AC vs. DC EV Charging: What's the difference?
- 3 min reading time
Both AC and DC chargers are great options to charge your car, and we are glad both options are available, like anything there are pros and cons for you to consider.
Both AC and DC are references to power / electricity. The difference between the two is that electric current used differs in the flow direction.
- AC stands for Alternating Current
- DC stands for Direct Current
AC (Alternating Current) Overview
AC is what you will find in residential apartments / homes and commercial buildings. Your home for example, is connected to a 'grid' and electricity providers use AC power because it's more efficient for them to send over power cables, there's less energy loses, and AC power is steady and reliable.
The electricity/power you get from all the wall socket / outlets will be AC so when you buy an EV charger for your home it needs to be an AC type charger.
DC (Direct Current) Overview
DC started life as AC current, but it goes through a conversion process. DC is used by higher power or specialised equipment found in manufacturing, telecommunication or in the world of EV charging those fast chargers (also referred to as level 3 chargers) you see on the highway, shopping centres or street.
Using an AC Charger to Charge and EV and the role your cats built-in-onboard charger (OBC) plays
From an EV charging perspective, using an AC charger (Level 1 and Level 2 charger) relies on your cars original built-in charger (OBC) to convert the AC power to DC to charge the batteries.
Your EV cars built-in-onboard charger (OBC) is a very expensive component that has been designed and manufactured to a very high standard, so, when charging your car via an AC charger, you are allowing the OBC to control the entire charging process with careful management ensuring the batteries health and lifespan is maximised to meet its warranty period. DC charging is not as gentle on your cars battery or put simply more brutal.
Pro Tip:
Your cars built-in charger (OBC) has a maximum charging rate which limits the charging speed. You can check manufacturer specifications to see the maximum charge rates.
If the maximum AC charge rate of your car is 7.4kW, using a higher power AC charger will not provide any additional charging speed benefit to your vehicle in this case.
Using a DC Fast Charger to charge an EV
When charging your EV battery using a DC fast charger, the cars original built-in charger is bypassed, meaning your cars battery is charging directly from the DC power the charger is supplying. DC charging often will put a strain the battery over time and reduce its life.
DC fast charging will get you to the 'full capacity finish line' faster than AC which is great especially if you don't have time to wait around for your car battery to charge.
DC charging (when you need to pay for it) is going to be more expensive than using an AC charger at home and if live in a country where your electricity supplier offers you a lower 'off peak rate' than even more money goes back in your pocket.
Takeaways
Charging via a DC fast charger is convenient and much faster than AC but we wouldn't recommend using a DC charger all the time, ideally only when needed.
For daily use, top-ups and frequent charging, AC charging is the way to go giving you a balance of convenience, improved long term battery degradation protection and greater cost-effectiveness as it will be cheaper than using a paid DC charger.
Our range of portable EV chargers use AC power. They are safe, robust and can be used every day of the week, perfect for home charging and you can take it with you for charging on the go. We stand by the quality and safety of all our products.