By EV Charge Cost Editorial Team. Published September 28, 2026, updated October 26, 2026.
Where the numbers come from
Charging power is volts × amps. Chargers that run for hours are continuous loads, so they draw at most 80% of the circuit rating: 12 A on a 15 A household circuit, 32 A on a 40 A circuit, 48 A on a 60 A circuit.
| Charger | Power | Miles of range per hour | Time to add 100 miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 — 120 V, 12 A | 1.44 kW | 4.3 | 23 h 16 min |
| Level 2 — 240 V, 16 A | 3.84 kW | 11.5 | 8 h 43 min |
| Level 2 — 240 V, 32 A | 7.68 kW | 22.9 | 4 h 22 min |
| Level 2 — 240 V, 40 A | 9.60 kW | 28.7 | 3 h 29 min |
| Level 2 — 240 V, 48 A | 11.52 kW | 34.4 | 2 h 55 min |
Does Level 2 cost more to run?
No. You pay for the kWh you use, and the EPA efficiency rating already includes charging losses. The main extra cost of Level 2 is the charger and the installation of a 240 V circuit.
Which one do you need?
- Level 1 is often enough if you drive under about 40 miles a day and the car sits plugged in overnight for 10+ hours.
- Level 2 makes sense for longer commutes, two EVs in one home, or cheap overnight time-of-use windows that are only a few hours long.
- Your car's onboard charger caps AC charging speed. A car with a 7.2 kW onboard charger will not charge faster on an 11.5 kW unit.
Try your own numbers in the charging time calculator.
How many miles you can add overnight
What matters day to day is not the peak speed but how much range fits into the hours your car is parked. The table shows range added in a 10-hour night for popular models, using each model's EPA efficiency.
| Model | kWh/100 mi | Level 1 (1.44 kW) | Level 2 (7.68 kW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model Y | 26.9 | 54 mi | 286 mi |
| Tesla Model 3 | 26.4 | 55 mi | 291 mi |
| Tesla Model S | 32.5 | 44 mi | 236 mi |
| Tesla Model X | 34.2 | 42 mi | 224 mi |
| Tesla Cybertruck | 42.9 | 34 mi | 179 mi |
| Chevrolet Equinox EV | 32.6 | 44 mi | 235 mi |
| Chevrolet Blazer EV | 35.6 | 40 mi | 215 mi |
| Chevrolet Silverado EV | 49.6 | 29 mi | 155 mi |
When Level 1 stops being enough
- Your daily driving is more than what the table shows for your car in the hours it is parked.
- You come home with a low battery several days in a row and cannot catch up at the weekend.
- Your utility's cheapest hours are short, so the car must charge quickly inside that window.
- Cold weather: batteries accept charge more slowly when cold and cabin preconditioning uses energy, which eats into slow overnight charging.
What a Level 2 installation involves
Level 2 needs a dedicated 240 V circuit, either to a receptacle such as a NEMA 14-50 or hardwired to the charger. Because EV charging is a continuous load, the charger may draw at most 80% of the breaker rating. A licensed electrician should check your panel capacity, pull any local permits and install the circuit. See how many amps you need and whether your panel can handle a charger.