Charging a Volvo EX90 EV

These are my experiences on charging a 2025 Volvo EX90 EV.     Read very carefully your charging documents and ask all the charging questions before buying an EV car.  Salespeople and many Electricians may not know the answers, make them get them.

First terms you need to know.

Level 2  AC for home or destination charging.  up to 11.5KW charging rates.  Roughly 40 miles per hour of charging. 

Level 3, DC fast charging.  High power charging 120-350KW rates.  250 to 500 miles per hour of charging.

NACS  This is the new universal plug-in standard for 2025.   Level 3 (DC) for Fast charging,  Level 2 AC for home/destination charging. 

CCS DC fast charging system.   The Volvo EX90 can accept the CCS charging port.

J1772 the Level 2 charging port.  The EX90 can use this port also.

Note chargers may be rated for faster charging than you vehicle can handle.  Battery preparation, temperature, percent of charge all effect charging rate.

This is the plug on the Volvo EX 90.   It works with J1772 and CCS charging connections. 


J1772 configuration
CCS configuration

Charging at home, This is Level 2 home charging

For full Level 2 charging you will need to add a 220V/60 amp line.  It can be with a 3 prong plug for the Volvo Cord Listed below.  It can also be connected to a Wall Charger.  Which wall charger?  That’s up to you.   I recommend getting the J1772 plug if you can, to avoid an adapter.

I used a Tesla Universal charger.  For whatever reason it was installed with the Tesla NACS plug, not the J1772 plug.   The NACS Adapter that came with the VOLVO Will NOT work with this plug.  It is for Level 3 DC, this is level 2 AC. 

Tesla Universal NACS plug
The J1772 LENZ adapter needed to make the Tesla NACS level 2 work.

Lenz ADPT-12101 “Tesla Adapter For J1772” is needed for  the Volvo to work with my Universal Tesla Adapter.    This will charge up to 48 amps or about 11.5 kw.  It will charge the car 40-50% in 4 hours.

What comes with the Volvo EX90

A NACS to CCS adapter for DC Fast charging NACS ports.

 

A cable with 120V and 220V detachable wall plugs.   The other end is the J1772 connection for the car.

 

A 120 volt plug that may take days to charge the car.  1.6KW or around 2-3 miles per charge hour.   A 220 volt 3 prong plug that could be up to 48 amps/11.5KW/ The 120/220 charging only works up to the breaker's capacity.  The car has a setting for max amperage used during charging.  This needs to be set if you use the cord.  Check the breaker amperage in your breaker box.   To get the full Level 2 charge of 48 amps. A 220V/60 amp breaker. wiring and plug is needed. 50 amp may get too warm and trip.   Most homes/garages do not have this.  If there is a 220v amp plug in the garage, it is usually 30-40 amp.

Could you use the cord only if you had a 220v/60amp compatible plug?  Probably the cord appears heavy enough.   Ask the Volvo Salesperson how well this will work as a permanent solution if you plan to use a 220V/60amp 3 prong plug.

Why did I put in a Tesla Universal Charging station?  All the notes I read before buying the car said I needed a Level 2 universal charging station.  The NACS vs J1772 connection was not clear at the time.  The advantage of the Tesla charging station is it works in conjunction with my Tesla Electric account.  Giving me cheap charging between Midnight and 4 am.  I could program the car for charging times also.   I have found if both are programmed for the same time, the car did not charge.  It may work if the car is open to charging before and after the time set in the wall charger, but I haven't done a lot of testing of this. I leave the car set to charge anytime and the Tesla Universal Wall unit to charge with a schedule.  That works well. 

Level 3 fast DC charging for long distance travel

The fundamental problem is there is not one app that shows all the chargers accurately.   It seems Tesla, ChargePoint, EVGO,  and all the others believe that by making their apps show only their chargers is beneficial. I don't believe it is beneficial to me.  It is building user animosity.   Even Google cannot sort for specific charging stations.   I searched for CCS charging in an area and Google includes all level 2 Hotel chargers and is confusing.  The fundamental problem is there is not one app that shows all the chargers, their type and NACS comparability accurately.

On the Road NACS connectors need the NACS to CCS adapter that comes with the car.   Not all Tesla Superchargers are NACS.  Only about 2/3 are.  Sadly in the central and western part of the U.S. I find only about 1/4th of the Tesla superchargers support NACS currently.  5/2025

CCS DC fast chargers work well if they have the power.   Some Flying J truck stops have 350KW CCS charging currently.   Hopefully this trend continues. 

While there are 250-350 amp chargers the Volvo seems to charge at about 120KW for most of the charge.  Usually less than 200KW at peak.  I haven’t been near 10%  charge.   Even though the charges may be CCS, it is the Kilowatt, KW, capability that determines how fast they will charge.

The true Level 3 fast Charging stations are still too few and far between in many areas of the U.S.    You need to carefully plan your trips in the central to western U.S.

Some chargers work with a credit card.  Some you have to be a registered client.  With Tesla, for Non-Tesla vehicles you have to pay $12.99 a month to be a Tesla member and get the discounted prices.  It would be worth it if the Tesla charge stations worked for my car in the central to western United States, but there are not enough supporting NACS in my travel routes currently. 

Overnight or Destination charging

There are many level 2 charging stations at hotels and some stores.   Will they work?   I have found the people in the hotel have no information on the chargers. This is like having a hot water heater in the hotel and no one knows how to turn it on.   The chargers aren't labelled.   I have even found most charging apps don't list my Volvo EX90 yet.     Level 2 is slow charging, not suited for a "fill up" in the middle of the day.   Some are what I call level 2 minus.  They don't even charge at the 48 amp level 2 rate.  

The agreement to use NACS was done for 2025.  Many existing Destination chargers are not yet compatible and only work with older EV.s 

Cost of charging

What does it cost me to charge at home?   5 cents a kilowatt during the night time rate.   10 cents in the daytime.  I have Solar panels also so it often works out less than 10 cents for daytime charging.   Be aware that charging your car may be 3-4 days worth of electricity use at home. 

What does it cost to charge on the road?  I find it is 6-16 times what I can do it for at home.  Making charging on the road roughly equivalent to a gasoline powered automobile of equal capacity.   With my discounted night rate at home, the equivalent price that would equal gallon of gas for distance is 35 cents.   There are not enough charging stations for price wars yet for the long distance traveler.

What about road taxes?  Gasoline taxes were OK when everyone used gasoline.  If you bought gas in a state, you most likely were driving on their roads.  It was equitable.   EV road tax rates are still being worked out in each state.  In Texas there was an EV charge of $200 per year to cover road taxes.  That is equivalent to a 1000 gallons of gas in Texas at 20 cents a gallon.  That would be equivalent to 20,000 miles of driving roughly, but only in Texas.   Oklahoma currently charges $110 yearly and 3 cents per KW hour at charging stations. 3 cents per KW is roughly 21 cents per gallon.  Oklahoma Gas tax is 19 cents a gallon.     Utah has a $135 charge or you can pay 1.06 cents per mile.   Balancing in state vs. out of state driving and taxes will probably take many years to work out.  What if you don't drive that much and want an EV?  Contact your state representatives.

  last update may 6 2025