If you’re a new electric vehicle driver, you may be surprised to learn how slow level 1 and level 2 charging stations can be compared to level 3 stations. So, you’re probably wondering how much it costs to install a level 3 charging station at home or at work.
Installing a level 3 charging station will cost at least $50,000. The parts and equipment necessary will cost between $20,000 and $50,000, and the labor costs alone can exceed $50,000. Be prepared to spend at least $50,000 to install a level 3 charging station.
These costs are a rough estimate, as many factors can significantly increase the cost of installing a level 3 charging station. Keep reading to learn more about level 3 charging stations and how much you should expect to pay if you want one.
Can I Install a Level 3 Charging Station at Home?
Level 3 charging stations are not suitable for home use in most situations. The 480-volt power supply is generally unavailable in residential networks, so adjusting your residential power grid to install a level 3 charging station would be cost-prohibitive.
Most residential power grids allow for a relatively easy connection to a 240-volt charger, such as level 2 chargers. However, upgrading the entire electrical network only to accommodate a residential level 3 charging station would cost tens of thousands of dollars.
If you would like to find out How Much It Costs To Install a Public EV Charging Station, check out this helpful article that I wrote.
So, on top of paying $20,000 to $50,000 for your equipment and parts, plus $50,000 for labor, you would also have to spend tens of thousands of dollars upgrading your residential grid to accommodate 480-volt chargers.
You could easily end up spending well over $100,000 to upgrade your residential neighborhood and install a level 3 charging station at home.
In addition to extreme installation costs, having a level 3 charger at home may not be a good idea because it’ll hurt your battery. A study has shown that relying on level 3 or DC chargers for your vehicle will ultimately cause the battery to deteriorate faster.
Are Level 3 Charging Stations the Fastest?
Level 3 charging stations are the fastest way to recharge your electric vehicle. A level 3 charging station can give you an 80% charge in under 30 minutes, making them significantly faster than level 1 and 2 stations.
If you’re looking for a faster way to charge your electric vehicle than with a level 3 charging station, I’m sorry to disappoint. Level 3 charging stations are the fastest EV stations available as of 2022.
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | |
| Voltage | 120V | 208V or 240V | 208V or 480V |
| Amps | 12-16 Amps | 12-80 Amps | 60-125 Amps |
| Charging Loads | 1.4 to 1.9 KW | 2.5 to 19.2 KW | 50-90 KW |
| Charging Time | 3-5 miles (4.8-8 km of range per hour) | 10-20 miles (16-32 km of range per hour) | 80% of charge in under 30 minutes. |
| Price Per Mile | 2-6 cents per mile | 2-6 cents per mile | 12-25 cents per mile |
But the numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. For more information on the difference between the three levels, check out the YouTube video below:
Are Level 3 Charging Stations Free To Use?
Unless you have free supercharging miles, Level 3 charging stations aren’t free. In fact, they’re the most expensive way to recharge your electric vehicle. All public level 3 charging stations charge between 12 and 25 cents per mile charged. The only exception is Tesla Superchargers, which are sometimes free for Tesla drivers.
Although some public level 1 and level 2 electric vehicle charging stations may be free, you almost certainly won’t be able to find a public level 3 charging station that is free to use.
Level 3 charging station operators charge high fees for the convenience of quickly charging your electric vehicle and also to offset the huge installation costs.
As an added bonus to this article, I’ve created this easy-to-use charging calculator. Simply input your model, charging wattage, and charging percentage, and you will get the estimated time it will take to charge a Tesla in terms of hours. You can play around with numbers a bit just to see how charging time changes:
Tesla Charging Calculator (Time):
Estimated Time It Takes To Charge Your Tesla
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We have sent your request information to your email.If you would like to find out who pays for Tesla charging stations and how the whole setup works, check out this related article that I wrote. It explains the whole sequence in detail.
Tesla sometimes offers free charging in its network of Superchargers (level 3 charging stations). They recently offered free charging at specific Superchargers between 7 PM and 10 AM during the holiday travel season. However, this is no longer a regular perk from Tesla, so you shouldn’t rely on it.
Other than Tesla Superchargers, there are no other options for free charging at level 3 stations. If you’re looking for free or affordable public charging, you’ll have to stick to level 1 and 2 charging stations.
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