EVs require their battery to be recharged after use, just as gasoline vehicles require refueling when the tank is low. Most EV owners have a charging station installed at home that can be used to recharge their vehicle overnight (when electricity costs are lower). However, EV charging stations are showing up across the state in commercial and municipal owned parking lots for public use. EV drivers can charge their vehicles while out running errands around Town or traveling longer distances. Some of these charging stations may require a small fee for use, while others may not.

There are three levels of EV charging stations:

• AC Level 1 Charging uses a typical household three-prong plug. All current EVs are sold with AC Level 1 capabilities and only need a dedicated 20-amp outlet to charge. AC Level 1 stations charge slowly, and are generally used in home or workplace charging applications where EVs will be parked for long periods of time. AC Level 1 charging adds 2 to 5 miles of electric range per hour of charging time.

• AC Level 2 Charging provides electrical energy at either 240-volts (typical for residential applications) or 208-volts (typical in commercial and industrial applications). This level of charging is viable for both residential and public charging locations. Unlike AC Level 1 charging, AC Level 2 charging requires additional hardware that can be mounted on the wall, to a pole, or as a stand-alone pedestal. It must be hard-wired to the electrical source. The increased charging rate and affordability of AC Level 2 charging stations make them a popular choice for many EV charging applications. They typically provide 10 to 20 miles of range added per hour of charging time.

• DC Fast Charging utilizes direct-current (DC) energy transfer and a 480-volt input to provide extremely rapid recharges at heavily used public charging locations. This type of station is generally cost prohibitive for home applications. However, depending on the EV, DC fast charge stations can provide an 80% recharge in as little as 20 minutes. This option is only available on certain EVs.

The Town has established a network of publicly available Level-2 EV charging stations located at Town Hall and the Amagansett Village municipal parking lot. In 2020, the Town partnered with Tesla and Electrify America to install 12 DC-Fast Charger stations in a municipal parking lot in Montauk.

Click here to locate a public EV charging station in East Hampton.