You've probably heard of the term "range anxiety." Lots of people are worried about getting stranded on the road with no way to charge their EV. The good news is that both home and public charging is easy and accessible, and becoming even better over time.

Charging at home

EVs can plug into a normal wall outlet and charge at “Level 1,” which is usually around 4-5 miles per hour. This may be sufficient for drivers who mainly take local trips and drive less than ~40 miles/week. You can always start with a Level 1 and then upgrade your charger later.

If you need a faster charge, you can get a “Level 2” charger installed. These will charge 15-30 miles an hour, depending on your vehicle. We recommend purchasing the Emporia EV charger, but your car manufacturer may have a recommended charger.

Charging for renters or multi-unit buildings

If you rent or live in a multi-unit building, talk to your building owner about using available outlets in the building or garage to charge. Many landlords allow you to pay a flat fee (like $5/mo) to charge your EV from existing infrastructure.

You can also talk to them about installing dedicated EV chargers. This may be a larger project, depending on the electrical capacity of the building.

Public charging infrastructure

Public charging is well established along main highway routes, and is developing rapidly in areas away from high ways.

‍PlugShare has a map of public charging stations and EV Match is an Airbnb-style service where you rent time on someone else's charger. Consider what routes you regularly take and see if there are charging stations available.

If you commute to work, check if your employer has charging stations available for employees. If they don't, ask them about installing dedicated EV chargers.

Remember that you'll likely be doing the majority of your charging at home, so you'll mostly need public charging stations for long-distance trips or if you live in a building where you cannot charge.

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