If you’re in the market for an electrical vehicle, then you’re likely thinking about how much electricity you’ll need to use to charge it. You may wonder if it will take up more energy than leaving all the lights on in your house for days on end. It’s a valid concern for many people. However, to find out the truth behind this matter, it’s essential to really dig deep and break down consumption, analyze real-world charging habits, and compare EV charging to household appliances.
Breaking Down Consumption
To understand the amount of energy EV charging consumes, we first need to consider a typical car battery. These come in different sizes. Batteries on the smaller side might be around 40 kilowatt-hours (kWh), while larger ones are approximately 100 kWh or even more. Now, think of what would happen if you drove until these batteries were completely empty. A 40-kWh battery will require roughly 40 kWh of electricity from your home or a charging station to reach a full charge. To help this make more sense, consider that a typical American household consumes approximately 30 kWh of electricity each day. So, a complete charge from empty may use more than a day’s worth of electricity for some households.
Real-World Charging Habits
The average electrical vehicle owner doesn’t allow the battery to run out of juice completely. Most will top off their batteries in the same way that someone will put $20 worth of gas in their tank. For example, many people will drive around for 50 miles and use roughly 15 kWh of energy, and then they’ll charge the vehicle to put that much energy back. Not to mention, many will charge their vehicles overnight, as these are off-peak hours and electricity rates are lower.
Comparing EV Chargers to Household Appliances
Think about the appliances that you use daily without giving them much thought. Your oven, especially if it’s electric, consumes a significant amount of energy when you’re baking. And when you’re running your AC unit on a sweltering summer day, you can best believe that it’s using several kilowatts of electricity. Compared to these high-demand appliances that run for extended periods of time, your EV charger isn’t running at full blast all day. Sure, it will consume electricity, but how much it uses will depend on how often you drive and charge your vehicle. When you manage your charger usage, it will be less of a drain on energy costs than other appliances in your home.
Something else to mention is that your charger will be less of a drain on energy costs if you maintain it well. This is because it will function at its best and run at maximum efficiency. Make sure to keep the area around your charger clean and schedule professional maintenance annually so that you can find and fix small issues that are lurking beneath the surface before they get out of control. To learn more about EV chargers in Tucson, AZ, reach out to the team at Pride Mechanical today.
