Charging Electric Vehicles

There are several options to charge Electric Vehicles, we recommend you plan ahead where you will charge your Flexcar EV, typically:

• At home.
• At public charging stations (normal or fast): at work or shopping centers parking garages for instance.

Charging at home

All Flexcar EVs will come with charging cables to plug your car at home on a standard outlet.

• Do not plug several large appliances on the same circuit.
• Do not use an extension cord with your charging cables. 
• Check with an electrician if you’re not sure.
• You can find charging cables in the trunk of the car (sometimes under the flap). Make sure you return those when you return your EV to Flexcar.

If you plan on using an EV consistently, we recommend you install a charger or a NEMA 14-50 / 240V outlet if want to charge faster (about $750 - $1,500 depending on your electrical system). In Boston area you can contact for instance SmartCharge or ElectricalSolutions or Kuhlman Electrical Solutions to request a quote.

To optimize charging for lower temperatures please warm up the vehicle before you drive in the morning while its plugged in. Set up precondition settings or start the car before you plan on driving to conveniently warm the vehicle while plugged in instead of using the batteries while driving. 

Charging at public stations

Public stations usually offer either Level 2 charging (usually at offices, grocery stores or parking garages) or Level 3 / Fast charging.

The following are a few apps and services that aggregate charging station locations. 

You may also use the GPS system in the car to locate nearby chargers. 

For Mach-E users: you can use the Ford charging network stations, and look for chargers through the car screen. However you will still need to create an account for the charging network you’ll want to use (e.g. Chargepoint, ElectrifyAmerica, EVGo being the main ones).

 

Maps of Charging Locations	Recommended charging networks
iOS | Android	Level 2 charging: Web Map | iOS | Android
Web Map | iOS | Android	Fast charging: iOS | Android
US Department of Energy Interactive Map

 

Speed of charging

Speed of charge and expected range is dependent on multiple factors including ambient temperature and driving behavior.

Lower temperatures will delay charge times and decrease range.

The initial 80% will charge at a steady pace while the last 20% will typically take much longer.

Here are examples of charging times depending on which connector you use:

 

120v Outlet (Level 1)	Nema 14-50 240v Outlet (Level 2)	SAE J1772 (Level 2)	DC Fast Charging J1772CCS (level 3)
3 miles of range per hour  Fully charged in 80-95 hours.	20-25 miles of range per hour Fully charged in 5-7 hours	20-25 miles of range per hour Fully charged in 5-7 hours	Up to 150 miles of range per 30min Fully charged in 2-3 hours

Note that Tesla superchargers are only usable by Teslas, and Flexcars are not equipped to use CHAdeMO chargers. 

Cost of charging

Cost of charging will greatly depend on where you charge.

It will typically be cheaper than gas if you charge at home. However, public charging stations can vary and you should research the price of the stations you plan on using to see how much it will cost you.