The Hidden EV Charging Tax: Is Level 2 Worth It?

If you own an electric vehicle and rely on a standard wall outlet to charge (Level 1), you might be paying a hidden tax without even knowing it. It’s not a government tax—it’s an efficiency tax. And depending on how much you drive and how expensive your electricity is, it could be costing you more than you think.

What Is the EV Efficiency Tax?

When you charge an EV, not all the electricity you pull from your wall actually makes it into your car's battery. Some of it gets lost as heat and resistance in the charging process. And the efficiency of this process depends on whether you’re charging at Level 1 or Level 2.

A study from 2014 looked at the charging efficiency of Nissan Leafs and Chevy Volts and found:

• Level 2 charging: ~89% efficient
• Level 1 charging: ~84% efficient

For shorter charging sessions, the gap widened even more:

• Level 2: ~87%
• Level 1: ~74%

And before you dismiss that as outdated info, newer cars show...

🚗 Why I Went Plug-In Hybrid Instead of Full EV

Let’s start with the obvious question:

Why not just get a full electric vehicle?

I’ve driven Teslas, and honestly—I don’t like them. I don’t enjoy the one-pedal driving, and more importantly, road trips in non-Tesla EVs are still kind of a mess.

Electrify America? Spotty.

ChargePoint? Almost always slow.

It’s just not reliable enough.

With the RAV4 Prime, I avoid all that. I get to drive electric most of the time, and when I hit the road, I’ve got gas backup. No stress.

⚡ Real World Efficiency: EV Range + Gas Mileage

• EV-only range: ~33–44 miles (depends on driving style)

• Gas mileage on road trips: ~40 MPG

• Last time I bought gas? 1,500 miles ago… and it was just a half tank.

We use the car like an EV 90% of the time—school runs, errands, local drives. No need to touch gas.

🏎️ Smooth Ride, Quick Acceleration

This thing moves.

• 0–60 in 5.5 seconds

• Smooth acceleration—whether

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Maximize Freedom, Not Just Income 

A key principle of personal finance that many of us were never taught is that success isn’t about maximizing the number of dollars in our bank accounts—it’s about maximizing our freedom. This principle can help you cultivate contentment, maintain your health, protect your sanity, and strengthen your relationships.

The Trade-Off Between Money and Freedom

To earn money, you have to sacrifice time, effort, and energy. If you’re constantly chasing a higher income, you inevitably make trade-offs—often at the expense of your physical and mental health. Many high earners work extreme hours, neglect their personal lives, and wake up years later to find their relationships and health in ruins.

Take, for example, an attorney I once worked with. His job was essentially to push papers for credit card companies, sending out threatening letters to customers with outstanding debts. He looked years older than he actually was, limping through the office like...