How many watts does a EV Charger (Level 1, 120V) use?

A EV Charger (Level 1, 120V) draws a steady 1,400 watts with no meaningful startup surge, since it has no motor to spin up. Technically pluggable, but an EV needs far more total energy than a portable power station carries — not a realistic battery use case.

Running it 6 hours/day costs roughly $42.84/month at the U.S. average residential rate (~$0.17/kWh, early 2026, per the EIA) — real rates vary a lot by state and utility. Use your own rate in the House calculator →

Generators that can run this

• Generac GP2200i
  1,700 W run · 2,200 W start · ~$550
• Champion 2000-Watt Inverter (100692)
  1,700 W run · 2,000 W start · ~$450
• Honda EU2200i
  1,800 W run · 2,200 W start · ~$1,150

Prices as of July 2026 — check the current listing before buying.