Advice we give all the time! Here’s a few things that you can do to make your life easier as a new EV driver.

Learn the levels of charging

1. Level 3 – (aka DC Fast Charger and Superchargers) Very useful for long drives. Charge times: around 30 mins for full charge
2. Level 2 – Dryer outlet, 220V. Charge times: around 4 hours for full charge
3. Level 1 – Normal wall outlet, 110V. Charge times: around 12+ hours for full charge

Learn the common Plugs Types

Ranked by most important for you to know in Canada:

1. NACS – (aka Tesla Charger) Has been accepted as the ‘North America Charging Standard’. All vehicles in North America will use this in future for both Level 2 and 3.
2. J1772 – The standard for AC Level 2 charging. It’s NOT fast, as this standard doesn’t work for Level 3 fast charging. All vehicles will accept this plug and Teslas have an adaptor to accept this.
3. CCS – (aka non-Tesla Fast Charger) Used by non-Teslas for Level 3 fast charging. Most manufactures have agreed to switch to NACS.
4. Chademo – Was used by some manufactures for Level 3 fast charging, being phased out.

(Tesla’s supercharger is now called NACS)

Download the Apps

1. Plugshare – download the app, or look at online.
   This shows nearby chargers in your city and allows you to filter by plug type.
2. Manufacture’s App – download the app for your car.
   Allows you to know your vehicle battery status, pre-warm your car and usual has other useful features. (Note: Some manufactures apps are better than others!)
3. Charging Company App – check chargers near your home or frequent destinations
   Set up the accounts in advance for those companies. They usually require you to enter your credit card to pay for charging so it’s useful to have these set up. (eg: Flo, Chargepoint, SWTCH)