Charging surprises

For those new to EVs perhaps the one most peculiar aspect of electric cars center on the notion of "charging" the high-voltage battery that drives the motor. (Here's a superb introduction to EVs.)

While you can certainly find plenty of material in your research before making a purchase, there were two surprises in store for us: the lack of a standardized charger nozzle and the length of time it takes to charge using just a simple household (110/120v) outlet.

The charging nozzle puzzle. Well, it's less of a puzzle than controlled chaos. There is no single standard of charging nozzle used by car manufacturers today. Look at it this way: suppose you are still driving a gas-powered vehicle and you pull into a service station but the pump nozzles don't fit your car. You have to go in search of those stations that have a nozzle compatible with your vehicle make and model. That's pretty much what we're faced with right now. 

Anyway, what you need to know is:

For Level 1 and Level 2 charging, the most common plug used in North America is the J1772 or "J-Plug," which is a standard connector that is compatible with all EVs except for Tesla. In Europe, the Type 2 plug is the most common connector for Level 1 and Level 2 charging.

For DC fast charging, Tesla uses its proprietary plug, while Nissan and Mitsubishi use CHAdeMO. All other EV manufacturers use the Combined Charging System (CCS) or "Combo" plug. In Europe, the CCS2 plug is the most common connector for DC charging. (From EV-Lectron.com)

Second, the time it takes to charge your car can also vary widely, especially at level 1. The first time I plugged in our ID.4 into our garage 110/120 outlet (level 1) the car was down to about 36%. The app (and car infotainment system) informed me it would take 50 hours to charge to a full 100%! While usually keeping it at 80% is recommended, we're going up north on our first long-distance trip next Wednesday so I want a full charge. 

Lesson learned: keep the car plugged in every night to keep it topped off at the appropriate level. . .

While I plan to review a number of the handy charging apps for your smartphone, here's a quick look at the home page of the myVW app: