Home Charging

For most electric vehicle owners, a home charging station will address most of the car ‘fueling’ needs. With a home station, keeping an electric car charged is a series of ‘topping off’ events, similar to what one does with their mobile devices – plug in the car when you get home and unplug when you’re ready to use it again. It becomes a habit in no time and it beats having to make stops at a gas station.

Your electric vehicle should come with mobile charging equipment that will allow you to plug into a household 110 or 240-volt outlet. It is portable so you can take it with you. If your situation permits, we recommend getting a 40 AMP 240V outlet installed by a licensed electrician. This is similar to what electric clothes dryers use. This will allow you to charge your EV much faster than a 110v outlet. (Refer to your EV’s manual for specific requirements).

If you would like a more ‘permanent’ charging station, you can install one of several Level 2 (240v) chargers. These are installed close to where you park your EV. This may require electrical wiring work and the service of a licensed electrician. A charging station will allow for convenient charging – just unwind the charging cable and plug into your EV! Some of these stations are also networked so you can monitor and control charging through your mobile app.

Public Charging…

Of course, you’ll still find a need for public charging station so it’s good to understand where these stations are located and what’s required to use them. Electric cars have charge ports and adapters that allow for use of the available public charging stations around our island. These chargers include ‘Level 2’ (240v charging stations) and ‘Level 3’ (DC Fast Chargers).

Electric cars should be able to use the Level 2 charging stations (although some will require adapters that should be available with the cars). Some of these stations are free to use, e.g., Target also offers free charging for the first 2 hours, enough for you to get a boost while you shop.)

Fast Charging…

For the fastest charging rate, there are several Level 3/ DC Fast Chargers available – a session at one of these stations can save you hours of waiting! These can be used by most electric cars (they need to be enabled and/or have a special adapter to avail of this level of charging). These stations are strategically placed around our island and allow for very fast charging. These are operated by Greenlots (they are owned by HELCO). The rates start at 50cents per kWh.

Tesla vehicles require an optional CHAdeMO adapter in order to use the Fast Chargers. You can learn more here. If you’re a Tesla owner and would like to try out the adapter, contact us.

Where are the Big Island stations? 

The best way that we’ve found to identify them is through Plugshare.com. Plugshare also has a convenient mobile app. The following is the Plugshare interface. Enter ‘Big Island, Hawaii’ or a zipcode to find all of the stations.

Related Articles:

• Where to buy a Level 2 Charger – Online stores and marketplaces that offer charging stations for your home or business.
• Plugin Cars Home EV Charger Information – Tips on installing an EV charger in your home.
• 8 Dos and Don’ts for Courteous Electric Charging – Learn about how to ‘charge nice’ and how to create a better electric car experience for everyone.
• Charging your Tesla – This page includes information on charging that is applicable to Tesla.
• Tesla Fast Charging – Information on how to use the DC Fast Chargers with the optional Tesla CHAdeMO adapter.
• EV Charge Time Calculator – Find out how much time will be required to charge your EV with this tool from EVGOFORTH.