What is Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE)

Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) controls the transfer of electricity from the local power supply to an electric vehicle (EV) so its batteries can recharge safely and efficiently. While electric vehicle supply equipment is the industry's technical term, common ' and very acceptable ' names used for EVSE include EV chargers, charging stations, charge points, or charging docks.

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When we think of EV charging, our mental picture is an EV connected via a cable to a public charging station or to a box on the wall of a home garage. It looks a lot like connecting a smartphone to a plugged-in charger, only on a much bigger scale. In general principles, it is.

But the universe of EVSE is far more complex. EVSE options range from simple to complex, with multiple form factors, use cases, charging levels, connectors, standards and protocols. So, while it's perfectly OK to call EVSE an 'EV charger,' the term covers a lot of territory.

What are the components of EVSE?

All EV charging stations, from home chargers to high-power public charging stations, have these components:

• Housing or enclosure
• Electronics inside the housing
• Firmware
• Network connectivity (optional)
• Power connection
• Port(s) on the housing and flexible cable(s)
• Connectors on the cable that plug into the EV

Public charging stations also have to have a way to accept payments, such as via mobile apps or hardware options like RFID card readers and charge card readers.

Housing or enclosures

There are several form factors for EVSE housing, ranging from a box on the cable itself to an enclosure mounted a wall or pedestal to the towers you see at public charging locations. The box-on-a-cable is primarily for home charging. Wall- and pedestal-mounted devices can be for home, multi-family residential, workplace, fleet, hotel, retail, or public chargers. Towers are typically found at public and fleet depot locations with multiple charging stations.

Electronics

At minimum, an EV charger consists of the main relay, which turns the power flow to the vehicle on or off, a control module that manages the relay and the charging session, a power supply that powers the control module and the relay, an electrical circuit for every charging socket (port) or fixed cable attachment, and optionally some kind of user interface like an LCD screen.

Firmware

Firmware is microcode or software that is embedded into the read-only memory in a hardware device like the controller or the network card in EVSE. Firmware enables these components to operate and communicate with other software running on a device, including software in the EV or the firmware in the network card or an EVSE's LCD display. The EVSE controller firmware provides a number of functions, including starting and stopping the charging session, ensuring electrical safety, providing cybersecurity protection, and communicating with the EV to determine condition of the battery, state of charge, and amount of power required. Firmware can be updated to provide new functions or extend compatibility with different EV brands and models.

Network connectivity

Smart EV chargers are additionally equipped with a WiFi or cellular network connector for communications between the charger and a mobile app or the back-end EV charging management system in the cloud, or both. For home smart chargers, connectivity allows the EV owner to start, stop, and schedule charging and take advantage of time-of-use tariffs to reduce costs.

Power connection

Home EV chargers can plug into either standard 120-volt household outlets (Level 1 charging) or 240-volt (Level 2 charging) outlets (the service typically used for electric stoves or dryers). Level 2 chargers can also be hardwired directly into 240V household service or 208v commercial service. Multi-charger private and public installations (Level 2 or Level 3) are hardwired to electrical service infrastructure installed specifically for EVSE, which is in turn connected to the grid.

Ports and cables

Ports are the receptacles on the EVSE housing that cables attach to. Cable can also be permanently connected to the housing. Cables themselves are flexible conduits for electricity.

Connectors

At the other end of the cable is the connector that plugs into the port on the EV. Here's where it gets a little complicated. The type of connector used depends on the level and type of charger, whether it outputs AC or DC electricity, and what connector standard the EVSE supplier or EV charging service provider (EVSP) is supporting, and where you're located. Here's a brief summary of EVSE levels, speeds, output, and connectors they use:

• Level 1 charging: 120-volt AC
  Connectors: None or J
  Charging speed: Up to 20 hours for full charge (slow)
  Use cases: Home charging
• Level 2 charging: 208- to 240-volt AC
  Connectors used: J or combination (CCS, NACS, CHAdeMO)
  Charging speed: 5 to 6 hours for a full charge (faster)
  Use cases: Home, work, multi-family unit, hotel, retail, fleet, public charging
• Level 3 charging: 400- to 900-volt DC
  Connectors used: CCS, NACS, CHAdeMO
  Charging speed: 30 ' 45 minutes (fast) or 15 minutes (ultrafast), which is why these chargers are often called Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC)
  Use cases: Public charging

AC, DC, and EVSE: What happens where?

