This military post , part of a series we ’re run all aboutelectric cars , was save by Kristen Hall - Geisler from HowStuffWorks.com .
come soon to a service department near you : galvanizing vehicles ! Big - name auto makers like Nissan , Ford , and Mitsubishi are scheduled for major EV releases in the next class or so , while small-scale car shaper are busy building small galvanic vehicles for myopic trips around the neighborhood . There ’s no inquiry that you like the planet ; and everyone get it on you like young engineering , too . But how long will an EV will have to be plugged into the rampart before it ’s ready for its next silent neighborhood missionary work ?
The quick answer to that question is overnight . Most EVs that will be on the market within the next few years will need to be plug in overnight to fully send . But the right solvent , as with so many thing , is , " it depend . " It depends on thetype of batteriesin the car and it depends on the type of outlet you ’re using to send the matter up .
get ’s take a few real - world examples :
The Nissan LEAF uses lithium - ion batteries , just like your laptop computer and your cell phone , but it practice a luck more of them . It can charge overnight ( 8 hours ) at a 220/240 - V Nissan charging dock that ’s instal in your garage . It can also charge at a 110/120 - V outlet , the kind you plug your laptop computer and cell earphone into , but it ’ll take far , far longer .
The sexyTesla Roadsteruses Li - ion batteries , too , but the 240 - V Tesla High Power Wall Connector , as they call it , can turn on that baby in a mere 3.5 hour . But before you open up your notecase , you should know that this is also one of the most expensive electron volt on the route .
A small neighborhood electrical fomite ( NEV ) , like the cars from GEM ( Global Electric Motorcars ) , useslead - window pane batteries . This engineering science is sometime , proven to be true and charges in about 6 to 8 hour at a stock 110 - volt outlet . So what ’s the trade-off ? A maximum speed of just 25 Swedish mile per hour ( 40.2 km per 60 minutes ) .
So the heavy - duty recharging will happen in your nursing home ( over the course of several hours ) at the charging station design for your specific vehicle . But most of the cars come to market in the next few years , like the Nissan LEAF , for instance , will allow you to " top off " at a stock wall plug for a picayune extra succus while you ’re out and about .
