If you’re looking for an electric vehicle car charger, you have several options. You can get a super-basic cord that plugs into the standard wall outlet, or you can go with a Level 2 charger that uses a more powerful 240-volt receptacle similar to what you’d find on some home appliances. Then there are public chargers, often called EV charging stations. They’re free, or they can require payment via a mobile app or a card swipe (similar to the process at gas pumps). You can also get DC fast chargers that charge your battery up to 80 percent of capacity in about 30 minutes.

Most of these devices, which are technically called electric-vehicle supply equipment, or EVSE, are UL listed. They’re a little more expensive than the cord that comes with most EVs, but they are usually more durable and better built. They also usually offer more features than the cord that came with your car, like a display to monitor your EV’s status and energy use, plus some sort of software control that lets you manage the recharging schedule.

Generally speaking, the higher the output amperage of a Level 2 charger, the faster it will charge your car or truck. This is true even accounting for system losses that reduce the amount of electricity actually deposited into your battery. It’s also important to account for the maximum charge rate that your EV or PHEV will accept, which is determined by your vehicle manufacturer.

For example, the 2022 GM all-electric Hummer can’t charge on a public Level 3 charger, which can reach about 80% of capacity in about half an hour (it will be able to charge to 100 miles per hour once that feature is available). But it will recharge to 120 miles for every hour it is plugged into a 7kW Level 2 charger at home.

Level 1 chargers, on the other hand, are cheap and easy to install. They can also be easily taken on the road, though they’re not as quick as the high-speed chargers at public stations. EV drivers have different habits for charging their cars, with some choosing to charge at night while they sleep or at work at their desks, and others using public charging stations whenever they can. Some of the best EV chargers are smart, which means they have an app that allows you to monitor your recharging progress, keep statistics on energy use and fairly precisely know how much it costs to run your car. Some apps can also enable voice interaction with the charger and communication with local utilities to take advantage of peak demand pricing and other energy efficiency programs. One such example is the Anderson A2 charger, which has a stylish enclosure that conceals both the charger and connector within a machined aluminum base. You can control and monitor the A2 using its smart Konnect app. It’s available in a range of power capacities from 7.2kW single-phase to 22kW 3-phase and offers adjustable current settings.