EV charging terminology explained

Here are 5 terms you should know about EV charging:

1. Amp – or ampere measures electrical current. Imagine current as the volume of water flowing through your hose. A wider hose means more water volume. A higher amperage means your charger can handle a faster flow of electrons from the power source to your vehicle.

2. Volt – measures electric potential. It’s like the water pressure in your faucet. An increase in water pressure results in a more powerful gush of water, just like how an increase in volt leads to faster and more powerful charging.

3. Kilowatt – or kW is the measure of how much power and electric appliances consume.

4. Energy – or kilowatt-hours (kWh) is the amount of energy consumed by the appliance over one hour of charging. Think of it as the total amount of water that passes through the hose within an hour. The higher the kWh, the faster the recharge rate for your EV.

5. State of Charge (SoC) – describes how full your battery is using percentages from 0-100%. It’s your EV’s “fuel gauge” and comes in handy when you’re charging.

Three Terms to Know About EVs:

1. Power – more commonly known as horsepower, it’s measured in watts and refers to the transfer rate of energy. In electric cars, it can be used to conceptualize the speed, torque, and acceleration of your EV. EVs typically require large amounts of power, so they’re rated in kilowatts. Find your car’s horsepower by multiplying kilowatts (kW) by 1.369.

2. Maximum range – tells you how far your EV can go on a single charge. On average, Americans only drive around 40 miles a day, which means even the EV with the shortest maximum range in the market is good enough for average use. Keep this in mind when purchasing an EV.

3. Maximum charge rate – is the electricity acceptance limit of your vehicle, or the maximum amount of power it can process when charging. If your maximum charge rate is 50kW, fast chargers capable of 150kw charging will be limited to your rate.

Lectron is Leading the Charge

Lectron is on a mission to make electric vehicle charging fast, easy and affordable for all EV drivers. We offer a wide selection of convenient and easy-to-use EV charging stations, chargers, and adapters. Lectron is pioneering ways of eliminating range anxiety and compatibility issues for both Tesla and J1772 EV drivers by making it easier and more reliable than ever to charge EVs at home and on the road.