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level1mileage·October 31, 2026·@dwhitmire_

Commute is 26 miles each way, 60-90 minutes of mostly stop-and-go -- does Level 1 have any chance here?

I need a reality check from people who actually live on Level 1, because my experience is the opposite end of the spectrum. Someone I'm helping out is taking delivery of a new EV soon, and they're trying to figure out charging before they spend money on anything. Their commute is 26 miles each way. That's about 52 round trip, but it's a rough 60-90 minutes most days, and a lot of it is sub-10mph creeping in traffic. On top of that they do normal around-town driving and run the kids around. They rent, so getting a real Level 2 circuit installed isn't simple or cheap. The question is whether a basic 120V outlet can keep up with that daily total, or whether Level 2 is something they need to prioritize right away. Here's why I'm asking instead of just answering. I own a Polestar 2 and I own my house. I charge at home roughly every two weeks, usually when the car hits 20%, and I keep it at moderate levels. So I have no real experience with a daily-driver pattern where the car needs to get refilled every night. I know the 14-50 side of things well because I built my own plug for it. I also know that on the Polestar you can limit the amps the car pulls from the charger. During our 2024 storm outage I started at 5 amps and crept up one at a time until the generator struggled, and I ended up with about 2.8kw going to the car. That was slow but completely viable overnight. 120V is going to be a good bit slower than that, and I can't say from experience what it adds up to for someone driving 50-70 miles a day. My gut says the "worried about not having enough charge day to day, not just the theoretical range math" part is the real issue. Math on a spreadsheet says one thing, but a bad week with a kid's appointment, an errand run, and a cold morning might say another. So for anyone doing a similar daily mileage and commute style on a regular outlet: * Does it actually work, or did you end up needing more? * Did you fall back on public fast charging once in a while, and how often? * Is stop-and-go as easy on the battery as I think it is, or does it eat into range more than people expect? * What would you check first (outlet, circuit, car settings) before giving up on Level 1? I'd rather get honest numbers from people doing this daily than guess. As a renter, they'd rather not spend money on an install until they know they need it.

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83 ANSWERS

@cwexcott_October 31, 2026

Agreed on the stop-and-go. My commute is a lot shorter than OP's, about 20 miles round trip with a charger at work, but most of it is 30-45 mph or creeping traffic. In the i3, one-pedal driving made the creeping part way less stressful, and it never drained the battery the way highway speeds do.

@tpryor_82October 31, 2026

I plug into a regular outlet at home and haven't had trouble, but I never checked whether it was dedicated either. For OP's carport, I'd just watch whether the breaker ever trips. I do 40-50 a day, get home around 4 and it sits plugged in until morning, with the limit at 80%. That long window is the only reason it works for me.

@lraines_44October 31, 2026

Renter on L1 only here (EV6). If the outlet turns out to be a 20A one with the sideways slot (the "winky face" T-shaped neutral), check whether your car lets you set 16A instead of 12A. I get about 1.7 kW vs 1.3 kW, and it shaves roughly 3 hours off a night. I drive about 40 miles, even in winter, get home around 8pm, and it's back to 80% well before morning. Only worth trying once the landlord confirms what the circuit is, but it might help your 52.

@ccarrick_October 31, 2026

For a rough sense of L1, on my Mini Countryman SE it only gets me back about 10-15% overnight. I only get away with it because I have free L2 at work. If you've got anything like that near your job, it takes a lot of pressure off the carport outlet.

@kdevereux_October 31, 2026

Not my experience on the cold part. I do 41-44 miles a day for work and the 12A 120V outlet has kept up even with it down at 15 degrees. Traffic with the heater on that long is its own thing, but I wouldn't write off L1 for the whole winter.

@nweaver_62October 31, 2026

I commute about 61 miles a day and ran L1 for a while. In non-winter I only got around 40 miles back over an 8.5 hour workday, and my car is a slow charger, so yours may do a bit better. Even then I had to top off at a DCFC about every two weeks to keep up. Your 52 plus kid and errand driving is in the same range, so I'd plan on an occasional fast charge as a backup, especially once it gets cold.

