It’s no longer a debate that the world is moving towards sustainability. And this has never been more evident than now, considering that the United States (6% of vehicle sales are EV) has more than 64,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to support its growing number of EVs. This was as of Feb 2024, so the number has most likely substantially grown one year down the line.
So, if you’ve recently gained interest in electric cars, you’re probably asking yourself, “How are EV charging stations powered?” We’ll answer that question in this post, but before we get to that, we’ll explain some good-to-know facts about EVs.
How EV Chargers Work
Most EVs you’ll come across on the roads today are charged with Level 2 chargers rated at 240 volts. That’s two times the power output of a standard 120-volt electricity. That takes us to another important question: “What’s a Level 2 EV charger?” These are EV chargers offering two plug options: a J1772 plug compatible with every EV in the North American market, and a CHAdeMO plug, powering Japanese EVs like the Nissan Leaf. Electricity goes through the chargers into the plugs to charge the EV battery.
To answer the question “how is electricity generated for electric cars,” we need to look at how these charging connectors work. When you buy an EV from the manufacturer, it often comes with a Level 1 charger so you can plug it to your home’s 120V standard outlet.
Now you know something about how EV chargers operate. Let’s take a look at how these chargers are powered. After the purchase, most people often upgrade the charging connectors to a Level 2, which is often considered a practical investment.
Level 2 chargers deliver electric energy from hardwired units or outlets to the EV using the connector, just like the standard-issue charger. They need a dedicated circuit and power source with 208 to 240V, which is about 60 amperes to deliver between 6.2 and 19.2kW, compared to Level 1’s 1.2kW.
Apart from being fast, the Level 2 charger offers a longer range, about 32 miles driving range for one hour of charging, while Level 1 offers about 4 miles for the same charging timeframe. So, if you think about upgrading your Level 1 charger to Level 2, you only need a certified electrician to install an outlet or hardwired circuit.
Hybrid Renewable and Battery Storage
Some charging stations rely on a mix of wind, solar, and battery storage to power their chargers. These are the stations that take sustainability seriously. The battery storage provides energy when the renewable sources are not available. Some good examples of these stations are the ChargePoint and the new Tesla Superchargers.
This strategy is more beneficial because it reduces overdependence on the grid while ensuring a consistent power supply even during power outages or unstable renewable sources.
| Feature | ChargePoint | Tesla Supercharger | Electrify America | EVgo |
| Vehicle Compatibility | All EVs (with adapters if needed) | Tesla (with some CCS support) | All EVs | All EVs |
| Charging Speed | Level 2 & DC Fast (up to 350kW) | DC Fast (up to 250kW) | DC Fast (up to 350kW) | DC Fast (up to 350kW) |
| Network Size (US) | 100,000+ stations | Approx. 2,500 stations | Approx. 850 stations | Approx. 900 stations |
| Payment | App, RFID, Credit Card | Tesla Account | App, Credit Card | App, Credit Card |
Table 1.0: How ChargePoint Compares to Other Networks.
ChargePoint, unlike Tesla Superchargers, doesn’t limit use to specific EV models and has thousands of charging stations in North America and Europe. It also supports a wide range of EVs, and this makes it a valuable player in public EV charging infrastructure. Now, let’s try to answer the question, “where do EV chargers get their power?”
How Are EV Charging Stations Powered?
Are EV charging stations powered by fossil fuels? That’s probably what some people who are getting acclimatized to EVs think. But it’s far from the truth. Powering EV chargers using fossil fuel would go against the very concept of introducing EVs in the first place, which is to promote clean energy use and sustainability. Most EV charging stations across the United States get their power from the National Grid.
However, there’s a growing trend of relying on renewable sources to power EVs, which carries considerable weight off the grid and is environmentally friendly. Here are the different ways that EV charging stations are powered:
The National Grid
The primary source of power for EV chargers is the grid, which explains why every charger offers the option of plugging directly into the grid. It’s the network of power plants and lines that generate and supply electricity to businesses, homes, factories, et cetera. The grid itself sources its power from a combination of both renewable and non-renewable sources.
