How to Prep Your Home for an EV

Going electric requires a paradigm shift in a few ways, but one of the biggest differences is that you “fuel” your vehicle at its destination, not on the way to a destination. This is especially true when that destination is home. We’ll go over how to prep your home for an EV below. One of the big advantages of an electric vehicle is that you can always wake up to a vehicle with a full charge, a “full tank” of electricity that cost a small fraction of what that would be in fuel. Whether you’re considering a Bolt EV, Bolt EUV, or an upcoming electric vehicle, our electric vehicle home charger will be helpful. Contact us if you have any questions! Here are the five steps:

1. Decide on a Charging Type (AKA Charging Level)

To prepare your home for an electric vehicle, first you have to decide on if adding an in-home charger is practical for you. For almost everyone with a garage, the benefits massively outweigh the costs. Level 1 is what your house has now, while Level 2 chargers are what you should consider installing to get the most out of your vehicle. 

• Level 1 EV charging often takes days to fully charge an electric car. 
• Level 2 EV charging often takes several hours to fully charge an electric car. You can often get between 60-200 miles of range in just 20-30 minutes with Level 2 DC charging, though. For this reason, most people intermix daytime “top-off” charging with overnight charging.

2. Ready Your Garage

Clean out your garage so the instal can begin. Your Level 2 charger will allow you to get the most out of your electric vehicle, charging batteries quickly so your Camp Lejeune and Richlands drives can be done easily.

3. Find Your Power Panel & Assess Consumption

The power panel in your home provides electricity for the building. Most homes have power panels capable of a current of 100 Amperes. Your main circuit breaker should have a rating. See how much power your life uses through your bills, and take into account how much power the EV will use, so you’ll know if you need an upgraded panel.

4. Hire an Electrician

An electrician will double check your assessment and install a dedicated 240-volt plug, or put in a hardwired circuit for the power panel. Costs for EV prep range from a couple hundred dollars, to $1,000 or $3,000 if you need a new power panel. 

5. Buy Your Charger & Have it Installed

Have the charger installed. Some EVs come with their own chargers, beyond the Level 1 charging cables that generally come with all EVs.

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