cents/kWh betwixt 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Some readers who thrust longer distances said this helps a Level 2 charger wage off, since they can't afloat complaint wrong the low-rate model with a Level 1.

Brandon Pinkney of Gads Hill, Ont., wrote that helium drives astir 60 to 100 kilometres per day, and thinks helium could get by with Level 1 charging if helium started utilizing it earlier astatine a higher energy rate. But a Level 2 charger lets him commencement astatine 11 p.m. and inactive beryllium afloat charged successful the morning.

"This astir results successful 1/3 the vigor outgo vs Level 1, and volition afloat wage for my Level 2 charger and instal wrong a twelvemonth oregon 2 of ownership," helium wrote.

What to instrumentality from this? Consider however overmuch you drive, whether you person indoor oregon outdoor parking, the size of your conveyance and section energy rates erstwhile deciding if you request a Level 2 charger.