Frequently Asked Questions

All EVs can plug into a regular 120V electrical receptacle, as found in virtually all homes and businesses.  This is often referred to as ‘Level 1’ charging.  No charger is required for this, virtually all EVs have the required voltage and current conversion for this built into the car.  The trouble is, the amount of electricity that can be delivered through these standard receptacles is relatively small, and the car will take a long time to charge…think in terms of charging at a rate of about 5 to 8 kms of range, per hour.
 
Using a 240V connection (often called ‘Level 2’ charging) instead (like a clothes dryer or electric stove), is at least three times faster (about 15 to 30 kms of range per hour), but a charging station (or ‘EV charger’) is required, in order to charge the EV at this voltage.
 
For most EV owners, the convenience of being able to add range more quickly, or completely charge overnight, is well worth the cost of installing a ‘Level 2’ EV charging solution … indeed for many EV drivers, it is simply necessary in order to get full utility out of the vehicle.

GROK EV Charger Services has an unparalleled team of sustainability experts and charging gurus to craft the perfect solution for your home or business. No matter how complicated your EV charging installation is, we can help.

• We offer the best service, and we proudly stand behind our work with a 3-year installation warranty. All work is done by licensed Red Seal Journeyman Electricians, who have been trained to properly install electric vehicle charging stations.
• We feature electric vehicle chargers from the top manufacturers.
• We work with all size jobs, and our prices are competitive.
• We plant a tree for each EV charger we install!
• We provide a complimentary membership to your local EV owners club.
• Finally, we are EV charging experts and will help you get the right charging solution for your needs.

Contact us today to get any additional questions answered and to let us help you select the right EV charging solution, for your home or public access space.

We’re thorough and fast, and we make everything easy. We’ll have a brief phone call with you to answer any questions and set up an appointment to look at your installation needs.

For residential installations the appointment at your home usually takes about 1/2 an hour, and within 24 hours we’ll generally send you your free quote.

If it’s a complex installation (such as multi-chargers in a commercial setting) this process may take longer as it will generally involve coordination with various people and departments, but we do everything to provide fast and reliable service that will deliver for you, both now and in the future.

Home installation will typically take a few hours, and following installation, the meeting with the inspector(s) will generally take about 1/2 an hour or less during the 3-hour window typically given by inspectors for the inspection.  Commercial installation will generally require more time.

Contact us today to get any additional questions answered and to let us help you select the right EV charging solution, for your home or public access space.

Absolutely!  We are happy to sell you the EV charger by itself.

Contact us today to get any additional questions answered and to let us help you select the right EV charging solution, for your home or public access space.

YES!  As long as your EV charging solution has been professionally designed and installed by properly trained Red Seal Journeyman Electricians (such as the GROK team), then you can be confident all electrical and structural safety requirements have been met, resulting in a safe and durable charging solution.
 
If you have any doubts about the qualifications of your EV charging solution designer or installer, then there is a chance you may end up with an unsafe situation.  We strongly recommend you only engage professionals with specific training and experience related to installing EV charging solutions, to ensure the safety of everyone.

BEVs (battery electric vehicles) run entirely on electricity stored in batteries and are recharged by plugging in at home, work or a public location. Full function BEVs are freeway capable with an operating range of 60+ miles, and generally take 6-8 hours to recharge at 220-volt power.

PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) run on a combination of electricity and gasoline, and have the ability to be plugged in for a charge. Their all-electric range varies by model, but generally is about 10-40 miles before the vehicle begins to operate like a regular hybrid. PHEVs are attractive because they are capable of all-electric short distance trips as well as long distance driving in regular hybrid mode.
 
Both types of vehicles can usually use Level 1 (slower, no charger required) or Level 2 (faster, charger required) charging options.

‘EVSE’ stands for ‘electric vehicle service equipment’, also informally called a ‘Level 2’ charging station. They use a 240-volt outlet. All come with the same “J connector” that allow almost all plug-in electric vehicles to connect to any charging station.

How long will it take to charge my car?

Charging speed depends on numerous factors, including:

1. State of charge when charging begins
2. Type of charger (Level 1, 2 or 3)
3. Size of EV battery

As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to gain 5 to 8 kms of range per hour from a ‘Level 1’ charger, 10 to 30 kms of range per hour from a ‘Level 2’ charger, and 70 to 200 kms of range per hour from a ‘Level 3’ DC fast charger.

The reason for the variability is because the first part of the charge (when the battery is low) happens relatively quickly, while the last 20% takes longer.