@tgleason_74October 31, 2026

Bolt EUV here too, 35 miles each way, almost all of it highway at 70+. L1 didn't come close. I'd get home 4:30 and leave 6:30 am with it plugged in the whole time, so it wasn't even missed nights, I just kept sliding down. Highway is way worse than your creeping traffic though, so you might be fine.

@mike_derosaOctober 31, 2026

Mine was slow traffic, not highway, and it still didn't work. Did 3 days on a regular outlet with 30 miles each way. Traffic took roughly a fifth of the battery every round trip and the outlet gave back maybe half of that overnight, so I just kept falling behind. Ended up at a Supercharger on day 3.

@mrivera_08October 31, 2026

Mine sort of worked, but only barely. I was driving my Bolt about 80 miles a day on Level 1 and I'd end every work week a bit lower than I started. My days off were what made up the battery deficit. OP's 52 is a good bit less than that, so you might hold even, but I wouldn't count on it in winter.

@tlundy_73October 31, 2026

Similar boat. 66 miles round trip with a 2000 ft climb in the middle. On a 14 amp L1 for about 13 hours in a California winter I can just barely make it at 65-70mph. Warm weather is no problem. The charger that came with the car was way too slow, so I'd check what amp setting yours is actually pulling before you decide it doesn't work.

@tcorbett_71October 31, 2026

Same here on a Blazer EV LT, about 60 a day, mostly highway. I did a week on L1 and it was tight. Started Monday at 90% and was down to 20% by the end of the week, and the weekend of sitting plugged in is what caught me back up. I only got around 3 miles back per hour overnight. Your 52 in slow traffic should be easier than what I did, but yeah, I'd check the amp setting first like the above comment says.

@jshepard_41October 31, 2026

ID.4 RWD here, 55 miles a day 5 days a week on L1 for 9+ months. Mine only pulls about 1.1 kW so it's even slower than your Blazer number. It worked, but only because I had the weekend sitting plugged in to catch up. I'd end Friday way down and be back near full by Monday, nothing to spare. Never tried it with a sixth driving day and I wouldn't.

@lanford_mOctober 31, 2026

Mine was tighter than that. I only had L1 for the first few weeks on a 40 mile commute, and with long hours it was a squeeze. No weekend to catch up yet either. OP's 52 in traffic is more than mine, so I wouldn't be shocked if the first couple weeks feel tight. I have full speed L2 now and it's much less stress.

@hoyt_cOctober 31, 2026

That weekend catch-up is the part people forget. I do about 60 a day too, and the weekdays aren't the problem. It's that I can't make it to Chicago without a charging stop, so any weekend trip like that eats the time the car would've spent recovering.

@nweller_52October 31, 2026

Same setup here with the Bolt, 65-80 a day on a plain outlet, and the weekend catch-up is the whole reason it works. A weekend trip would eat into that for me too. Cold weeks are when I notice it most, the number on the dash drops faster than I expect. Got a Level 2 going in next week so I'm curious how much of that goes away.

@pgorman_19October 31, 2026

Model 3 on L1 only, 60 round trip a day, plugged in maybe 10 hrs a night. I start the week around 80% and get home Friday at about 60%, so it drifts but way less than some of the Bolt numbers in here. Not sure if that's just the car or my route.

@ldaniels_82November 01, 2026

Mine drifts too, just not as much as the Bolt guys. 1.5 years and 40k miles on L1 and honestly I've never run into a week where it wasn't enough, but I do lean on the weekend more than I'd admit. If it's 80 to 60 and you're back up by Monday I'd say that's just how L1 behaves.

@rcastile_October 31, 2026

Same idea on my Kona, just a longer commute (75 miles). I cap the charger at 16 amps and only run it in my off-peak window, and it still gets me through the week. Weekend does the catch-up like everyone's saying.

@bfinneganOctober 31, 2026

I did 75 miles a day for a while, first on an i3 and then a Bolt, all on L1. Cold didn't hurt my overnight charging at all, even at negative temps with the resistive heater running. So I'd plan around the daily miles and the weekend catch-up more than the winter. I eventually put in an L2, mostly so we could do weekend trips without the car needing that time to recover.

@lpoirier_63October 31, 2026

Opposite for me on the cold. I do 40 round trip on 12h shifts, and once it's below 0 the drive alone is 20-25% of the pack. Charging overnight for 11h still left me net negative. I get away with it because I only work 3-5 days a week and the days off let it recover. With a heater running through 60-90 min of traffic I'd expect OP's winter to be rougher than mine.

