Browse Definitions :
Definition

electric vehicle charging station

An electric vehicle charging station is equipment that connects an electric vehicle (EV) to a source of electricity to recharge electric cars, neighborhood electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Some charging stations have advanced features such as Smart metering, cellular capability and network connectivity, while others are more basic.

Charging stations are also called electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and are provided in municipal parking locations by electric utility companies or at retail shopping centers by private companies. These stations provide special connectors that conform to the variety of electric charging connector standards.

Fees for using EVSE vary from monthly or yearly flat rates to per-kWh to hourly rates. Charging stations can be free and are usually subsidized by the local government.

Different types of EVSE provide different speeds of charging. Level 1 charging stations use a 120 volt (V), alternating-current (AC) plug and require a dedicated circuit, offering about 5 miles of range for every hour of charging. Level 2 stations charge through a 240V, AC plug and require home charging or public charging equipment to be installed. Level 2 stations provide 10 to 20 miles of range for every hour of charging. Level 2 chargers are the most common and charge at approximately the same rate as a home system.

Level 3 chargers are also known as DC fast chargers. Level 3 uses a 480V, direct-current (DC) plug. They bypass the onboard charger and provide DC electricity to the battery via a special charging port. DC Fast Chargers provide up to 40 miles of range for every 10 minutes of charging but are not compatible with all vehicles. Additionally, some propriety charging stations, such as the Tesla Supercharger, are designed for significantly higher-speed charging.

As demand grows for more publicly accessible charging stations, there is a greater need for equipment that supports faster charging at higher voltages and currents that are not currently available from residential ESVE. Globally, the number of electric vehicle networks is increasing to provide a system of publicly accessible charging stations for EV recharging. Governments, automakers and charging infrastructure providers have forged agreements to create these networks.

This was last updated in March 2018

Continue Reading About electric vehicle charging station

Networking
  • network interface card (NIC)

    A network interface card (NIC) is a hardware component, typically a circuit board or chip, installed on a computer so it can ...

  • User Datagram Protocol (UDP)

    User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a communications protocol primarily used to establish low-latency and loss-tolerating connections...

  • Telnet

    Telnet is a network protocol used to virtually access a computer and provide a two-way, collaborative and text-based ...

Security
  • advanced persistent threat (APT)

    An advanced persistent threat (APT) is a prolonged and targeted cyber attack in which an intruder gains access to a network and ...

  • Mitre ATT&CK framework

    The Mitre ATT&CK (pronounced miter attack) framework is a free, globally accessible knowledge base that describes the latest ...

  • timing attack

    A timing attack is a type of side-channel attack that exploits the amount of time a computer process runs to gain knowledge about...

CIO
HRSoftware
  • employee resource group (ERG)

    An employee resource group is a workplace club or more formally realized affinity group organized around a shared interest or ...

  • employee training and development

    Employee training and development is a set of activities and programs designed to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of ...

  • employee sentiment analysis

    Employee sentiment analysis is the use of natural language processing and other AI techniques to automatically analyze employee ...

Customer Experience
  • customer profiling

    Customer profiling is the detailed and systematic process of constructing a clear portrait of a company's ideal customer by ...

  • customer insight (consumer insight)

    Customer insight, also known as consumer insight, is the understanding and interpretation of customer data, behaviors and ...

  • buyer persona

    A buyer persona is a composite representation of a specific type of customer in a market segment.

Close