It’s time to hit the road in your EV, but you’re wondering: “How do I charge?” Petro-Canada has you covered with a breakdown of each option available

With the federal government pledging to phase out sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035, EV numbers are rising in Canada.

Most Canadians are facing a learning curve — not only with understanding what kind of car meets their needs. Many also have questions about how to power the electric vehicles they may own one day, both at home and on the road.

A large percentage of drivers charge their EVs at home. However, public EV charging stations are increasingly frequent fixtures along major transportation corridors and in urban centres.

Drivers looking to charge currently have three options —  Level 1, Level 2, or DC fast charging — but there are cost considerations for all, and the ultimate decision depends on the driving needs.

If you’re among those EV drivers with questions, our quick guide to EV charging will help get things rolling.

Level 1 charging

This is the least expensive and most readily available option for home charging. Level 1 charging is a fancy way of saying you plug your vehicle into a standard 120-volt wall socket (the same socket you’d use to plug in a lamp or a hair dryer). Most EVs are sold with “nozzle” cables that allow drivers to connect their vehicles to home sockets.

However, for the large battery size in an EV, Level 1 charging is slow. An hour of charging time adds three to eight kilometres of driving range to a car’s battery. So, an eight-hour overnight charge gives a driver up to 60 kilometres of range the following day and probably less during colder times of the year.

The bottom line? Level 1 charging is suitable for occasional, short-distance drivers or those with access to (faster) public charging. Those who drive plug-in hybrid EVs — known as PHEVs — may also consider Level 1 charging, as these vehicles have smaller batteries and don’t require as much time to load up.

Level 2 charging

Those needing more charging capacity at home would want to invest in Level 2 charging. Depending on the vehicle, these devices deliver anywhere from 16 to almost 100 kilometres of driving range per hour of charging, making them a viable option for daily charging needs.

The primary consideration is that Level 2 charging stations can’t be powered by standard wall sockets and “nozzle” cables. EV makers sell Level 2 chargers at an additional cost, and they require a 240-volt power supply (similar to a clothes dryer or an oven). A certified electrician should install the power supply; in some cases, the installation may also require upgrades to a home’s electrical system.

All of that means there’s a cost to Level 2 charging above and beyond purchasing a vehicle. Today, that cost is estimated at between $600 and $1,200, although government rebates may be available to offset the expense. Be sure to check.

DC fast charging

If you take longer trips, you’ll be relying on Canada’s network of charging stations to keep moving. Here’s some good news: The network — so-called DC fast chargers (DCFC) — is growing.

DC fast chargers can deliver an 80  percent charge to a battery in 15-to-45 minutes. There are now about 5,000 DCFCs across Canada’s charging networks, with the largest concentrations in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. Since DCFCs are not equally distributed across the country, it’s a good idea to map out your optimal charging route ahead of a long trip.

It’s also important to remember that not all EVs are equipped to accept the full power some DCFCs can offer. Be sure to check what speed of charging your vehicle can accept.

Lastly, if you’re wondering if DCFC is an option for home use, it’s likely not. The stations are expensive, and you’d need to bring DC service to your home. Given the costs, DCFCs only make sense in places where they can serve many drivers, such as businesses and public charging stations.