How to Prepare Your Home for an Electric Car Charger

Buying an electric vehicle (EV) can save you a ton of money on fuel costs. But in lieu of stopping at a gas station, you’ll need to find a way to charge your car every few hundred miles.

Instead of driving around hoping to find a public car charging station, we recommend retrofitting your home with an electric car charger to charge your EV at your convenience. Continue reading to learn more about this process.

Selecting your charger

There are two different types of car chargers on the market: Level 1 (L1) chargers and Level 2 (L2) chargers. Level 1 chargers charge a vehicle much slower than a Level 2; however, they are much cheaper.

Level 1 chargers come with most EVs and use the standard household current of 110 or 120 volts. These three-pronged plugs connect to your current outlets. It can take 24 hours or more to get a full charge with a Level 1 charger.

Level 2 chargers, on the other hand, use up to 240 volts to charge an EV. These chargers require a charging station because a standard panel simply doesn’t provide enough current. With a Level 2 charger, you can get a full charge in less than eight hours.

Setting up your charging station

If you decide to use a Level 2 car charger, it’s time to set it up. Keep in mind that these steps are often best left to an electrician:

• Audit your power consumption: The first step is performing an audit to see how much power your home currently uses. If the EV will cause your power panel to be over 80 percent of its current capacity, you’ll need to make an upgrade to your electrical system. A professional can perform this audit for you in just a few minutes.
• Install the station: If the audit finds that your current panel can handle a Level 2 electric car charger, all you’ll need to do is hire someone to install a 240-volt plug. But if your current panel is already nearing capacity, you’ll need to buy a larger distribution panel. Hiring a professional to perform this task can be pricey, but at least you’ll have plenty of power.
• Buy a suitable charger: Now that your home is set up to charge your EV, it’s time to purchase your charger. The charger you choose depends on your budget and your EV’s needs. For long-range EVs, we recommend a higher-capacity charger to get a full charge in the shortest amount of time. However, a less expensive, lower-capacity charger will get the job done—it’ll just take a long time.

Consult Duke Electric Company first

Before you even buy an EV or a car charger, we advise contacting our team at Duke Electric Company to discuss the particulars of the project. In addition to performing your energy audit, we can install your charging port. Having everything set up before you buy your EV will ensure you’re able to hit the road and avoid the gas station once and for all.

Categorised in: Electric Vehicle Chargers

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