@jim_pelkeyOctober 31, 2026

Prologue here, 60-70 miles a day, 5 days a week, mostly on L1 overnight at home. About a month in and no problems so far, but I'm not relying on the outlet alone. I can charge at work if I need to, and once a week I drop the car at a free L2 near my house for a few hours to make up what L1 didn't. Then it sits plugged in over the weekend. Your 52 is less than what I do, so I'd start on L1 like people say, just have a backup or two lined up.

@mgresko_71October 31, 2026

60 mi commute 5 days here too. I'm on 220V at 16A at home, which is about 3x what L1 gives, and it puts back roughly half of my 88 kWh pack overnight. Even with that I'd say I barely get by, and any errands throw it off. That's with 70 degree weather, winter wouldn't work for me. So for OP's 52 miles of creeping traffic, L1 sounds like it could work if the weekend does the catch-up. But if you can get a faster circuit later, it takes a lot of the stress out.

@tlarrabeeOctober 31, 2026

I did 4 years on L1 with a Fiat 500e (24kWh, 90 mile range) and a 75 mile commute, but I charged at both ends and SoCal is super mild, so I had it easy. Your 52 is well under that. The thing I'd watch is efficiency. Under 3 mi/kWh in cold weather with the heater going, you can end up using more than the outlet gives back.

@dpelton_58October 31, 2026

Volt here, 60 mile commute on a 12A outlet. Takes about 10 hours to fill from empty, so the nights I get home late I just don't get a full charge. Mine's a PHEV so the gas engine covers the gap, and I end up burning somewhere between .17 and .34 gal a day depending on the weather. Cold is the .34 end, which is basically your under 3 mi/kWh point. Putting in an L2 soon so I can stop thinking about it.

@tmccleary_October 31, 2026

Same idea with my PHEVs. My commute is about 20 each way, so L1 overnight covers the daily stuff and it runs as an EV around 95% of the time. The OP's 52 in slow traffic sounds fine on L1 to start. Winter is where I'd be careful. Our weekend ski trip is mostly highway plus a 20 minute steep climb up the mountain, and that eats range way faster than any commute. The regen coming down doesn't make up for it. So I'd plan around the worst winter days, not the average.

@ron_vickersOctober 31, 2026

Same 60 a day here, garage with a plain 120V outlet. Plugging in when I get home usually has me back around 80% by morning, and the weekend covers whatever's left. Over the last year and a half I've only needed a public charger about five times, and every time it was because I forgot to plug in. So for the 52 in slow traffic I'd say start on L1 and see.

@kjell_aOctober 31, 2026

You'll be fine with the 120V outlet. It's all I use and I drive about 750 km a week.

@gcarver_66October 31, 2026

Same experience on a Rivian R1T. I drive 40-50 miles a day, 5 days a week, and have for 7 months on the L1 charger that came with the truck. There hasn't been a day it wasn't fully charged by morning, even when I don't plug in until 9 pm. I haven't been through a bad winter on it yet, so I can't speak to that part.

@rtillman_58October 31, 2026

I did a year on L1 with a 42 mile round trip commute. Plugged in every night and charged longer on weekends. Worked out great for me. Your 52 is a bit more than mine, but I'd start on L1 and see what your real numbers look like.

@mgreer_77October 31, 2026

120V 15A here too, 43+ miles every weekday and it's been fine. The weekend is what squares me up if I drive extra during the week. I did the same thing with a 54-mile commute in my old Volt and never touched gas, but I'd guess sub-freezing temps would make that a lot harder.

@dcassidy_October 31, 2026

Blazer EV, 48 mile round trip 4-5 days a week, L1 at 12A only. I average about 3.2 mi/kWh and I can usually recoup the day's use overnight in 13 hours when it's over 40 out. Your 52 is close to that, so I'd start on L1 and see. Colder than that I'd expect to lose a bit each day and lean on the weekend.

@tgarrick_61November 01, 2026

That 13 hours matches what I saw. I did a 45 mile commute for a long time on L1, plugged in 6 pm to 7 am, and could fully recharge almost every day. For me the length of the window mattered more than anything else. On the nights I got home late I still had plenty of range, and a longer session over the weekend squared it up.

