Charging is a constant of electric vehicle ownership, and it's important to know that not every bit of information regarding EV charging is true. There are common myths surrounding electric vehicles and the way they charge, or how long it takes, that have become pervasive in the automotive world.

Many people still believe that EV charging is an excruciatingly slow process, especially if you do it at home. These myths are outdated, and modern EVs have made the charging experience a more pleasant one for daily ownership, so we're going to debunk them.

1. All EV Charging Is Free of Charge

Electricy America charging stations
Image Credit: Electrify America

There are ways to charge your EV for free. For example, Volta uses an ad-based system to absorb the customer's charging costs and provide free charging.

But even Volta is moving towards a fee-based structure for its Level 3 DC fast chargers. According to Volta's support page, it still offers free Level 2 charging, although it will be interesting to see how long this model lasts.

Free electricity seems like an unsustainable model, especially if you're offering free Level 3 charging. If you search the Volta app, you might still be able to find a free Level 3 charger somewhere in the US, but it won't last forever as the company phases it out.

If you want free charging that will stay free, at least for a fixed duration, you can purchase an EV that has complimentary charging included. The VW ID.4, for instance, offers three years of free charging with Electrify America. Three years is quite a long time to recharge your EV for free, and this is something that should make it to buyers' priority lists when shopping for an EV.

But most of the time, you'll have to pay to charge your EV, which isn't really the end of the world. You can't just drive into a gas station and refuel your car for free, but for some reason, people expect charging stations to be free.

2. All EV Charging Takes Hours

Tesla Model 3 at a charging station

Another common misconception is that it takes many hours, or even days, to charge your EV. This probably stems from using the Level 1 connector that is included with an EV, which is very slow. This is misleading, since not many people deplete their vehicle's entire range in one day. Many people just drive to work and then return home after running a few errands around town.

Just like this scenario won't deplete a full tank of gas, it wouldn't dent an EV's total range all that much. This means that even if you only have the standard 120V connector at home, you'll only need to replenish around 20% of the battery capacity each time you take your EV out.

Replenishing 20% of the battery will take significantly less time than going from 0% to 100%, which isn't a realistic scenario most of the time. Regardless, there are Level 2 home chargers that will charge your vehicle completely overnight, even if the battery's state of charge is very low.

At the extreme end of the speed spectrum is the Level 3 charger. This type of charger completely dispels the myth of slow EV charging. Hyundai's official Ioniq 5 page states that it'll recharge from 10% to 80% in a remarkably quick 18 minutes.

It's unlikely anyone will think blazing charging speeds like this count as slow. Of course, there's room for improvement when it comes to recharging EVs, but the charging dilemma isn't as horrible as many would have you believe.

3. All Fast Chargers Are the Same

Tesla and Electrify America charging stations side by side
Image Credit: Electrify America, Tesla

It's not uncommon for people to think that all Level 2 chargers are the same, and the same phenomenon happens with Level 3 chargers. Just because all Level 2 chargers fall under the same umbrella doesn't mean that some aren't faster than others.

This is also true for Level 3 DC fast chargers, which can vary greatly in their respective charging rates. Some charging networks, like Electrify America, offer 350 kW charging at select locations. On the other hand, Tesla caps its Supercharging stations at 250 kW.

This might sound considerably slower than what Electrify America offers, but it's necessary to keep in mind that these speeds are only half of the story. If your EV doesn't have the built-in capacity to take advantage of these very fast charging speeds, then the peak charging rate of the station itself doesn't matter.

4. You Can Only Charge a Tesla at a Supercharger Station

every tesla model charging at a supercharger in front of hill landscape
Image Credit: Tesla

This is clearly wrong because you can charge your Tesla at home using a Level 2 charging station or even a Level 1 connector.

But, assuming we're talking about charging on the road, you can purchase a CCS adapter (from Tesla) that allows you to charge at other popular charging stations like Electrify America. This is very convenient because it allows you to charge outside the Supercharger network whenever it's more convenient to do so.

Tesla is also adding specific third-party chargers that meet the standards of its navigation system. This allows the vehicle to precondition the battery before arriving at the charger, a feature previously only available when you set a Supercharger station as your destination.

This is useful because you can prime your battery for fast charging before arriving at the station. The CCS adapter from Tesla is $250, which might seem steep, but at least you can expand your charging horizons outside the Supercharger network.

5. You Can’t Leave Your EV Plugged In at Home When You’re Gone

taycan next to a home charger

Tesla's Model 3 owner's manual recommends that you do the opposite, instructing owners to leave their Model 3 plugged in whenever the vehicle will be parked for extended periods of time.

This is going to serve to keep the vehicle's battery at the correct temperature as well as prevent battery degradation. Furthermore, EVs use electricity even when parked (primarily to regulate their battery pack temperature), so if you don't drive the vehicle for a few weeks, you may be surprised to see that you've lost significant range if it's not plugged in.

6. Charging Your EV at Home Takes Forever

nissan leaf white charging in garage via level 2 home charger

In most cases, when you charge from a Level 2 charger at home, you can replenish your vehicle's battery to approximately 100% overnight. There are varying levels of Level 2 charging (with speeds ranging from 3 kW to 22 kW), but it's safe to say that most of these will let you enjoy a full battery by the next morning.

Obviously, this depends on the battery capacity—you won't be able to hook up a Tesla Semi to your home Level 2 charger and expect it to fill up in a few hours. Some EVs also have quicker AC charging capability than others, and there are models that can be equipped with an even faster on-board AC charger (which you should probably get if you plan to do a lot of home charging.)

7. You Can’t Charge an EV If It’s Too Cold

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning in the snow
Image Credit: Ford

Ideally, you shouldn't charge a freezing cold battery because it could cause damage. Your EV will protect you against this; if it thinks there's a damage risk, it will refuse to charge until the battery has warmed up to a safe temperature. This is why regenerative braking is often limited in vehicles when the battery is too cold.

That said, this is unlikely in most scenarios. If the outdoor temperature is low, you'll usually still be able to charge—it'll just be slower than usual. To overcome this, some EVs allow you to manually trigger heat to the battery to prepare it for charging; some (Teslas included) also automatically begin heating when you set the navigation to take you to a charging point.

Electric Vehicle Ownership Isn’t as Complicated as You Might Think

EV ownership might seem complicated at first glance, but it's really not that difficult to understand once you get the hang of it. Owning an EV actually allows for more convenience than an ICE vehicle in many respects, especially because you can leave your house with your vehicle charged every day instead of stopping at the gas station.