With electric cars entering the roads and streets, a question often asked is how to charge them in Toronto. These cars are produced to deal with air pollution, reduce emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases, and preserve the environment. These cars use rechargeable batteries as energy sources and an electric motor as a driving force, which you must charge when empty. 

How to charge an electric car 

Finding ways to charge it is essential if you have an electric or hybrid car. There are different chargers to provide the energy the car needs, some of which are slower than others. You can regularly charge your vehicle at home through an electrical outlet or charging station to keep the car battery as complete as possible.

Public charging stations are not uncommon in Canada and can be found in most areas. Therefore, be sure to plan while travelling on the road so that you avoid the problem of emptying the charge. Use available applications to find electric car charging stations; there may be free charging stations in your city or area. There are differences in how to set up electric cars. In these cars, we see three levels for charging the car battery.

Charging all types of hybrid cars 

This car has two electric and gasoline engines that reduce fuel consumption. But the driver must always take care of emptying the gas tank. Volkswagen, Jetta, and Toyota Prius are in this category. The method of charging all three types of hybrid cars that have been introduced differs. Regular hybrid vehicles are set by a three-prong outlet and a 120-volt charger, which takes about 20 hours.

Hybrid, plug-in cars 

They are more like all-electric cars, like Chevrolet. The car’s gasoline engine acts as a generator to recharge the car’s electric battery. The charge voltage of electric vehicles of the second type (plug-in) is about 240 volts, which reduces the charging time to about 8 to 12 hours. We consider all-electric vehicles (EVs), such as Nissan Leaf or Tesla Model S, fully electric cars. The driver must charge the battery of fully electric vehicles at home or unique stations located on the road and continue on their way. They cannot travel a long distance, so they mostly use these cars for intra-city trips. They travel about 250 km on a single charge. Entirely EVs require a lot of electric charging due to being single-engine, so their built-in charger is 480 volts, and 80% of the car battery is charged in less than 30 minutes.

Charging a hybrid car at home 

How to charge hybrid vehicles

Hybrid cars have been sold in different countries, and now we see these cars with other brands. But due to the small number of these cars compared to gasoline ones, only a few public charging stations have been built for this category of vehicles. However, if you have a hybrid car, you should always have the charger or charge it fully before leaving the house. 

Charging hybrid cars is an easy task because, at first, you need a charger suitable for the vehicle as well as the amount of voltage received by your house, which must be connected by yourself or for more certainty by an electrician such as KCS Group, and then by using the charger and opening Start charging your electric car at the car battery charging station (refer to the car manual). But electric car chargers are generally divided into three levels, which include the following:

1. Level one (voltage 120 volts)

Using standard city electrical outlets is the easiest way to charge an electric car. So, most electric cars have a level one charger, and although the process is not very fast, it is the cheapest way to charge the battery. However, if you want to charge your EV using level 1 chargers, you should be familiar with a series of tips, including: 

• Using a level one charger, an empty battery can be fully charged within 16 to 20 hours. 

• Level one charger is the most suitable charger for hybrid cars that you can connect anywhere in the city. 

2. Level two (voltage 240 volts)

If you use a level two charger, the charging time will be half compared to a level one charger, and it will undoubtedly be the right solution for keeping your car charged. Therefore, if you want to use this type of charger, you can apply it to the relevant organizations so that you can use this charger by using robust wires and cables that are connected to your house. However, if you intend to use these chargers, you should be familiar with the following points:

If you use level two chargers, you can charge your car entirely in 8 hours, which is the best way to charge this car at home. 

There are no level two chargers in your car. If you intend to use these chargers, purchase them from relevant stores and have an experienced and professional electrician like KCS Group install them safely.

3. Level three (480 volts) 

Some electric car charging stations that are in use in the country are equipped with a level 3 charger that requires 480 volts of electricity to work. Using these chargers, you can charge the battery from zero to 100 within 30 minutes!! 

It is fantastic that in the not-too-distant future, they will be installed all over the world, and we can get rid of the pollution caused by fossil fuels. However, if you intend to use this level of charger, you should familiarize yourself with the following points:

Read your car’s manual to find out if your vehicle can withstand this amount of voltage or not, and then you can use it. 

If you are looking for fast charging for your car, you should look for a level 3 or 480V charger. 

Factors affecting the charging speed of electric cars 

Various factors can affect the charging rate, especially regarding complete charging. 

One is the size of the battery. The bigger the battery, the more time it will take to charge it. After that, the charge in the battery also has an effect, and 80% of the initial capacity is filled much faster than the final 20%; It is when the charging speed slows down, especially on fast or ultra-fast chargers.

The internal adapter of the electric car also determines the charging speed. Therefore, if its capacity is 50 kilowatts, the maximum speed of receiving battery power is the same, Even if it is connected to a 150 kW charger. It also applies to the charger used. So, you can charge a car with a capacity of 150 kW with a fast wall charger with a power of 7 kW. You will also notice slower charging when the weather is cold, especially on a fast charger. Battery heating systems try to minimize deceleration. But when doing this, they get additional current, which adds a little to the charging time.