@tgalbraith_October 31, 2026

Rivian here, mostly L1 too. On a typical day I'm putting around 40 miles on the truck, and L1 overnight replaces that without any trouble. Haven't tried it in a bad winter stretch, so I can't say how far that holds once the heater is running the whole drive.

@jmaddux_October 31, 2026

Funny how much efficiency swings this. I'm in an Ioniq 5 doing 40 miles a day and see upper 4s mi/kWh, mostly leftover habits from my ICE hypermiling days. So the same 12A outlet goes a lot further for me than it does at 3.2. OP creeping along in traffic could land closer to my number than yours, but I'd still keep the weekend as the cushion.

@kwalden_41October 31, 2026

I did this for a couple years, 40mi round trip commute, no big deal other than making sure to remember to plug in at night. Your 52 is a bit more than mine, so I'd start on L1 and see what your real numbers look like.

@wheaton_19October 31, 2026

I did L1 for 4 years with a 40 mile commute and a Chevrolet Volt. The rough math I used was 120V x 12A x 10 hrs x about 3.5 mi/kWh, so around 50 miles back overnight if you remember to plug in. Your 52 plus kid driving is right around that, so I'd start on L1 like everyone says and let the weekend cover any gap.

@lpaquette_October 31, 2026

Volt here too, though I got tired of the default L1. I'm doing around 40 miles a day in the Volt, which is why the battery gets emptied daily. The stock 8A setting took 13 hours to fill, and bumping it to 12A every day got old, so I ended up buying a cheap 3.8kW L2. The L1 stays in my trunk just in case.

@dmoser_58October 31, 2026

Leaf owner here, and it's a different kind of tight than most of these. My commute is 20 miles each way on the highway, and the guess-o-meter drops at least 30-35 miles for it. I'm on a regular outlet overnight and almost never hunt down a Level 2. With a smaller battery like mine, though, I'd watch the dash number more than the odometer. Mine's at 9 bars, so I expect it to get worse.

@lburkett_October 31, 2026

Volt here, so a bit different. Nine bars on a Leaf with a 20 mile highway commute sounds like it'd get stressful, I'd be watching that number too. Mine's a 10 kWh pack and my 40 a day around town fits in it nicely, and if it ever comes up short the gas engine just covers it. Only thing I'd say for OP is the pack is small enough that a regular outlet fills it overnight, so it's a pretty different situation from the bigger batteries in here.

@nsolomon_October 31, 2026

My commute is shorter than yours (21 each way) but I've run a Mach-E on a plain 120V outlet for over a year and it's been fine. The only hiccup is that my son just bought a plug-in Prius, so now we're fighting over the same outlet. That's another reason I'd get the landlord to tell you what else is on that carport circuit. I'll get around to an upgrade eventually, but I'd start on L1 and see.

@pete_roskoOctober 31, 2026

I wouldn't worry about it at that frequency. Going on 18 months on a 110v trickle charger with my i3, which has been more than enough for my ~45 mile commute, and I only hit a DCFC on the odd longer travel day. 6-8 stops a year is nothing next to what people who fast charge daily do, and that's where the wear talk comes from.

@greg_hallenNovember 01, 2026

Mine's the counterexample on the Leaf fast charging. 2019 SV, EV system failed at 97K miles after I fast charged on a really hot day, and the battery was cooked. I was putting around 40 miles a day on it commuting, so it wasn't a car that sat around. NMAC ended up buying it back. A few stops a year in mild weather is probably fine, but I'd skip it when it's hot out.

@marnie_tkOctober 31, 2026

I drove a Fiat with a 40 mile round trip every day and L1 overnight was enough, even in winter. Plug in when I got home and it was at 100% by morning. Your 52 is more than mine, so I'd still start on L1 and see. Just know L1 is a less efficient charge than L2, so you'll use a bit more electricity over the year.

@jtrimble_44November 01, 2026

That tracks with how I figure it for my Bolt. My 40 mile round trip works out to roughly 1.5-2 hours of L2 a day to get back, so on L1 it eats most of a night. OP's 52 plus the kid runs is a fair bit over that, which is why winter is where I'd expect it to get tight.

