How To Prepare Your Home For An Electric Vehicle

Electric vehicles increase in popularity every year. They offer significant advantages, such as low operating costs and less pollution. However, purchasing an electric vehicle isn’t a straightforward process. You must prepare your home for this new vehicle, as it requires an electric charge to operate. Therefore, you’ll need a charging station at home to avoid going to a public charging station every time your battery is low. Below, we’ll outline the steps to prepare your home for an electric vehicle.

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Know the Different Types of Chargers

The first thing to know about preparing your home for an electric vehicle is that you can get two types of chargers: Level 1 and Level 2. A Level 1 charger is your most basic charger, as it delivers the standard household current output of 110 or 120 volts. You’ll be able to recognize a Level 1 charger as it looks like the other plugs in your home, with three prongs that go into the outlet. When you buy an electric vehicle, you’ll likely get one of these chargers included with the purchase.

A Level 2 charger is more complex but charges the vehicle faster. For example, a Level 1 charger provides around three to five miles of range per hour. So, it can take an entire day to fully charge an electric vehicle with a Level 1 charger. A Level 2 charger provides around 25 miles of range per hour, making it a much faster option. A Level 2 charger uses about 240 volts, double that of a Level 1 charger. It is ideal for people who plan on driving their vehicles frequently.

From this, it would seem to make sense to opt for the Level 2 charger. However, a Level 2 charging station requires a more complex setup and a more significant energy requirement from your home. It could overload your home’s electrical consumption capability if you don’t properly prepare for it. Therefore, you’ll want to carefully consider whether a Level 2 charger is the right option for you.

Installing a Charging Station

Installing a Level 1 charging station within your home is typically easy. All you need to do is plug the vehicle into an available outlet. Check your garage area for an accessible standard 120-volt outlet. Most homes can accommodate the energy requirements of a Level 1 charger, so you don’t need to worry about overloading the system.

Going with a Level 2 charging station requires a bit more planning. Here is what you need to do if you decide to go with this system:

Determine Your Power Consumption

Before purchasing a Level 2 charger, you want to ensure your home can handle the increased energy consumption. To do this, you can perform an energy audit on your home. An easy way to do this is by installing an electricity usage monitor, which will tell you how much electricity your major appliances use. You can then add them up to determine your power consumption level.

Once you know this, you’ll want to compare it with the maximum energy rating of your home. You can find this information on your circuit breaker or energy panel. For example, energy panels installed before 1965 typically have a rating of 60 amps, while later systems are around 100 amps. Newer panels can have ratings of 150 to 200 amps, sometimes even more. Once you know your home’s rating, you’ll want to take 80% of this number, as you typically don’t want to go over 80% of the maximum allowed amount.

All these calculations should give you an idea of how much power your home typically uses and how much you have available based on your energy panel’s rating. You can then determine whether you have enough energy left over to get a Level 2 charger, and if so, what kind.

Get the Right Vehicle Charger

When it comes time to buy the charger, you’ll have a few options. You’ll want to carefully consider your vehicle’s battery capacity, as higher-capacity batteries need more powerful chargers. However, the most popular choice is a 30-amp, 240-volt Level 2 charger. As long as 30 amps of energy are available within your home, this charger should provide enough power to fully charge your electric vehicle overnight.

Install the New Charger

After getting the proper charger, you then need to install it properly. To do this, you’ll need to hardwire your new charger into your home’s power station. While it’s possible to do this on your own, for most people, it’s wiser to hire a professional. A professional is best suited to install the charging station safely, and you don’t have to risk injury. Talk to a local electrician and ask for a cost estimate.

Explore This Alternative Option

If you want to get a Level 2 charger but don’t want to go through the complicated installation process, there may be an alternative solution. Some garages come equipped with a 240-volt outlet, typically used for your home’s dryer. If you have one of these outlets, you can purchase a 30-amp charger and plug it into this outlet. If you’re using this outlet for a heavy appliance already, you would need to unplug that appliance every time you want to charge your vehicle. This solution won’t work for everyone, but it’s worth exploring to see if it works for you.

Finding Your New Electric Vehicle at Dan Cummins Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Paris

Setting up your home for a new electric vehicle may take a little work, but it’s often worth it in the long run. By spending a little time and money now, you can have a great charging setup at home that provides energy for your electric vehicle for years to come. If you’re interested in getting your first electric vehicle, check out some of our available new options or even our pre-owned vehicles . You can also contact us anytime to learn more about how to prepare your home for your new electric vehicle.

Tags: EV, EVs, Home Preparation
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