40 AMP EV Charger vs 32 & 50 Amp: Key Differences

  1. What Are Amps?
  2. How Are Amps Used?
  3. 32 Amp vs. 40 and 50 Amp EV Chargers
  4. How Fast is a 40 Amp EV Charger?
  5. Conclusion

When choosing the right charging station for your company’s electric vehicle charging needs, you may come across a 32-amp, 40-amp, or 50-amp charging station. While it may seem like the higher the amperage the better, different amperage charging piles are suited for different application scenarios and needs. This article will help you understand the difference between 32 amp, 40 amp and 50 amp charging stations and help you make an informed choice.

What Are Amps?

Amps, short for amperes, are a unit of measurement used to quantify the electric current in a circuit. In simpler terms, amps indicate how much electricity is flowing through a wire or device at any given moment. Understanding amps is crucial when selecting electrical systems, including EV chargers, because it determines the amount of power a device can handle and how quickly it can charge an electric vehicle (EV).

How Do Amps Relate to EV Chargers?

In the context of EV chargers:

  • The higher the amps, the more electricity the charger can deliver to the vehicle, allowing it to charge faster.
  • For example, a 32 Amp charger can deliver up to 7.7 kW of power, while a 40 Amp charger can deliver up to 9.6 kW.

Amps in Action:

  • Low amps (e.g., 16 or 20 Amps): Often used for slow charging in smaller residential or lower-capacity devices.
  • Higher amps (32, 40, or 50 Amps): Used for faster charging, especially in EV chargers, where higher amperage means faster energy delivery to the vehicle’s battery.

How Are Amps Used?

Every electrical appliance or device in your home that plugs into an outlet or is hardwired to the circuit takes a specific amount of amps depending on its electrical need. A hairdryer, television and electric range oven all require different amounts of amps to run, but if you run them all at once, you’d need to be able to accommodate the total amount of all three.

They also all tend to pull power off of the electrical panel in your home, which means there’s a finite amount of amps available based on how much your system can provide you with. Because there’s a specific amount of amps available from your electrical system, all the amps used at one time need to add up to less than the overall amps available — like everything, you can’t use more than you have.

Your home only has so many amps (homes typically provide between 100 and 200 amps distributed amongst a number of circuits) to distribute between the devices that need electricity at one time. As the amount of amps needed increases toward the total amount available, you’ll notice lights flickering or power dwindling; if it reaches capacity, your circuit breaker will flip as a safety precaution to prevent any electrical fires or other issues.

The more amps it takes to use a device or appliance, the less there is available. 40 amps uses eight more amps from your system than 32 amps does and 50 amps is an additional 10.

32 Amp vs. 40 and 50 Amp EV Chargers

If you have 100-200 amps available in your home, what’s the difference between a 32 amp EV charger and a 40 or 50 amp charger?

Think of amperage as the size of the conduit that delivers power to your electric vehicle.A 32 amp charger draws a moderate amount of current and can charge your vehicle at about 7.7 kilowatts, which is suitable for most everyday use situations. In comparison, a 40-amp charger delivers 9.6 kilowatts of power and a 50-amp charger delivers up to 12 kilowatts of power and can charge at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.

For businesses with high vehicle turnover or large battery capacities, higher amp chargers can significantly reduce downtime, speed up vehicle turnaround time and improve operational efficiency. However, this requires ensuring that your facility’s electrical infrastructure can handle the increased load.

At the end of the day, the more amps an EV charger can use, the more power it can get.

How Fast is a 40 Amp EV Charger?

A 40-amp EV charger can provide up to 9.6 kilowatts (kW) of power. This adds approximately 25 to 30 miles of range per hour. For a 60 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery, it takes approximately four to eight hours to charge from empty to full using a 40-amp charger.

If your business or facility requires faster charging, a 50 Amp EV charger is a better choice, delivering 50 miles of range per hour. However, this charger needs a 70 Amp circuit breaker, which could incur additional installation costs. It’s suitable for environments where rapid turnover of electric vehicles is needed, such as in fleet management or high-traffic charging stations.

On the other hand, for residential or low-demand use, a 32 Amp EV charger might be sufficient. Although it charges slower than the 40 and 50 Amp versions (around 25-30 miles per hour), it’s still significantly faster than a Level 1 charger and draws less current, making it ideal for homes with limited electrical capacity. It also requires a 40 Amp circuit for installation.

Conclusion

If your business requires rapid charging, a 50-amp charger is ideal, especially for fleet management or high-traffic charging stations. For residential or low-demand scenarios, a 32-amp charger may suffice, offering a balance between charging speed and electrical capacity. Each option has its place, and the choice depends on your specific charging needs and available infrastructure.