@sandy_wrayOctober 31, 2026

Weird, because I do the same 40 round trip in an EV6 on plain L1 and I've got the limit dialed back to 60%, and it's still easy. Plug in when I get home and that's it. Free EA charging is my emergency backup, but the regular days are all L1.

@dkimura_28October 31, 2026

Same kind of thing on my Model 3 Performance, plain L1 at about 4 miles an hour plugged in and I drive 40 a day. Doesn't need much babysitting. Limiting to 60% like you do would be too low for me though, I'd rather have the cushion.

@ron_halveyNovember 01, 2026

I had the small 125 mi Ioniq (not the 5) and drove 40-45 a day, charging on 110V at home every day. It worked great for me. I never got around to installing anything faster. Your 52 is more than I did, but I didn't feel any pressure on a pack that small, so I'd guess you'll be okay.

@ebriggs_90October 31, 2026

Only a month in on mine, but 46 a day on the stock 120V outlet has been no problem. I charge to 80% and haven't gone under 50% yet. It only gets awkward if you stack a few long days in a row, which is why I'm getting an L2 put in before my summer trips. For daily driving alone I probably wouldn't bother.

@rmeadors_58October 31, 2026

I've been on L1 for about a decade, driving around 40 a day for work, and it works beautifully for me. Plug in at night, unplug in the morning, and 8-10 hours covers it. Your 52 is more than mine so it'll be tighter, but I'd start on L1 like everyone says and see what your real numbers look like.

@gdawson_October 31, 2026

Worth knowing it can go the other way though. My wife has a 40 mile round trip to a hospital, 12 hour shifts, and with her ~10 hours plugged in L1 only put back about 31 miles a day. She was losing 8 or 9 miles every day, and on a run of 6 shifts in a row that adds up fast. We ended up putting in L2 and it's a non-issue now. OP's 52 plus the kid driving is well past that, so I'd start on L1 but I wouldn't be surprised if you end up wanting L2 down the line.

@nhartman_14October 31, 2026

I got through a year on L1 doing just over 40 round trip, but winter was closer to 2 miles per hour of charging vs about 3.5 in summer. The thing that surprised me wasn't the commute, it was that I started driving the car way more once I saw how cheap it was, so the kid runs and errands will probably creep up on you too. I only got away with it because I worked next to an airport with a $2 per 30 min fast charger for topping up. If nothing like that is near your work, that would worry me more than the 52 miles.

@glenn_pardoeOctober 31, 2026

We ran our Ioniq 5 on just the 120V/12A outlet for the first 8 months before we put in a Level 2. My wife only does about 15 a day though, so we mostly ignored it Mon-Fri and let it sit plugged in over the weekend up to 80%. Never got stuck, but the pre-road-trip charging took some planning. 52 a day is a whole different animal.

@mwhitby_17October 31, 2026

That last point about having a cheap fast charger near work is a good one. My situation is way milder, only a 12 mile commute, but I've been on plain L1 for 2.5 years and I only plug in about once a week, on a day I stay home. Colder months it's maybe one more time. When something comes up suddenly I just find a local fast charger. At 52 a day you'd be leaning on that kind of backup a lot more than I do.

@troy_baselOctober 31, 2026

M3 AWD on L1 here, midnight to 8 on weeknights, zero issues. But my office is 5 miles away, so that tells you nothing about 52. The only time it's bitten me was a drive over an hour out with no Superchargers. I'd sort out the carport breaker question first.

@ncaruso_46November 01, 2026

Tesla on 120V/12A here, home 10+ hours most nights, so I get roughly 50 miles back overnight and closer to 75 on the 13 hour nights. Covered but unheated parking, and the charge rate hasn't really dropped even in the 20s as long as I plug in right when I park. Where it bites me is a heavy driving week plus another long trip coming up. Then I can't get to 100% by the next weekend and need a 20 minute Supercharger stop. Your 52 plus the kid runs is right around what the outlet gives back, so I'd expect the occasional top-up too. Start on L1 and see.

@nwhitmore_November 01, 2026

Been doing this for going on 5 years, and that included a stretch with a 400 mile/week commute, which was totally doable for me. Garage at home, so I'm not much help on the carport wiring side. Honestly I'd say it only gets tricky around 500 a week, so your 52 a day sounds manageable to me. I just wouldn't skip having a fast charger nearby for the odd bad week.

