Do you actually need a Level 2 charger?

This is the first question, and almost every EV charger page skips it -- because those pages are written by people selling chargers. We are an affiliate site too, so take the disclosure seriously: we earn nothing if the answer is no, and it is still frequently no.

The test

1. 1.Find your daily average. Odometer over a normal week, divided by seven.
2. 2.Find your overnight window. Hours the car sits parked at home where you could plug in. For most people, ten to twelve.
3. 3.Work out what Level 1 replaces. About 5 miles per hour. Twelve hours is about 60 miles.
4. 4.Compare. If your daily average is comfortably under what Level 1 replaces, you do not need a Level 2 charger.

Four things that push toward yes

1. 1.Cold winters. Efficiency drops and some energy goes to keeping the battery warm. A margin that works in July can vanish in January -- cold weather charging.
2. 2.A big battery you regularly run low. Level 1 replaces the same miles regardless of pack size, so a large battery run to 15% takes days.
3. 3.Two EVs. Two cars on Level 1 in one household rarely works.
4. 4.A time-of-use rate with a narrow off-peak window. If cheap power is only available for six hours, you want to use those six hours efficiently.

Three things that push toward no

1. 1.A short, predictable commute. The classic Level 1 case.
2. 2.A plug-in hybrid. Small battery, often a slow onboard charger. PHEVs rarely need Level 2.
3. 3.Workplace or free public charging you already use. If you charge somewhere else three days a week, home is a top-up.

The cheapest way to find out

Run Level 1 for a month. Plug in every night on a sound outlet -- directly, never through an extension cord -- and see whether you ever wake up with less charge than you need.

If you never think about it, you have your answer and you have saved $1,500. If you find yourself anxious about range or topping up at public chargers, you also have your answer, and now it is evidence rather than a guess. How to choose a charger is the next step.