For most EV drivers, fully recharging at home overnight with a ‘Level 2’ charger is easily accomplished.

Of course this will vary, depending on how discharged the car is when you plug it in, how large the battery is, and your local electrical rates at the time of charging.
 
As an example, if you have an EV that needs 50kW put into the battery in order for it to reach full charge, and if your local electrical rate is $0.10 per kWh, it will cost 50 x $0.10 = $5.00 to fully recharge the EV.
 
Most EVs can travel about 250 – 300kms using 50 kWh, or about $5.00 worth of electricity, using the above example.

Very little. Despite being an advanced technology, electric cars are remarkably simple to maintain.

 The same is true for EV charging stations.  If installed properly and built modularly, every piece of the mechanism can be easily replaced.

‘Smart’ charging stations with online connectivity also enable remote diagnostics and repair, so you won’t be left stranded in the rare event of charger malfunction.

A “dumb” charging station just charges the car, period. And for some owners, that’s all they care about. 

A smart charging station has the ability to connect to WiFi or your smart phone and allow the owner to monitor their charging, check the power being delivered, review statistics from past charging sessions and more. This allows the owner to see exactly how much energy the car is using, so they can calculate how much the car costs to power. Without this feature, an EV owner can only guess how much the car is costing them to charge.

Some smart chargers can perform other tasks, like connecting to Amazon Alexa for voice-control of your charging, communicating with your utility so you can charge your car when the electricity provided is the “greenest” available (or cheapest, in regions with time-of-use rates), and even load-share so you can have two chargers on one dedicated circuit. Some smart chargers also permit remote diagnostics to notify you if there is a failure, and indicate what the issue may be. 

If you want options like these, or you’re kind of a data-geek, you’ll definitely want a smart charging station.

Most electric vehicles (EVs) will charge at one of three charging “levels.”
 
Level 1 – Basic, “slow,” “trickle” charging – residential – 120 volts AC (alternating current) – Typically will take 3-7 Hours for PHEVs and 9-20 Hours for BEVs. Vehicles plug directly into a typical 120‐volt outlet. Electrician will evaluate the circuit to determine if upgrades or modifications to the property’s main electric panel or circuits are required, and it should be a dedicated circuit (no other appliances should use the same circuit.)
 
Level 2 – Fast, or “quick” charging – residential and commercial – 240 volts AC – Typically will take 1-3 Hours for PHEVs and 4-8 Hours for BEVs. Requires a charging station. Electrician will determine if upgrades or modifications to the property’s main electric panel or circuits are required.
 
Level 3 DC – Very fast charging – commercial – 480 volts DC (Converts 3-phase AC to DC) or higher – Typically will take 5-20 minutes (80% charge)  for PHEVs and 10-30 minutes (80% charge)  for BEVs. Requires more complex installation and electrical infrastructure upgrades.
 

The Society of Automotive Engineers has established a uniform “connector” standard (J1772) for Level 1 and Level 2 charging, also known as the ‘SAE Combo socket’. Most US-made electric cars currently on the market or due to launch over the next several years comply with this standard (except for Tesla, which uses a proprietary connector – adaptors come with the car to permit connection to any J1772 socket).

European and Asian electric car brands most often use the CHAdeMO socket.

Inexpensive adaptors are readily available to permit inter-operability between the different standards.

DC fast charging (Level 3) connectors are available in several standards and will vary depending on the make and model you choose.

Residential models are less expensive, and generally expected to see less use, and wear and tear than commercial models.  Generally a residential model will be used once per day to charge the car overnight, while a commercial model may be used a dozen or more times every day.
 
Commercial models tend to be located in areas with much higher traffic, such as public access parking lots, where they are more likely to experience impacts, or other mild abuse.  Consequently, they are of more heavy duty construction.
 
Commercial models often have features needed for commercial  operations like billing functions, anti-vandalism locks and finishes, and more.  These features cost money, and are usually not needed in a residential setting.
 
The bottom line is, in almost every case, there is no benefit or logic to installing a residential model into a commercial environment, or vice versa.
 
Contact us today to get any additional questions answered and to let us help you select the right EV charging solution, for your home or public access space.

YES!  Incentives and rebates change frequently.  See the information posted on our Rebates pages for British Columbia and Ontario. Contact us today to learn what is presently available for your region and situation.

Every brand has strengths and weaknesses, and some EV charger models are better suited for some applications than others.
 
There is no quick and easy way to differentiate between all the different options available at any given price point, from all the manufacturers. That is why we offer FREE consultations!
 
