What Mistakes Should You Avoid As A New Electric Vehicle Owner?

A finance expert advises new electric vehicle owners to avoid this costly pothole: Relying on the wrong kind of charging to keep it on the road.

TikTok user Ravi Wadan (@raviwadan) is a finance expert who posted a video with some thoughts on the “biggest mistake” new EV owners tend to make.

“If there was one thing I could recommend to anyone thinking about buying or leasing an electric vehicle, it’s this,” he says to start the video. “Get a Level 2 charger at home. Don’t rely on a standard wall outlet, and don’t fully rely on public charging.”

Why Should EV Owners Avoid The Standard Wall Outlet?

It’s possible to use a standard wall outlet to charge your EV at home. But according to Wadan, being able to do something doesn’t make it wise.

“You see, a standard household outlet, which is Level 1, only adds about 1-3 miles of range per hour,” he explains. “And that’s barely enough to make a dent if you’re driving daily.”

A Level 2 charging port at home is the way to go, in Wadan’s opinion. “But with a Level 2 charger at home—either a dedicated EV wall charger, like a Tesla charger or a 240-volt Nema 14-50 dryer outlet—you can add 20-40 miles of range per hour,” he says.

The results are dramatic. “And that means if you charge overnight, you can start every day with a fully charged battery,” he says. 

What About Relying On Public Fast Chargers?

Wadan says you should avoid this strategy as well. “And if you’re thinking of buying an EV and fully relying on a public fast charger, think again,” he says. “Relying solely on public fast chargers is both time consuming and very expensive. You can spend a few hours every single week just charging your car, and the cost per session can be comparable to gas.”

At the end of the day, Wadan thinks it’s better to just spend the money to get a Level 2 outlet installed in your house if it doesn’t have one already.

“So Level 2 charging is definitely the way to go,” he says. “And with a Level 2 charger at home, most people will see their electricity bill increase by about $30-$50 a month. And with Level 2 charging, you’re gonna save hundreds of dollars a month on gas.”

He concludes, “So it’s faster, cheaper, and way more convenient. And it will make the EV ownership experience way better.”

The Realities Of EV Charging

It’s no secret that new and even seasoned EV drivers find the wait times and social interactions at public fast charging stations stressful and annoying. That’s why some EV drivers say they wish they’d heard advice like Wadan’s before making the purchase. That way they could’ve been prepared for the transition.

Level 1 charging is notoriously slow, but it can serve drivers that don’t commute long distances or who own other vehicles. The method still must be used strategically, though, to minimize your chances of running out of power.

Viewers React To The EV Charging Advice

In the comments, viewers offered their own opinions on the merits of home vs. public fast charging.

“If there’s one thing I can say to new EV owners, DO NOT pay for a Level 2 charger,” wrote one contrarian. “Just plug it into a wall every night. You’ll be fine.”

A second user asked about people in apartments. While newer apartment buildings may offer EV charging spots, EV owners who live in condos and apartments do report difficulty in securing consistent charging options.

Someone else said, “And check with your energy provider. I got a $500 rebate plus a $10/month credit to install a Level 2 charger that nearly covers the cost of all my driving.”

In an email to InsideEVs, Wadan wrote, “I made the video because I often see negative opinions about electric vehicles, and much of that comes from people not having the right setup at home. By ‘right setup,’ I mean having a Level 2 charger.”

He continued, “A lot of people buy an EV thinking they can rely solely on public charging, but that usually leads to a frustrating experience. If you depend only on public chargers, you’ll likely spend 2 to 3 hours a week charging, and unless your car came with free charging, the costs can be about the same as paying for gas, which, in my opinion, defeats one of the biggest benefits of owning an EV.”

Wadan concluded, “With Level 2 charging at home, your car is fully charged every morning, giving you 250+ miles of range each day, which is more than enough for most people’s daily driving. Personally, I only rely on public charging during road trips; otherwise, I never need to use them.”