The NEMA 5-15 Socket is the most common electrical receptacle in homes in the US. It is a polarized 120V, 15 Amp socket configured as Hot, Neutral, Ground. In your garage, this socket could be used for just about any common task. Typical applications include connecting a compressor to inflate car or bike tires.
The NEMA-15 socket can also be used to charge just about any EV as well. This is true whether it is a full Battery Electric vehicle (BEV) or a Plug in Hybrid (PIHV). Using this standard type of socket to charge your EV is known as Level 1 charging. The problem with this NEMA socket for EV charging, however, is the amount of time it takes to charge your vehicle. The NEMA 5-15 socket only supplies electricity at 120 Volts with 15 Amps of current. At this rate a modern EV such as a Tesla Model 3 could take up to 50 hours to charge. That’s approximately 4.5 miles of range per charging-hour.
Most of the other sockets described in this article provide 240 volts—twice the current delivery. Therefore they are much better suited to rapid EV charging!