Back when the Leaf was popular, no one seemed to care much about the difference between 208V and 240V chargers. But with newer EVs, it feels like the voltage has become a bigger deal.
Yep, it’s mainly about level 2 charging and line voltage. With 240V, you get about 15% faster charging than 208V. If your onboard charger is limited to a specific power level, voltage may not matter as much, but otherwise, it can make a difference. When charging overnight, though, it’s often full by morning, so that 15% difference doesn’t always matter much.
Just remember, AC charging voltage and your car’s DC battery voltage aren’t related.
Connie said:
Just remember, AC charging voltage and your car’s DC battery voltage aren’t related.
True, but the difference between 208V and 240V is noticeable since most chargers and EVs have a set max amperage. It’s frustrating to pay for a charger, plug in, and see just 30A at 208V (6.2kW) instead of 48A at 240V (11.5kW) that my car can handle.
@olivia
Yeah, it’s noticeable, but if your example goes from 6.2kW to 11.5kW, that’s more about the amperage jump than the voltage difference. Most people charging daily at home or work won’t mind level 2 speeds as much, though. What really counts for road trips is having good DC fast chargers with a solid charge curve.
@Connie
True, 208V is rare for single-family homes, so it mostly comes up with public chargers. It’s not a huge deal but can be annoying at paid chargers where I only have 2-3 hours. A 15% slower rate at the same amps isn’t ideal when equipment can’t always make up for it with higher amps.
Public L2 chargers where people spend time are great—it helps reduce the load on DCFC for trips or when there’s no overnight charging at both ends. If I’m visiting family without charging access, I’d rather charge up at public spots nearby than go out of my way for a DC fast charger.
208V vs 240V really depends on your electric supply, not the car. U.S. single-family homes get 240V, while commercial buildings and some high-rise apartments run on 208V. So, you generally have to work with whatever supply you get. I’m not sure why it’s a big concern for you.
400V 3-phase support is pretty standard in cars these days, right?
Why wouldn’t Leaf owners care about charging speed back then?
Nathan said:
Why wouldn’t Leaf owners care about charging speed back then?
Leafs were only designed to support 6.6kW charging at 220V.
Nathan said:
Why wouldn’t Leaf owners care about charging speed back then?
Leafs were only designed to support 6.6kW charging at 220V.
Still, a 13% slower charge is 13% slower. That would matter to some people.