Charging Your Electric Vehicle
Charging your EV is the easiest connection you’ll make! If you’re like most San Diegans who drive less than 25 miles a day, a plug-in all-electric vehicle has enough juice to get you to work and back. Recharging the battery takes around one or two hours at a charging station, or you could plug your EV into a wall outlet at home to charge overnight.
Types of Chargers
Most EVs offer three convenient options for charging your car:
Level 1 (120 volt)
- Let’s you charge with a standard 120-volt wall outlet
- Provides up to five miles of range for each hour plugged in
- The slowest and least expensive way to charge, but can still replenish a standard San Diego commute of 25 miles or more overnight
Level 2 (240 volt)
- Cuts the charging time of a Level 1
- Provides up to 26 miles of range per hour
- Can be installed at personal residences and can be found in the public as well
DC Fast Charger (480 volt)
- Supercharges your EV
- Only found at public charging stations
- Provide about 50 miles for every 15 minutes you charge
Charging on the Go
With about 2,000 public charging stations in the area, you can grab a charge whenever, wherever. In fact, SDG&E has installed Fast- and Level 2 chargers at Park & Rides across San Diego County and will continue to be adding chargers to parks, beaches and school campuses.
Many public chargers are free or offer lower, pay-as-you use fees. Also - some manufacturers provide new customers with free charging for a period at select public charging stations.
Simply click the map to find Locations and directions for public charging
It’s important to know what type of nozzle face your EV has, especially when you’re on the go and looking for a station. Depending on your EV’s manufacturer, there are different nozzle faces for the higher levels of charging. Some examples include:
- BMW, Chevy and VW all have CCS combo DC fast charge nozzles
- Most Asian manufactured brands have a CHAdeMO DC fast charge nozzle. Tesla owners can purchase an adapter that will allow them to use this charger too
Most DC fast-charging locations will have at least one nozzle of each type.
Charging at Home
Over 80% of EV charging currently happens at home. There’s a reason - it’s so convenient. There’s nothing more convenient than home charging. With EVs, you can charge in your sleep. Literally. You can choose to plug your EV into a standard 120-volt wall outlet or have a Level 2 charger installed.
EV drivers benefit from special Time-of-Use pricing plans that have lower pricing periods throughout the week. Managing your home energy use is easy on an EV plan - just program your car to charge during Super Off-Peak hours and use your clothes washer/dryer, dishwasher, pool pump, etc. during the same lower-cost hours. You can estimate your savings with our EV comparison calculator.
If you live in an apartment or condo, installing EV chargers may require approval from your property manager or homeowner’s association. Since the installations are often in common areas, it's important to involve them as soon as possible. You should also check if your complex is part of the more than 3,000 that SDG&E installed chargers at workplaces and apartment/condo complexes across the region.
If you have more questions about EV charging, please visit our EV charging FAQs page.