If you own an electric vehicle, an at-home EV charging kit can be worth its weight in gold. These chargers allow you to keep your vehicle's battery topped up whenever it is not in use, helping you dodge long lines at busy public chargers, and minimizing the amount you spend keeping your vehicle charged.

Your electric vehicle will almost certainly have come supplied with a charging kit when you bought it. However, many chargers that come packaged with electric vehicles are level 1 chargers, which can only handle limited voltage levels and may take a very long time to fully charge your vehicle. Level 2 chargers are more expensive, but can handle several times more power, and will charge your vehicle exponentially faster.

If you are looking into purchasing a level 2 EV charger for your home, you will have to decide whether you want a plug-in charger or a hard-wired charger. Again, hard-wired chargers are the more expensive option, but they have a number of advantages over plug-in chargers that can make them well worth the extra investment.

What Are Hard-Wired Level 2 EV Chargers?

Plug-in electric vehicle chargers are pretty self-explanatory. They can be plugged into any 240-volt outlet in your home, and unplugged when they are not in use. Hard-wired chargers are permanently installed chargers, which are connected directly to your home's main electrical panel.

While plug-in chargers can be connected to a suitable outlet yourself, hard-wired chargers must be installed by professional electricians qualified to work with EV charging equipment. Once installed, they can be connected to an extension cable (if required) and used in the same way as a plug-in charger.

Why Choose A Hard-Wired Level 2 EV Charger?

Because level 2 EV chargers require a 240 volt electrical supply to function, they cannot be plugged into the same outlets you use to power your TV or computer. Only larger home appliances, such as ovens, dryers, and HVAC equipment, use 240-volt power, and many of these appliances will be hard-wired themselves. If your home does not have any unused 240-volt outlets, hard-wired chargers may be the only practical option.

If you do have a suitable 240-volt outlet, hard-wired chargers still have advantages over plug-in chargers. Because their electrical components are installed directly inside the walls of your home, they are completely watertight and can be safely used to charge electric vehicles parked outdoors. If your home lacks a garage, or you don't have room in your garage to store an EV while it charges, hard-wiring is the safer option.

Hard-wired level 2 chargers also give users greater control over power delivery rates and charger amperage, and many hard-wired chargers have speed-charging options that plug-in chargers do not. If you use your electric vehicle as a daily driver or own a powerful electric sports car that requires frequent, high-powered charges, a hard-wired charger can be faster, more energy-efficient, and more cost-effective than the best plug-in models.

For more information, contact an electric vehicle charger supplier.