At this time, all power grids distribute AC (alternating current) electricity to consumers and businesses, although the frequency varies by location and voltage varies by type of service. All batteries, including disposable and rechargeable batteries ' from tiny coin batteries in hearing aids to utility-scale power storage units, receive and output DC (direct current) electricity.

So, for recharging your smartphone or your EV, AC has to be converted to DC. For Level 1 and Level 2 EV charging, the AC-to-DC conversion is handled inside the EV by its onboard charger. Level 3 DC fast chargers, on the other hand, are equipped with converters in the EVSE housing to change grid-supplied AC to high-voltage DC output. For EV charging, the DC power bypasses the EV's onboard charger and goes directly into the batteries.

In closing: Software considerations for smart EV charging management

Plug-in Electric Vehicle Charging: The Basics

Charging your all-electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)'together known as plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs)'is similar to charging other electronics. One end of an electrical cord is plugged into your car, and the other end is plugged into a power source or charging equipment.

There are three categories of charging equipment based on how quickly each can recharge a car's battery. Charging times for PEVs are also affected by:

• How much the battery is depleted
• How much energy the battery can store
• The type of battery
• Temperature

Charger Fast Facts

Charging Options

Level 1 (120 Volt)
 

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Level 2 (240 Volt)
 

Direct-Current (DC) Fast Charging
 

What does the charge port on the vehicle look like?

How fast do they charge?

About 5 miles per 1 hour of charging*

About 25 miles per 1 hour of charging*

~100 ' 300+ miles per 30 minutes of charging'

Where can I find them?

• In your house/garage
• Possibly at your apartment/condo and workplace
• May not need to install anything; some automakers provide charger cords with vehicle purchase

• In your house/garage (You will need additional equipment)
• Possibly at your apartment/condo and workplace
• At public charging stations

• At public charging stations
• In many cities and along highway routes across the country (see locations)

EV charger images are courtesy of Con Edison.

Level 1 uses the same outlet you use for your cell and toaster. Worth noting:

• You can plug your car directly into the 120 Volt outlet using the charge cable (technically called the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment or EVSE) that often comes with the vehicle.
• Many people with commutes less than 40 miles a day find this sufficient to charge their PEV overnight and meet their daily driving needs.'

Level 2 uses the same 240 Volt outlet you might use in your home for an electric oven or clothes dryer. Worth noting:

• It allows for faster home charging and can replenish hundreds of miles of range to your vehicle overnight, ensuring a full battery under most circumstances.
• If you do not already have a 240 Volt outlet in an ideal location for charging your vehicle, a qualified electrician can help you install a new outlet and a Level 2 charger. They can determine if your home has sufficient capacity or needs an upgraded electrical panel and will ensure work is done properly.

Direct-Current or DC fast chargers are the fastest option for charging PEVs and are found primarily along highways and in cities to enable long-distance trips and quick refueling when it's needed. They work by supplying high levels of electricity more directly to your vehicle's battery and bypassing the equipment in your vehicle that normally converts alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). Worth noting:

• Depending on your vehicle and the speed of the DC fast charger, many PEVs can regain hundreds of miles of range in as little as 20-30 minutes. However, if you have access to charging at home or at work using level 1 and 2 chargers, and have more time to charge, they will usually be cheaper than DC fast chargers.
• The rate of DC fast charging is higher as the vehicle's battery is closer to empty and slows down as it gets closer to full. It will generally save you time to only DC fast charge your PEV to around 80% of its battery capacity, and then continue on the road to the next charging station. Unless you need the full range of your battery to reach a destination, DC fast charging beyond 80% tends to be significantly slower and it can sometimes double your time spent charging to reach 100%.

Visit the Department of Energy (DOE) website to learn more about charging equipment.

Interested in seeing how many chargers may be needed in your area? Use DOE's EV Pro Lite Tool to get an estimate on charging needs in your state or metropolitan area as PEV adoption grows.

Visit EV Charging: The Details for answers to frequently asked questions.

Read the Recommendations of the Federal Electric Vehicle Working Group (pdf) (571 KB, November ), which include strategies for EV adoption across the U.S. and a sustainable, accessible, and resilient EV ecosystem.

*Power levels vary among charging equipment; L1 estimate of recharging time assumes 1.9 kW, L2 assumes 6.6 kW.

'Charging time may be shorter depending on station power. More DC fast charging stations that charge cars quickly are being installed around the country.

'PEVs should ideally charge on a dedicated circuit, or one without another electrical load. Consult with your electrician and the EVSE manual for detailed specifications.

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