Contact us today to get any additional questions answered and to let us help you select the right EV charging solution, for your home or public access space.

The main factor in determining the lifespan of an EV charging solution, is the number of charge cycles it completes.  Generally, a lightly used unit will last longer than one that is heavily used, BUT there are also some significant differences in build quality that will also have a significant impact on lifespan.  Selecting the right charging station for the application, both present and foreseeable future, is critical in ensuring a reasonable lifespan.
 
In most applications, assuming the right solution has been properly installed, an 8 to 12 year lifespan would be a reasonable expectation.
 
Contact us today to get any additional questions answered and to let us help you select the right EV charging solution, for your home or public access space.

NO!  Bigger is definitely NOT always better!  All EV batteries have a maximum amount of current they can accept while charging, without causing damage.  As the battery nears full charge (80%+), the amount of current it can accept drops quickly, which is why the last 20% of charge takes much longer to complete.  Because of this dynamic, in some cases a more powerful charger would simply not be able to charge your EV significantly faster, but would cost you more money to install.
 
In some cases this may make sense if the expectation is to upgrade your EV to one with a larger battery in the near future, but in many other cases it simply costs more for no benefit.
 
There is also a limitation on how much electricity can be supplied for any given EV charger, based on the electrical service at the property, and other loads already connected to the service.  It may be, that there is not enough available to supply a more powerful EV charger (although there can be solutions to this situation, too).
 
Finally, the actual charging requirements need to be considered.  How much time is available for charging, and how much range needs to be gained, in the available time?  How efficient is the particular EV that will be getting charged, or will it be multiple different EVs (public space)?
 
The bottom line is, selecting the correct size of EV charging solution requires multiple considerations.  There definitely is such a thing as ‘too big’.
 
Contact us today to get any additional questions answered and to let us help you select the right EV charging solution, for your home or public access space.

YES!  Any EV owner will be able to tell you, not everyone ‘gets it’ when it comes to ‘appropriate charging behaviour’ in public access spaces.  Google ‘EV charging etiquette’ and you will find many articles on this subject.  Here is a good summary:
 
EV Spots for EVs. It’s absolutely never acceptable for an internal combustion car to park in a spot designated for a plug-in car. That’s a firm rule—no matter how crowded a parking lot is and no matter how infrequently the charging location is used.
 
No Nasty Notes.  Electric car drivers should never leave nasty notes. If the charging spot you counted on using is ICEd — the term referring to a charging spot occupied by an internal combustion engine car — by all means, the plug-in driver should leave a note on the windshield explaining the predicament. The note can be firm but should be expressed in polite language — in a good-will gesture that will hopefully convince the offender not to make the mistake again.
 
Charge Only When Necessary.  Don’t charge if you don’t need a charge. Leave the spot free for another EV driver that might need the charge to safely complete his or her daily travels.
 
Charge Up and Move On.  Only occupy a charging spot while your car is being charged. As soon as the charging session is completed either when your battery is full or when you have adequate range to comfortably reach your destination — be prepared to unplug and move your car as soon as possible, making way for a fellow plug-in driver.

Note: Many charging networks and car apps can be set to notify you by email or text when your charging session is completed. Some penalize users with a hefty fee for idling after getting a full charge.
 
It’s Okay to Ask for a Charge.  If a charging spot you needed is being used, and you are able to park next to a car that is currently charging, it’s perfectly fine to leave a note asking the owner to plug your car in after his or her session is complete. If you receive such a note, honor the request. If the charging session requires a fee, you are obviously not obligated to activate the charging session (and incur a fee)—although that kind gesture will likely be returned some day. As with any note left on a windshield, it’s advisable to include your name and cell phone number so you can be contacted.
 
Don’t Unplug Plug-in Hybrids.  An owner of a pure electric car, like a Nissan Leaf, does NOT have the right to unplug a plug-in hybrid, such as a Chevy Volt — just because that car has a backup gas engine.
 
… Except When Plug-in Hybrid Is Done Charging.  The exception to Rule #6 — and applicable in fact to any other plug-in car — says that it’s okay for one plug-in car owner to unplug another car if the first car has clearly finished charging. In this event, the driver who makes the switch should leave a note explaining why it was unplugged. The note should be full of gratitude and include your cell number.

Note: The PlugShare app has a notification function so drivers can contact each other prior to unplugging. Drivers should try to make contact prior to unplugging.
 
Safety First.  Practice safe charging. The means properly managing the cord. Neatly wind the cord on its holder. Tuck it in so people will not trip on any excess length or drive over it.