So… you just got yourself a Livewire or another EV and you have questions about charging. With all the different options out there, it is easy to get confused. Here are a couple of basic considerations to help you charge smarter.
You can charge most EV’s at 120 or 240 volts. Obviously the higher the voltage the faster the charge. A typical EV will take overnight to on your household 120 volts. The rough calculation is approximately 20 miles of charge per hour. LiveWire charges approximately 13 miles of life per hour.
The absolute fastest way to charge, provided your EV is capable, is DC fast charging. LiveWire has DC Fast Charging Capabilities. Not all Electric Motorcycles do. DC fast chargers deliver power much faster than a standard 240-volt system. There are three different types of DC fast charging stations. Two slower types and the state-of-the-art option which delivers power at 150-350 KW. Remember, 350 KW equals 800 volts!
These 350 KW charging stations will fill a battery to 80-90% in 20-30 minutes. Now that is fast! DC fast chargers are not as common as standard 240-volt chargers but they are growing in numbers thanks to the 2021 federal infrastructure act. Obviously, if EV’s are to take hold, DC fast charging will need to be widely available. One of the interesting things about EV charging is that it is often best to charge your battery to just 80%. This is because an EV battery charges to 80% in a relatively short period of time. The last 20% can take more than double the time to charge. This is related to the how the cells take on fresh power but simply put, the rate of charging slows as the battery fills.
Logically, the most efficient use of your time is to charge to 80% and then stop again for another 80%. Whenever you are traveling longer distances, it is important to chart a course that takes into consideration the locations between charging stations. A little prior planning will make for seamless travel.
What are the most popular charging apps for charging your LiveWire? There are many apps available for your phone that make located charging stations easy. Charging companies with apps include Electrify America, EVgo, Chargepoint, and Greenpoint. One of our favorite new apps we just discovered this May, 2022 is the new A Better RoutePlanner (ABRP). Is actually allows you to select your EV Vehicle (yes, it includes LiveWire) and it pulls in all sorts of data to help.
