Are Electric Car Charging Stations Free?

One of the main benefits of owning an electric car is the freedom of never revisiting the fuel station. Instead, one can charge at home or charging stations when moving from one point to another. Moreover, as the number of public EV charging stations increases daily in various parts of the United States, it becomes relatively easy to charge your battery full of juice.

Of course, if you own an EV, you may have some questions about charging the car. For example, Are electric car charging stations free? In the following article, we will discuss some of the details regarding the use of EV charging stations.

EV Charging Stations & The Possible Implication and Cost

In particular, if you are on a trip and intend to recharge a car battery with the help of a station delivered by a third party, it will most likely be paid.

We say “probably” here because some charging stations are indeed free and without strings attached, but there is often a trick behind them. Are electric car charging stations free For example, places can offer free ‘EV Charging,’ though they may only offer a few run-of-the-mill exterior household 120-volt AC sockets Level 1 Charging. Well, yes, it is, of course, free to plug in and charge there, but be prepared to spend several hours in the car park while your electric car recharges. (There is likely to be an interest in being sure what type of charging is possible before proceeding.)

However, that should be distinct from the absence of complimentary Level 2 charging stations since they are also around. They do and are commonly cited as an ‘anchor’ (pun intended, given the name, ‘amusement’) to lure people to a shopping complex, restaurant, or park.

How To Find Electric Vehicle Charging Stations?

The number of electric vehicle charging stations is far from the number of gasoline stations available to consumers. They can also be more discreet, especially when they cannot be easily seen from the road. Luckily, using Google Maps for the best free EV charging locations allows one to locate the nearest chargers for an electric car.

Find Your Plug Type

First, before you begin searching for charging stations, you should specify for Google Maps what kind of plug your environmentally friendly car has. This will guarantee that you only get compatible chargers for your car.

Go to the site on whatever iDevice or Android device you use: Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or any other. In the search bar, click the icon of your profile and then Settings.

Scroll down and click on “Electric Vehicle Settings”.

Click the plus sign to reveal the “Add Plugs” option and select the plug type required for your vehicle.

That’s it. Now Google Maps will know which type of charger you need; it is very noble.

Locate Public EV Charging Stations

Get to Google Maps from your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. Go to the bottom of the categories below the search bar and click ‘More’ at the rightmost end.

Go to the Services section. This will not appear identical on Android and iPhone, but “Free electric car charging” will be found in it.

This will pull up a list of nearby locations that fit the search on the Map. Filtering is possible by Relevance or Distance, Open Now, Top Rated, and the plug type we previously selected.

The results themselves contain much useful information, too. They also show the charging speed and the number of charging stations. This enables one to tap on the directions icon to start navigating the charger.

Identify the Charging Point

If you are already on a driving journey and then realize that you need to charge your car, you can easily input a charging station as one of your waypoints. It’s done similarly to adding a gas station or any other point of interest during the navigation.

Instead of searching for gas on your route using the procedure outlined in the guide, search for “Are Electric Car Charging Stations Free.” You will also be able to see results, and you can choose which charger to add to the route.

How to Get a Free Charging For Electric Cars

For a beginner in EVs, you wonder if electric car charging stations are accessible.

Here’s a simplified step-by-step guide on How to charge your EV for free:

Drive up and stop beside the public charging station to plug in the electric car.

Place your membership card by swiping it or order the charge through an appropriate application if necessary.

Plug the charger into the receptacle in the vehicle you intend to charge.

This will initiate the charging process, and your charger and vehicle will communicate.

Are Electric Car Charging Stations Free? EV Charging Options

When discussing EV charging, it’s crucial to understand the three main types: 

There are Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast Charging, each with a different speed, cost factor, and compatibility factor.

Level 1 charging is the simplest of all the charging modes and is also the slowest charging mode available. Think of plugging your electric vehicle into a regular home outlet you find in your house; it may charge it barely, if at all, but you can use it if you are not in a rush. Still, do not expect to charge a flat battery within 24 hours; it may take 24 hours at least. It is a great format, not the fastest one, but among the first that comes to mind when accessibility is an issue.

Level 2 charging is the intermediate one, which is still rather slow, but compared to the first level, it offers significantly faster charging, generally from 10 to 60 miles per hour. Level 2 chargers are the most common output to domesticate public EV charge stations because of their efficiency and affordable cost.

Finally, there is DC Fast Charging, which could be regarded as an express train in the EV charging systems. This is capable of charging an EV’s battery to 80% within 20-30 minutes of being plugged into the vehicle. However, do not forget that this one is typically way more costly than the rest, and not all electric vehicles are equipped for this sort of charging.

EV charging Tips

Here are a few essential tips if you are searching for Are electric car charging stations free?

Follow the company instructions, and for more information, contact your dealer in your area.

Make sure you get a charging device that has been certified by a reputable testing laboratory at the national level.

Plug Level I EV chargers directly into outlets compatible with the charging device’s amperage.

Do not use multi-plug adapters or extension cords.

Install a charging unit with a residual current device. In the case of a fault, this device will switch off the power supply and minimize the chances of a fire outbreak.

Avoid exposing the charging device components, especially the plug, to children when they are not in use.

If the wire’s appearance suggests that it has worn out more than the required number of times, it may be a shock hazard. Do not use an EV charger with any signs of surface injury that can easily be observed.

The boot of the EV charging station has to be covered to prevent water from getting into it. Check with the manufacturer for the requirements for the safe charging of an EV in the presence of rain or humidity.

Conclusion

To answer the question ‘Are Electric Car Charging Stations Free?’ The truth is that some stations are free to use to charge your car accessories, while others attract certain charges. Cause of the increasing adoption of electric vehicles globally, more affordable charging stations will be nationwide. Finally, electricity charging for EV drivers seems optimistic in the coming years due to the infrastructure enhancement that enables your car to charge efficiently.

However, as people increasingly adopt electric cars, the chances of delivering charging facilities are increasing. Therefore, even though Are Electric Car Charging Stations Free? Not always, but in the future, it seems that charging options for EVs will be more accessible and cheaper.

FAQs

1- Can you charge an electric car for free?

EV charging is not free, but some stations and programs give you a free fill-up.

2- How much does it cost to charge an electric vehicle at a power station?

This is definitely a payable service, so the question arises, “What is the cost of charging at an EV charging station?” The cost, as mentioned, is about ₹20 to ₹22 per kilowatt hour (kWh).

3- How much does it actually cost to charge an electric car?

The home charging costs 32p per kWh for domestic charging points and 48p per kWh for public points.

4- How long does it take to charge an electric car at a public charging station?

It is easy to explain that charging the average BEV (60kWh battery pack) can be done in 30 minutes or less when using a 150kW rapid charging point from an empty battery.