In this modern day and age of reducing ozone emissions, recycling, and utilizing solar, wind, and geothermal power there exists one very viable way for one to do his or her part to be “green” and that is by purchasing and using an electric vehicle.

Even hybrid electric vehicles will burn considerably less gasoline than their conventional counterparts. Now while owning an electric vehicle is certainly more friendly to our environment than owning a typical gasoline-only fueled vehicle it is also worthwhile to mention that the electricity that is one of the primary, if not only, means to fuel your new electric vehicle can also prove much more economical over the long haul than constantly refilling with gasoline or diesel, as well.

Considering when owning an electric drive vehicle that electricity is now your main means of fuel for your vehicle it is important to understand the different dynamics involved with how much and how often to charge your vehicle as well as the different options available in which to do so.

No matter the type of electric vehicle you own or plan to own it is important to note that there is an on-board electric car charger on the vehicle already. This equipment is inside of your car and it will convert the alternating current flowing out of your AC wall charger to the direct current or DC, for short, that your vehicle needs to charge its battery.

According to SAE terminology, this type of charging performed by plugging an extension cord from a standard AC wall socket of your house or garage to your electric car is considered a type of level 1 charging. This will work to charge your vehicle but there are both faster and safer methods available.

Recharging your electric car’s battery utilizing level 1 charging in this method will add roughly 4 miles of drive time per each hour of charge. An electric car home charging station which uses a 240-volt AC wall socket, much like a clothes dryer inside a home uses, increases the charge time of an electric vehicle significantly.

It is possible, in practice, to achieve up to 26 hours of drive range per hour of charging utilizing a level-2 electric car charger, or EV charger, for short. Theoretically, the vehicle could technically charge even faster than this but the products available today on the market simply aren’t built to achieve this. Some electric vehicle charger setups don’t achieve the 26 hours of drive range per hour of charge mentioned but all will charge much faster than the roughly 4 miles of drive range per hour charged when utilizing a standard 120-volt AC wall socket wired straight to the car.

There exist two main types of electric car home charging stations on the market today. One is considered a portable electric vehicle charger. A portable EV charger installation will prove to be a very straight-forward and easy process. In fact, they are so easy to install, literally, anyone can do it as they simply plug-in to an existing AC wall socket.

Level 1 electric vehicle chargers are also available that plug into existing 120-volt AC wall sockets. In these applications, you won’t receive the faster charging times that you would get utilizing a level 2 EV charger that utilizes a 240-volt AC outlet but you will benefit at least from some of the protections that are offered with these products. The protection that comes with these products typically includes: overcurrent, overheat, and overvoltage protection. These protections are completely lacking when opting to simply plug your electric vehicle’s charger directly into a 120-volt AC wall outlet.

The second type of electric vehicle home charging station available for purchase is the hard-wired type. Electric vehicle charger installation with regards to this type will prove slightly more difficult. These types of electric car chargers typically cost less than their portable counterparts but are actually hard-wired into your home’s existing electrical wiring and require hiring a professional to perform the install for you.

This particular type of car charger installation is more permanent. Typically there are wires coming out of the top of the conduit that is installed into a junction box. They can be uninstalled and then reinstalled into a new location if you were to ever need to move but would again likely require procuring a service professional.

It’s important when considering an electric vehicle charger that you procure one with the correct connector type. For example, you wouldn’t want to have one that would connect to a Ford Vehicle when you own a Tesla. If this is the case, you would want to procure a Tesla wall charger for Tesla charging at home. The Tesla home charger cost will vary depending on features but is certainly a worthwhile expense if you do any amount of typical every day driving. Even allowing your car to charge for ten hours at a time will only yield you about forty miles of travel time with your car when using a 120-volt AC outlet and no electric car charging home station. However, it’s fairly common to expect at least triple that, if not more, when using an electric vehicle charging station that uses a 240-volt AC source.

Purchasing and owning an electric vehicle isn’t the only way to both be “green” and save money. Solar panels convert the sun’s rays into electricity for your home. This is a clean method in which to power your home and the costs associated with the panels and professional installation will likely pay for itself and then some in just a few years time.

Unfortunately, during the nighttime hours, the sun’s rays simply aren’t available to add power to your home. Luckily there is a product available today which aids in this scenario and has other benefits as well. The Tesla home battery is a standby battery unit which can be charged at any time and turn on automatically during an outage to power your home without interruption.

If an outage were to occur during the daytime hours, solar power will continue to recharge the battery. When there isn’t an outage and solar panels are producing more power than your home needs the Tesla battery is a perfect solution to store that extra energy for when it becomes necessary like during an outage, for example.

Consider an electric car charger installation and a home battery installation for your next home upgrades. Not only will you be helping out our planet but you’ll be taking steps that are quite practical and you’ll likely save some money too.