@pjessup_83November 01, 2026

Kind of wild to me. I drive so little I charge about once a month and the rest of the time it just sits there. Plugging in every single night would drive me nuts, but I guess at 52 a day that's just the deal.

@tmorrisettOctober 31, 2026

Ha, we're closer to your end of it than OP's. We only just got our Solterra and it's on the plain outlet. My wife's typical day in the Solterra is under 25 miles, so the overnight L1 gain covers it without trouble. It only gets me about 1.5% an hour, so 12-15% overnight, but that's plenty for her. I'm still putting in a 14-50 mostly so I don't have to wonder if it'll hit 80% by morning.

@darin_keslerOctober 31, 2026

What did the 14-50 run you? My L2 quote was $9,000 because the utility box is on the opposite side of the house from the garage. At 8K miles a year on my off-peak rate that works out to about 7 years to pay back, so I'm sticking with L1 until a second EV or some other garage project comes along.

@ingrid_valeOctober 31, 2026

I'm kind of like the once-a-month guy. I've got L1 at home and almost never use it. The free chargers at my gym and the stores I go to give me 8-10% a day and I usually burn 3-5%, so I come out ahead without trying. If I get home under 50% I'll plug in overnight and get 15-20% back, but that's maybe 10-15 times total so far. It's only because everything is 1-5 miles from me in Minneapolis, so I never had a reason to price out an L2.

@mel_dorseyOctober 31, 2026

Same camp here, except my wife is the one who plugs in daily since she takes the longer trips. On a normal workday I'm well under 25 miles total, which is why a weekly charge is plenty for me. Reading these 50+ mile days, I'd be plugging in every night too.

@paulie_dOctober 31, 2026

NYC here too, no garage, so I mostly don't think about charging at all. Most days I don't drive and when I do it's under 8 miles, so the real pressure for me is the weekly upstate run, 160-180 round trip. Fast chargers up there are few and there's usually a line when I show up.

@greg_laskoNovember 01, 2026

Ordered my Leaf in fall 2022 expecting a hybrid job commute, and it didn't turn out that way. Since the job went remote, my driving is just short errands, usually well under 25 miles a day. Reading all these 50-80 mile days is kind of humbling.

@wendell_oakOctober 31, 2026

Same boat as you. I've had a Leaf about 4 years and my commute is tiny, so I only plug in on plain L1 when it needs it and use the charge timer to bring it to around 80%. Nothing like OP's 52 a day, so I can't say how it holds up for them.

@lrosen_29October 31, 2026

Same here, I only do 30-40 miles a week in a new i4, so L1 should be plenty. My only problem is that the cable that came with it falls about 3 feet short of the outlet in my detached garage. Anyone run a short 10ga cord for this, or did you just buy a longer cable?

@rgannon_62November 01, 2026

We just use the stock cable, but ours reached. For the short cord, I'd just buy a longer 12 or 10 gauge EVSE extension rather than a hardware-store cord. We're another low-mileage L1 household. My wife did 20 miles round trip in our Mach-E on plain 120V for almost a year, plugged in every night, and it recouped everything easily. At 30-40 a week in the i4 you'll never notice it.

@dwight_pyleOctober 31, 2026

Another Mach-E on a 110V charger here. I used it for about 2 years for my daily needs, but I only drive around 9k miles a year, so nowhere near OP's 52 a day. I was getting about 3 mi/kWh, and the only times I needed a high speed charger were trips or a heavier-than-usual stretch. At 52 a day I'd expect those top-ups to be a lot more regular, especially in winter.

@hwestergaardOctober 31, 2026

Volvo owner here, plain garage wall outlet. I'm at 20 miles a day or less so I don't plug in every night, just when it dips below 50%. It's usually over 80% by morning. Slow, but it's never been an issue for me. Your 52 a day is a different story, I'd say the weekend catch-up people mention is what would make or break it.

@jmorrow_31November 01, 2026

Ioniq 6 here, only about 20 round trip so a different league than OP, but L1 from the cable that came with the car does most of my charging and I don't plug in every day. Only had it since May so I haven't seen a winter yet, which is the part I'd wonder about at 52 a day.

