Electric Vehicles are the automobiles that use electrical power stored in the battery as the main source of energy. The plug-in electric vehicles draw power from the charging stations and store the energy in the batteries of the car. These batteries need to be recharged frequently to keep the vehicle running. The electricity as a source of energy for the vehicles is the most preferred as it produces little to no green house effects and less pollution.
Different types of plug-in vehicles are in use such as the Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicles, Extended Range Electric Vehicles, and so on. For one hour of charging, the vehicles add around 11 miles to 58 miles of driving range depending upon the model of the vehicle. Some of the examples include BMWi3, Fiat 500e, Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Sonata Plugin Hybrid, Tesla Model S, and so on. All vehicle manufacturers have electric vehicles with latest updates every year. Certain vehicles can be converted to electric vehicles with additional customization. Regenerative braking is popular in hybrid vehicles for energy savings.
Electric vehicles are preferred for their energy savings and significantly lesser cost of running the vehicle. Additional discounts are available for vehicles that charge during the non-peak hours and time-of-use electricity rates. Most electric vehicle owners have charging at their residences, but the public or private charging stations are crucial when they travel.
The Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE) are categorized in to different levels based on the rate at which the vehicle can be charged. There are different chargers for different types of batteries.
Infrastructure plays a crucial role in the car charging station success. A network of car charging stations can increase the overall efficiency of the system. In bigger cities, where parking is a major problem, car charging stations too pose a similar scarcity.
Several tax incentives are available for drivers using electric vehicles for work. Car charging stations also receive additional State tax incentives depending on the state you live such as up to fifty percent of the installation cost for car charging stations. Federal tax incentives exist for car charging stations such as the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit. Utility incentives allow rebates by providers for installing workplace car charging stations. In addition, several tax benefits exist for converting to hybrid vehicles or purchasing electric vehicles and advanced vehicles.
Several laws exist with respect to car charging stations. Fleet owners are required to have some or majority electric vehicles and must have charging stations installed to charge them. If you convert your vehicle to a hybrid electric vehicle, you must have necessary registration documents. Vehicles with low speed are required to have electric or hybrid energy sources on them.
Cost is the first criteria for using a Car charging station. It is required to know per hour charges and any additional charges of a station before visiting. Here are some tips to consider at the car charging stations.
Car charging station etiquette must be followed at all times. Respecting other's time and proper use of the equipment at the station are crucial.
Finding a car charging station is now possible with websites and smart phone applications. Alternate fueling center maps can be found on the government website as well. You can search for a location or a zip code and see all the stations and description in that area. PlugShare has applications for websites, iOS, and Andriod devices. Blink is another popular application for mobile phones. ChargePoint and GreenLots are popular as well. You can download their app on your mobile phone and locate a car charging station near you. The trip planner on these applications let you schedule or plan for charging the car while traveling in your route. If you own a charging station, you can add the details such as type of charging, sockets, fees applicable, time restrictions if any, and so on in these applications as well.