The National Grid is a more advantageous source because it offers reliability and consistent power needed to keep EVs charged regularly. Another benefit of the grid is that no permits or special equipment requirements are needed to use it because the EV chargers only tap into an already existing infrastructure. On the downside, the grid also uses non-renewable sources like coal, nuclear, and natural gas for its electricity. So, if an EV charging station is mainly powered by the grid, it’s not entirely sustainable, to say the least.
However, some stations specifically source their power from wind or solar, and that earns them the label of fully sustainable charging stations.
Solar Energy
Next on “how are EV charging stations powered,” we take a look at solar. Solar energy is the most renowned renewable energy source. It’s slowly growing to be the second most prominent source of electricity for EV charging stations. The top five countries in EV adoption, including Norway (with 80% sale of passenger vehicles being EV), Iceland (41%), China (22%), Netherlands (24%), and Sweden (32%) have impressive rates when it comes to using solar-powered EV chargers. China already has more than 760,000 fast-charging stations and 1 million slow-charging stations accessible to the public, therefore increasing the rate of EV adoption.
If the world is to meet the international climate goals (reduce global warming to 2.7 ° F), the number of passenger EV sales needs to reach between 75% and 95% by 2030. On top of this, the adoption of EV charging stations powered by renewable energy sources needs to increase.
While solar-powered EV charging stations are environmentally friendly and reduce utility bills, they’re more expensive than those powered by the National grid. Also, they’re only limited to periods of intense sunshine, which means that during winter, charging stations need to revert to the grid.
Wind Energy
While wind-powered EV charging stations are not so common, the US has quite a few notable ones. The Sanya SkyPump by Urban Green Energy, which entered the market in 2012, is a prominent example. This station uses a 4 kW vertical-axis wind turbine combined with a GE WattStation charger to offer renewable energy for charging EVs.
There’s also Beam Global, a company that is building a hybrid charging station that can use solar and wind energy. They’ve been quite impressive with their inventions, like their BeamSpot introduced in 2024. It’s a streetlight-based EV charging system that uses solar and wind. The company’s objective is to increase accessibility to charging points in public spaces without requiring extensive electrical work or infrastructure.
Getting to Know Tesla Superchargers
Now, you’re familiar with these main sources of power for EV charging stations. You’re probably wondering, “How do Tesla charging stations get power?” Do these stations use any of the main sources of power we’ve discussed? Well, yes, Tesla charging stations mainly get their power from the grid. But the company has been expanding its sources to solar and battery storage to cut down dependence on non-renewable sources.
Tesla Supercharger is a proprietary charging system built for the American EVs by the Elon-affiliated company, Tesla. You’ll know them by the big “TESLA” logo branded across their charging units. That tells you one thing for sure: unless you’re driving a Tesla, you can’t plug your EV into these charging stations. However, that is likely going to change in the near future as Elon Musk plans to open up the Tesla Supercharger network to non-Tesla EVs.
These superchargers utilize a 480-V technology, making them pretty fast. For instance, a V3 charger rated 250kW can get your Tesla ride charged in a few minutes and get you back on the road. To juice up from 10% to 80% charge, it will take a Tesla Model Y approximately 31 minutes, while a Model X or S with a 100kWh battery pack will only require 38 minutes. For older V1 and V2 charging stations with a 150kW capacity, it will probably take you an hour.
The earliest buyers of Tesla Model S were lucky to get free Supercharger access with their vehicle purchase. Nowadays, Tesla isn’t offering this on its newer models. But still, that shouldn’t worry you because Tesla usually maintains a consistent fair price at a rate of pence per kilowatt-hour.
Final Thoughts
If you’re considering joining the EV bandwagon and seeking answers to “How are EV charging stations powered,” this post answers your question in the easiest way to comprehend. EV adoption is rapidly rising, and with it comes the expansion of charging infrastructures. Here, the main source of electricity for EV charging stations is the National grid, though other sources like wind, solar, and hybrid are also being used. Considering that the grid gets power from both renewable and non-renewable sources like coal and natural gas, it’s not entirely sustainable.
Stations that use hybrid power sources (a combination of solar and wind) also have battery storage to help balance the energy demand and offer a backup. As the EV market expands, more charging networks are increasingly adopting renewable energy sources to reduce environmental impact.