@lgarrison_October 31, 2026

I only do about 15 a day, but I need the car full on weekends for longer trips, so slow charging is what I notice. I read somewhere that charging too slowly on 120V isn't great for the battery either, though I'm not sure how true that is. Has anyone here seen that on a long-term L1 car? That's why I'd lean toward 240V if the landlord ever lets you.

@kfessler_October 31, 2026

Can't speak to the science, but my 2016 Volt has 66k miles on it, nearly all on L1. Most days in the Volt were under 25 miles, so overnight L1 refilled it and I only burned gas on longer trips. I never noticed anything that made me worry about the slow charging.

@dkeeling_73November 01, 2026

Another Leaf on a regular outlet here. 2013, been plugging it in every night since 2020 for a 15 mile commute plus a chore or two. No problem.

@stevie_okoyeOctober 31, 2026

Mine's way under OP's 52, but even on 110V at about 20 miles a day I only plugged in around 3 times a week. At 52 a day that goes out the window, you'd be plugging in every night. I did just move to 220, but only because an electrician was already in for other work.

@nyberg_cOctober 31, 2026

10 mile round trip commute here, so L1 is plenty for us. Only time it felt slow was when we had the driveway redone and couldn't get in the garage for two weeks. We could only charge on weekends, and going from about 30% to 80% took a little over 24 hours. Kinda eye-opening how long that is when you're actually waiting on it.

@cmarlin_October 31, 2026

Yeah that 24+ hours for 30% to 80% is about what I'd expect. I only run L1 too and it's roughly a mile of range per hour for me, which is fine since I do like 10 a day. But it's why OP's 52 a day makes me wince, that's a couple days of plugged-in time for every one day of driving.

@jaltman_44October 31, 2026

Interesting, I'd have guessed higher than a mile an hour. On my Leaf I figure about 5-6 miles per hour of L1, and my garage subpanel is flaky enough that it might only be pulling 8 amps. With a ~20 mile round trip, one overnight charge covered 2-3 days of commuting for me. So I wouldn't rely on my numbers for OP's 52 a day, but it's worth checking what rate your car actually gets before you judge it.

@ryan_dellacroceOctober 31, 2026

I'm at the other extreme. Around town I average under 200 miles a month, so for me daily charging barely comes up. What I do think about is the long days. I bought mine for six 2,000-mile road trips a year, and the longest leg I've done used about 85% of the EPA range. At 52 a day on L1 you'd be living in the margin that I only deal with on trips.

@nate_pelletreauOctober 31, 2026

I average about 20 a day, so home charging barely registers for me. The only time I plan around chargers is when I drive out to other states, which can be 500 to 1000 miles or more. For that 85% leg of yours, did you plan the stops ahead, or just stop earlier than you needed to?

@kstanwick_October 31, 2026

I'm another low-mileage one, around 6k a year, and a lot of my charging is free near work. I ran the numbers on a home L2 and it basically never pays for itself at that mileage. I'm putting one in anyway because I just want the ownership side to be easier. Obviously not OP's situation at 52 a day.

@gorman_lenOctober 31, 2026

Same low-mileage side here. My Volt is on a plain L1 charger at about 4 miles an hour, and it handles my 24 mile round trip fine. I've got it programmed to only run when the rates drop, and even with that shorter window it's never been a problem. I never felt like I needed an L2.

@dwhitmire_November 01, 2026

The Polestar lets you pick the amps one at a time too, so it's easy to try. I only ever did it off a generator, starting at 5A and bumping it up until the generator started laboring. A wall outlet is a different thing, but I'd still go up in steps on the carport post instead of jumping straight to max, since you don't know what else is on it.

@nate_ruskinOctober 31, 2026

Does the occasional DCFC on a Leaf actually matter for the battery? We only quick charge on a few road trips a year, like 6-8 stops over two days, and otherwise it's all home charging. Everyone here treating a fast charger as the backup made me wonder.

@tkessock_November 01, 2026

My mom's Leaf is about 20 miles round trip to work and it's been on a plain L1 cable for 8 years, so at that distance it's a non-issue. That mile-an-hour figure is about what I'd guess she gets too. Even so, for 52 a day I'd want the weekend sitting plugged in to catch up.