What’s the best way to charge my EV when visiting family with a 120V outlet?

[SophiaL]

I just got my first EV and I’m trying to figure out the best way to handle charging when I visit my parents for a weekend. Their house only has a standard 120V outlet in the garage, and I’m worried that might not cut it for the amount of driving we usually do while I’m there.

[NoraP]

I just did a weekend with a 120V outlet in the garage. It works, but it’s slow. We plugged in overnight and drove more conservatively during the day to stretch the range. It felt like a rough balance between time at home and time on the road.

[TylerM]

On my trip I learned that at 120V you might gain a few miles of range per hour. If you’re doing a lot of driving, you’ll want to plan for longer drives between charges or shorten the days.

[Andrew.J]

I ended up bringing a portable charger that works with 120V and a longer cord. It was nice to park closer to the garage, but you still have to be mindful of heat and cords.

[EmmaRT]

Do you know your car’s level 1 charging rate and how many miles you actually need to add for each day?

[JustinRT]

Once we got stuck waiting for a top-up, we ended up hopping in the car to drive to town for a charger. It’s not ideal, but it happened.

[AddisonWL]

I’ve wondered if a 240V outlet at their place would be worth it, or if the weekend just isn’t the right time to push the car that hard.