5 Steps to Preparing for an Electric Vehicle Home Charger

Ready to buy a new car that can offer you the fuel efficient yet powerful Los Banos commute you’ve been looking for? An EV might be a great choice for you. EVs have many benefits, among them is a potential reduction to your carbon footprint as well as lower maintenance costs than most gas cars. Along with a new EV model, you’ll need an EV charging station at home. At Smith Chevrolet Of Turlock, we can help you take the steps necessary to prepare your home for an electric vehicle.

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

The first step is doing some research on the types of EV chargers available. Most home car charging systems fall into Level 1 or Level 2. Here’s a bit more information on those:

• 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

Now is the time to clear out any clutter in your garage. You can start to make some space for your new EV charging station. 

3. Find Your Power Panel & Assess Consumption

You’ll want to locate the power panel in your home. This distributes electricity throughout your entire home. Each power panel is rated for a maximum amount of current flow measured in Amperes. Most newer homes come with a 100 Amp power panel. Double check the Amps on the main circut breaker.

Next, keep track of your electrical energy usage by performing a self-assessment before you install an EV charging system. You want to avoid overloading your electric distribution panel.

4. Hire an Electrician

Up next, you’ll need to hire an electrician. You can go over your concerns about power consumption and adding EV charging. You’ll also want to make sure they install a dedicated 240-volt plug or hardwired circuit back to the power panel if your system requires it. Usually this costs a couple hundred dollars, but could be up to $1,000 or $3,000 if it’s found that your power panel is not sufficient as-is and requires upgrading. 

5. Buy Your Charger & Have it Installed

After you do your research, and purchase an EV charger, you can schedule delivery and have it professionally installed by the electrician of your choice.

Contact Smith Chevrolet Of Turlock to Learn More!

If you have any additional questions about a new EV model, our car-buying tips, our services, and more, don’t hesitate to contact our team near Modesto. We look forward to helping you find a new model that’s right for you and your Ceres driving needs.