What to Do While Charging Your Electric Car?

One of the differences between EVs and ICEs is how you refuel them. With the latter, you drive into a filling station, and within a few minutes, you are ready to pull out with a tank full of gas. However, the former is different because charging an EV to 100 percent takes considerably longer. As a potential or new owner of a battery-powered car, you might wonder how to keep yourself occupied while waiting for your car to charge to the full. In this article, we show you what you can engage in while your EV charges.

How long does it take to charge an EV?

The answer depends on several factors, but the most important one is the speed of the charger. If you are using a DC fast charger, you might be looking at 45-minute to charge fully. However, if you are on a Level 2 charger, you might need up to 8 hours. Level 1 is the slowest and could take you days.

What can you do while you charge your car?

The answer depends on several factors. For example, are you charging at home? If yes, you can carry on your day as usual because you do not have to stay by the car. You could cook, watch a show, hang out with family, etc. If you charge overnight, you could even sleep through it and wake up to a full battery!

However, if you are charging away from home, the situation is different. If you are charging at work, most likely on a Level 2 charger, obviously, you will be busy earning your wage while your car accumulates electrons. By the close of business, you will probably have a full battery.

But suppose you find a free charger where you go to eat or shop. You can just plug in while you engage in the business that brought you there.

Sometimes, you will find yourself charging at a public DC fast charger, which will take maybe an hour. The choice of what to do depends on whether you want to stay in your car or not.

For example, you might decide to take a nap, especially if you have stopped over on a long trip. Or you could meditate or read a book. Other ideas are catching up on emails or replying to messages. If you are in a Tesla, the options expand. You could play a game on the main screen, watch a movie on Netflix, or sing along to Caraoke.

However, if you elect to spend the time outside your car, you could stretch your legs by moving around a bit. Some people will grab a bite and use the bathroom. If there are places of interest nearby, you could explore, although you must be conscious not to stay away too long and hold up the charging stall after you are done charging.

Some public chargers are located close to public facilities like gyms, malls, etc. You could make use of them while your car charges.

The possibilities are endless, and you will develop your own routine pretty soon after getting your EV. The point, however, is that you are not wasting your life away while waiting for your EV to charge.