I’ve been watching different brands of electric car charging stations pop up around town. Are they interchangeable from one model to another or certain chargers specific to certain EVs?

Andrew Koole · Updated on Feb 8, 2022

Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.

Charging networks have grown rapidly in the last few years as the auto industry transitions off internal combustion engines. But as to whether all electric cars use the same kind of charger, the answer is a rather complicated “yes and no.” You see, there is a national standard for plug-ins and chargers in the same way that wall plug-ins are the same across the country. Because of this, most electric cars can use most EV chargers, but there are two important exceptions. Modern EVs can use one of three types of chargers, with the charge increasing in speed and expense with each level:

Level 1 chargers come with the purchase of the car and can be plugged into any regular 120V outlet. They require what’s called an SAE J1772 EV connector.

Level 2 chargers are sold separately. They use the same type of connector but require the 240V outlet used by most major home appliances (ovens, water heaters, etc.). Many public chargers are Level 2 chargers.

Level 3 chargers are the fastest but also the most exclusive. They use a CHAdeMO or Combined Charging System (CCS) connector, so older models without this type of connector can’t use them. Tesla’s Superchargers are an example of a Level 3 charger. Which brings us to the second obstacle for across-the-board standardization. As of now, Tesla isn’t playing fair when it comes to sharing its network. While a $50 adapter allows its customers to connect to any charger, drivers of EVs from other brands aren’t able to connect and juice up at the company’s charging stations. Tesla has toyed with the idea of opening access to other brands and even starting testing the concept with a pilot program in the Netherlands that began this past November. The company is starting in Europe because it uses the continent’s standard CCS connector there, which means non-Tesla vehicles can connect to the brand-specific chargers without an adapter. Buying a good, fast charger for your EV adds to the already hefty surcharge for going electric. Besides the higher price at the dealership,

car insurance

for electric cars is also more expensive on average than it is for gas-powered vehicles. But you can save big on coverage by shopping for your policy with

Jerry

. A licensed broker that offers end-to-end support, the Jerry app gathers affordable quotes, helps you switch plans, and will even help you cancel your old policy. The average Jerry user saves $887 a year.

MORE:

Could Volkswagen’s New Charging Station Take the Pressure off Local Grids?

View full answer

WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY

Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.