What does Destination Charger mean?

Explanation

A destination charger is an AC charger installed at a place where you are going to spend time anyway: a hotel, restaurant, shopping mall, office building, or tourist attraction. The idea is that you charge while you eat, sleep, shop, or work, rather than making a dedicated stop at a fast charger.

Destination chargers are typically 7 kW to 22 kW AC, which is slow compared to DC fast chargers but perfectly adequate when you are parked for several hours. Overnight at a hotel with an 11 kW destination charger, your car gains about 60 km of range per hour, which means a completely full charge in 5-7 hours.

Some destination chargers are free (the hotel or restaurant covers the cost as a perk for customers). Others require payment through an app or RFID card. If you are planning a trip, looking for accommodation with destination chargers can eliminate the need for separate fast charging stops entirely, saving both time and money.

Learn more from U.S. Department of Energy AFDC.

Where you'll see this

• In charging network apps

Common confusion

Some drivers bypass destination chargers because they seem 'too slow.' But if you are sleeping at a hotel for 8 hours anyway, a 7 kW destination charger gives you 250+ km of range for free or cheap. That is time-efficient because it requires zero minutes of dedicated waiting.

Example

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