AC charging

Everyday charging from alternating current at home wallboxes, workplaces and public posts. The car's onboard charger limits the speed, and sessions take hours rather than minutes.

Last reviewed

AC charging is the everyday, plugged-in-overnight kind. The grid supplies alternating current, and the car's onboard charger converts it to direct current for the battery. That conversion hardware limits the speed, so a wallbox rated higher than the car's onboard charger adds nothing.

Typical setups are a home wallbox, a workplace charger or a public AC post, and the power on offer depends on the market. In North America this is called Level 2: the US Department of Energy says units range from 2.9 to 19.2 kW, and most residential ones deliver up to 7.2 kW. In the EU, the European Alternative Fuels Observatory classes single-phase AC points as below 7.4 kW and three-phase points as 7.4 to 22 kW. The Australian Government describes Level 2 as typically 7 to 22 kW. A household socket (Level 1) also works, far more slowly.

The Department of Energy says most EV owners do the majority of their charging at home. Compare your own tariff with local fuel prices, since costs differ by home and by country. DC fast charging then covers trips.

Differs by market

North America calls AC charging Level 2 (240 V in homes). The EU classes AC points as single-phase or three-phase. Australia describes Level 2 as typically 7 to 22 kW.

  1. US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
    US Department of Energy Accessed
  2. US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, How Do All-Electric Cars Work?
    US Department of Energy Accessed
  3. US EPA, Plug-in Electric Vehicle Charging: The Details
    US Environmental Protection Agency Accessed
  4. European Alternative Fuels Observatory, Recharging systems
    European Commission Accessed
  5. Australian Government, Electric vehicle charging equipment
    Australian Government Accessed

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