Chargers are categorized into three levels according to their charging capacity.
Level 1 and Level 2 use 120 and 240 volts AC respectively.
Level 1 uses 120 volts and can be plugged into a regular outlet in your home, with a typical charge rate of 1.4 kilowatts. Level 1 charging is very slow and can take several days to fully charge. If you only run 20-30 miles a day and come home and charge for 8-12 hours, that's still plenty.
These "chargers" are just a cable with a plug that plugs directly into a regular outlet without the need for a wall unit. It comes with the car when you buy it, or you can buy one at the dealership.
Level 2 is 240 volts and can also be plugged into an outlet in your home, but it must be 240 volts, such as an outlet dedicated to a dryer or stove.
For new installations, you will need to have an electrician install a 240-volt outlet in your garage or pull a 240-volt cord from the meter box and connect it directly to the charging post power supply. Depending on the amperage of the circuit, the output can be between 5.8 and 19.2 kilowatts. Level 2 is sufficient for home use and can be fully charged overnight.
Level 3, also known as DC fast charging, is high-voltage (400 to 800 volts) DC charging that takes place on specialized public EV chargers and is much faster, with rates of up to 350 kilowatts, and can be charged to about 80% capacity in half an hour. DC fast chargers can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to install and are generally not available at home (not for the rich and famous).
